A semiconductor element having a basic region to which a bias voltage is applied from at least one boundary area, which voltage completely depletes the basic region of majority carriers and generates a potential minimum for the majority carriers in the basic region in which the majority carriers are collected and moved, is described. According to the invention, the quantity, the direction of movement and/or the speed of the minority carriers are controlled by the variation of the potential minimum on at least one side of the potential minimum (PM). <IMAGE>
