US 4,502,070 AGranted

FET Controlled thyristor

AssigneeSiemens Aktiengesellschaft

InventorsLudwig Leipold, Jens P. Stengl, Jeno Tihanyi

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Abstract

Controlled semiconductor switch with a semiconductor body containing a thyristor structure having a first zone of first conductivity type embedded in coplanar relationship in a second zone of second conductivity type; also containing a third zone of the first conductivity type and a fourth zone of the second conductivity type; and further containing an MIS-FET integrated into the semiconductor body and having a source zone of the first conductivity type embedded in coplanar relationship in a zone of the second conductivity type; an insulating layer disposed on the surface of the semiconductor body, a control electrode lying on the insulating layer and covering a first channel zone operatively associated with the FET; and a cathode electrode on the semiconductor body, including the features that the zone of the second conductivity type of the MIS-FET is embedded in the third zone in coplanar relationship therewith and forms the first channel zone at the surface of the semiconductor body; the second zone of the thyristor structure is embedded in the third zone in coplanar relationship therewith and forms a second channel zone at the surface of the semiconductor body; the third zone extends to the surface of the semiconductor body between the two channel zones; the control electrode also covers the second channel zone and the part of the third zone extending to the surface of the semiconductor body; and the cathode electrode is in contact with the source zone of the MIS-FET.

Claims6

Dependent claims

Controlled semiconductor switch with a semiconductor body containing a thyristor structure having a first zone of first conductivity type, free of external connection, embedded in coplanar relationship in a second zone of second conductivity type, free of external connection;

also containing a third zone of the first conductivity type and a fourth zone of the second conductivity type;
and further containing an MIS-FET integrated into the semiconductor body and having a source zone of the first conductivity type embedded in coplanar relationship in a zone of the second conductivity type;
an insulating layer disposed on the surface of the semiconductor body, a control electrode lying on the insulating layer and covering a first channel zone operatively associated with the FET;
and a cathode electrode on the semiconductor body, comprising the features that:
(a) the zone of the second conductivity type of the MIS-FET constitutes a fifth zone of the semiconductor body and is embedded in the third zone in coplanar relationship therewith and forms the first channel zone at the surface of the semiconductor body;
(b) the source zone of the first conductivity type of the MIS-FET constitutes a sixth zone of the semiconductor body and is embedded in said fifth zone in coplanar relationship therewith;
(c) the second zone of the thyristor structure is embedded in the third zone in coplanar relationship therewith and forms a second channel zone at the surface of the semiconductor body;
(d) the third zone extends to the surface of the semiconductor body between the two channel zones;
(e) the control electrode also covers said second channel zone and the part of the third zone extending to the surface of the semiconductor body;
and
(f) the cathode electrode is in contact with the source zone of the MIS-FET.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.