Abstract: A charge-coupled unit formed in a semiconductor substrate and including an array of identical electrodes forming rows and columns, wherein: each electrode extends in a cavity with insulated walls formed of a groove, oriented along a row, dug into the substrate thickness, and including, at one of its ends, a protrusion extending towards at least one adjacent row.

Abstract: An electrostatic discharge protection device comprises several thyristors which are connected in parallel between two nodes of an electrical circuit. It also includes a control circuit having an output connected to the control trigger terminal input of each of the thyristors. In response to an abnormal variation in a voltage between the two nodes being detected, the control circuit initiates a triggering current on the output so as to trigger the thyristors to conduct current between the two nodes. Preferably, the thyristors are arranged in a semiconductor substrate so as to have low hold voltages and small geometrical dimensions.