A semiconductor device.

摘要

A semiconductor body (1) has a portion (2a) of one conductivity type adjacent one major surface (3). A first active device region (4) forms with the said portion (2a) a first pn junction (5) which terminates at the one major surface (3) and is reverse-biassed in at least one mode of operation of the device. A second active device region (6) provided within the first active device region (4) forms with the first active device region (4) a second pn junction (7) terminating at the one major surface (3). One or more further regions (8) of the opposite conductivity type are provided with the said portion (2a) adjacent the one major surface (3) surrounding and spaced from the first pn junction (5) to lie within the spread of the depletion region when the first pn junction (5) is reverse-biassed in the at least one mode of operation. An additional region (9) of the opposite conductivity type is provided between and spaced from the first pn junction (5) and an inner one (8a) of the further regions (8), and an electrical connection (10) is provided between the additional region (9) and the second active device region (6) to provide a path for the flow of charge carriers between the further regions (8) and the second device region (6). <IMAGE>