Integrated semiconductor switching device

Claim 1

AN INTEGRATED SEMICONDUCTOR SWITCHING DEVICE COMPRISING A SEMICONDUCTOR BODY INCLUDING A FIRST ZONE OF ONE CONDUCTIVITY TYPE, A SECOND ZONE OF OPPOSITE CONDUCTIVITY TYPE DEFINING A PN JUNCTION WITH THE FIRST ZONE, A FIRST PAIR OF SPACED ZONES EACH OF THE ONE CONDUCTIVITY TYPE AND CONTIGUOUS WITH A LIMITED PORTION OF THE SECOND ZONE AND FORMING A SEPARATE PN JUNCTION WITH THE SECOND ZONE, A SECOND PAIR OF SPACED ZONES EACH OF THE OPPOSITE CONDUCTIVITY TYPE AND CONTIGUOUS WITH A LIMITED PORTION OF A DIFFERENT ONE OF THE ZONES OF THE FIRST PAIR, SAID BODY HAVING NO OTHER ZONES, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING BETWEEN SAID FIRST PAIR OF SPACED ZONES AND SAID FIRST ZONE AND BETWEEN SAID SECOND PAIR OF SPACED ZONES AND SAID FIRST ZONE A VOLTAGE WHICH IS LESS THAN THE CHARACTERISTIC BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE OF THE THEREBETWEEN INCLUDED ZONES IN THE ABSENCE OF A TRIGGER PULSE APPLIED TO SAID SECOND ZONE, SEPARATE VOLTAGE MEANS FOR APPLYING VOLTAGE PULSES TO PORTIONS OF SAID SECOND ZONE REMOTE FROM EACH OTHER, AND MEANS FOR DETECTING OUTPUT SIGNALS BETWEEN SAID FIRST ZONE AND SAID PAIRS OF SPACED ZONES RESPECTIVELY.