Gate turn-off thyristor with anode rectifying contact to non-regenerative section

Claim 1

A gate controlled semiconductor device comprising: a body of semiconductor material having therein a four layer regenerative controlled rectifier section and a three layer non-regenerative section, said four layers of said regenerative section having alternating conductivity types, and comprising a cathode region adjacent a first major surface of said body and having a one type conductivity, an active gate region having a second type conductivity, a base region having said one type conductivity, said base region being spaced apart from said cathode region by said active gate region, and an anode region having said second type conductivity and being adjacent to a second major surface of said body and spaced apart from said cathode region by said gate region and said base region, a portion of said anode region overlapping said cathode region; said non-regenerative section being adjacent to and integral with said regenerative section, said three layers of said non-regenerative section comprising extensions of said cathode region, said active gate region and said base region, a portion of said base region extending to said second major surface in said non-regenerative section; and means for rectifyingly contacting said portion of said base region at said second major surface to reduce the lateral current between said regenerative section and said non-regenerative section necessary to initiate current regeneration in said regenerative controlled rectifier section.