Semiconductor having a transistor, a thyristor and a diode in one body

Claim 2

A semiconductor contained within an integral body of semiconductor material and comprised of; a first portion which constitutes a transistor, a second portion which constitutes a thyristor and a third portion which constitutes a diode; one region of said diode having a first portion more heavily doped than a second portion; the collector region of the transistor being common with said second portion of said one region of the diode, said first portion of the one region of the diode being immediately adjacent the P-N junction of the diode; the other region of the diode and the anode region of the thyristor being commonly connected to a first terminal of the device, the emitter region of the transistor being connected to a second terminal of the device, and a gate region of the thyristor portion being connected to a third terminal of the device.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 in which the cathode region of the thyristor is electrically connected to the base region of the transistor.

Claim 4

The device of claim 1 in which the thyristor is disposed centrally within the body of semiconductor material and is completely surrounded by the transistor and diode.

Claim 5

A semiconductor device comprising a body of semiconductor material, said body having opposed, substantially parallel, major top and bottom surfaces, a first region having a first-type of semiconductivity, said first region having top and bottom surfaces which are essentially parallel, the bottom surface of said first region comprising the bottom surface of the body of semiconductor material, a second region having a second-type of semiconductivity disposed on the top surface of said first region, a P-N junction between said first and said second regions, said second region having a first portion formed in its periphery and in contact with said first region along the P-N junction therebetween, said first portion being of said second-type of semiconductivity and doped to a higher concentration than the remaining portion of said second region, said first portion having a thickness less than the thickness of said second region, a third region having said first-type of semiconductivity disposed on the top surface of said second region, a P-N junction between said second and third regions, said third region extending from the P-N junction to the top surface of the body, a fourth region having said second-type of semiconductivity, said fourth region being disposed about the periphery of the body, extending into said third region from the top surface of the body and forming a P-N junction with said third region, a fifth region having said second-type of semiconductivity, said fifth region extending into said third region from the top surface of the body and forming a P-N junction with said third region, said fifth region being spaced apart from said fourth region, a first electrical contact affixed to the bottom surface of said body of semiconductivity material for making electrical contact with said first region, a second electrical contact disposed on the top surface of the body of semiconductor material for making electrical contact with said third region, a third electrical contact affixed to said fourth region, a fourth electrical contact affixed to said third and said fifth regions, and a fifth electrical contact Affixed to said fifth region.

Claim 6

A semiconductor device comprising a body of semiconductor material, said body having opposed, substantially parallel, major top and bottom surfaces, a first region having a first-type of semiconductivity, said first region having top and bottom surfaces which are essentially parallel, the bottom surface of said first region comprising the bottom surface of the body of semiconductor material, a second region having a second-type of semiconductivity disposed on the top surface of said first region, a P-N junction between said first and said second regions, said second region having a first portion formed in its periphery and in contact with said first region along the P-N junction therebetween, said first portion being of said second-type of semiconductivity and doped to a higher concentration than the remaining portion of said second region, said first portion having a thickness less than the thickness of said second region, a third region having said first-type of semiconductivity disposed on the top surface of said second region, a P-N junction between said second and third regions, said third region extending from the P-N junction to the top surface of the body, a fourth region having said second-type of semiconductivity, said fourth region being disposed about the periphery of the body, extending into said third region from the top surface of the body and forming a P-N junction with said third region, a fifth region having said second-type of semiconductivity, said fifth region extending into said third region from the top surface of the body and forming a P-N junction with said third region, said fifth region being spaced apart from said fourth region, a first electrical contact affixed to the bottom surface of said body of semiconductivity material for making electrical contact with said first region, a second electrical contact disposed on the top surface of the body of semiconductor material for making electrical contact with said third region, a third electrical contact affixed to said fourth region, a fourth electrical contact affixed to said third and said fifth regions, and a fifth electrical contact Affixed to said fifth region.

Claim 7

The semiconductor device of claim 4 in which said fifth region, and the central portions of; said third region, said second region and said first regions form a thyristor; said fourth region and peripheral portions of said third and second regions for a transistor; and peripheral portions of said first and second regions form a diode.