An integrated circuit including a bipolar transistor with improved forward second breakdown is disclosed. In one embodiment, the bipolar transistor includes a base, a collector, a plurality of emitter sections coupled to a common emitter and a ballast emitter for each emitter section. Each ballast resistor is coupled between the common emitter and an associated emitter section. The size of each ballast resistor is selected so that the size of the ballast resistors vary across a two dimensional direction in relation to a lateral surface of the bipolar transistor.