Semiconductor light emitting device utilising punch-through effects

A light emitting device comprising;

• body of a semiconductor material;
• first junction region in the body formed between a first region of the body of a first doping kind and a second region of the body of a second doping kind;
• second junction region in the body formed between the second region of the body and a third region of the body of the first doping kind;
• a terminal arrangement connected to the body and arranged to apply a reverse bias to the first junction region to cause a breakdown mode of said first junction region and to forward bias at least part of the second junction region;
• and
• the device being configured so that a first depletion region associated with the reverse biased first junction region punches through to a second depletion region associated with the at least part of the second junction region, to lower an energy barrier of the at least part of the second junction region and inject carriers from the at least part of the second junction region into the first junction region, thereby improving electroluminescence effects in the device.