SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE WITH HIGH REVERSE BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

摘要

A semiconductor device has first and second opposed major surfaces (10a and 10b). A semiconductor first region (11) is provided between second (12 or 120) and third (14) regions such that the second region (12 or 120) forms a rectifying junction (13 or 130) with the first region (11) and separates the first region (11) from the first major surface (10a) while the third region (14) separates the first region (11) from the second major surface (10b). A plurality of semi-insulating or resistive paths (21) are dispersed within the first region (1') such that each path extends through the first region from the second to the third region. In use of the device when a reverse biasing voltage is applied across the rectifying junction (13 or 130) an electrical potential distribution is generated along the resistive paths (21) which causes a depletion region in the first region (11) to extend through the first region (11) to the third region (14) to increase the reverse breakdown voltage of the device. The device may be, for example a pn-n diode in which case the second region is a semiconductive region of the opposite conductivity type to the first region or a Schottky diode in which case the second region (120) forms a Schottky contact with the first region.