Semiconductor structure and method for improving its ability to withstand electrostatic discharge (ESD) and overloads

A method for improving the ESD strength and the overload strength of a semiconductor structure, wherein the semiconductor structure comprises a base layer of a first conductivity type, a first layer of the first conductivity type arranged on the base layer and having a dopant concentration which is lower than a dopant concentration of the base layer, and a second layer of a second conductivity type, wherein the first layer and the second layer are operative in order to form a junction between the first conductivity type and the second conductivity type, comprising step-shaped setting a course of the dopant profile at the transition between the base layer and the first layer, starting from a first dopant concentration in the first layer via a second dopant concentration in the base layer to a third dopant concentration in the base layer, wherein the third dopant concentration is higher than the first dopant concentration and the second dopant concentration, and wherein the second dopant concentration is higher than the first dopant concentration, and wherein the first dopant concentration is 1016 atoms/cm3, the second dopant concentration is 1017/cm3 and the third dopant concentration is 1019 atoms/cm3.