Abstract: To provide thermal relief, particularly of the edge of disk-shaped gate-turn-off GTO thyristors (GTO) as are used in converters in power electronics, at least one cooling segment which is isolated from a GTO cathode metallization of the GTO thyristor segment (GTO) by a gate electrode metallization of a gate electrode is arranged on the edge and laterally adjacent to the GTO thyristor segment (GTO). An insulation layer is provided between a cooling segment metallization and the gate electrode metallization. Cooling segments in an lo outer annular zone can be alternately arranged with GTO thyristor segments (GTO) or offset towards the outside in the radial direction or perpendicular direction thereto. Instead of cooling segments, a p.sup.+ -type GTO emitter layer of the GTO thyristor segments (GTO) can be shortened at the edge in the outer annular zone.

Abstract: In a semiconductor component with turn-off facility of the GTO type with direct pressure contact, a balancing of the local pressure distribution in the region of the cathode fingers (7) which results in an improved alternating load resistance and also in an extension of the allowable pressure range is achieved by structural matching of the anode metallization (4) to the gate-cathode structure on the cathode side.

Abstract: In a semiconductor component with turn-off facility of the GTO type with direct pressure contact, a balancing of the local pressure distribution in the region of the cathode fingers (7) which results in an improved alternating load resistance and also in an extension of the allowable pressure range is achieved by structural matching of the anode metallization (4) to the gate-cathode structure on the cathode side.

Abstract: In a controllable power semiconductor component which consists of a plurality of parallel-connected individual elements disposed adjacently to one another, the control contacts of which are connected to a common gate, different line resistances between gate and control contacts are compensated in order to achieve a uniform loading on all individual elements.In a GTO thyristor, the compensation is preferably achieved by adjusting the gate trough resistance (R.sub.G) in the p-type base (3) between gate contact (5) and n-type emitter (2).

Abstract: A method for producing large-area power semiconductor components, wherein at least two irradiation processes (neutron irridiation, ion implantation electron, .gamma.or proton irradiation) are used to produce the basic doping, to introduce deep pn junctions and to introduce recombination centers. It is precisely for the critical process steps (p-base, n-type stop layer) that the improved homogeneity of the layers signifies a higher yield and improved limit data for the finished components.

Abstract: A semiconductor component, including a GTO thyristor and integrally formed reverse conducting antiparallel diode, which can be used for turn-off of currents of 20 A . . . >2,000 A and off-state voltages of 600 V . . . >4,500 V in power electronics for driving electric vehicle motors, for direct-current choppers, converters, electric filters and so forth. A thyristor region including several parallel-connected individual gate turn-off (GTO) thyristors is separated by a protective zone form a diode region and electrically substantially decoupled in such a manner that only a few free charge carriers can reach the thyristor region during the conducting phase of the diode. For this purpose, the distance between the bottom of the recess in the protective zone and a space charge zone is kept small. Preferably, a second pn junction in the region of the protective zone extends to the bottom of the protective zone at two points.

Abstract: A housing for high-power semiconductor components is disclosed. The housing consists of an insulator which forms the lateral boundary of the housing, a high-power semiconductor component which is bounded on either side by intermediate disks formed of tungsten or molybdenum, and outer disks formed of copper. The insulator and outer disks are connected by connecting members which may be coated with a protective layer and which surround a protective ring made of a high temperature material such as a ceramic or temperature resistant plastic. The tungsten or molybdenum intermediate disks have a higher total specific energy absorption capacity than does copper.

Abstract: A thyristor for low-loss triggering of short impulses, including a main thyristor formed of four alternating zones of opposite conductivity type including a cathode emitter, a cathode base, an anode base and an anode, with a portion of the cathode base emerging to a cathode-side surface and serving as a gate; an integrated auxiliary thyristor provided for improving current rise time upon main thyristor ignition between the gate and the cathode emitter of the main thyristor; and an integrated diode provided for shortening the turn-off time of the main thyristor when ending current conduction therethrough; wherein the integrated diode is implemented as a Schottky contact which injects virtually no electrons into the cathode base under normal operating conditions.

Abstract: An optically activatable semiconductor component having at least one light-sensitive surface area containing a light-sensitive PN junction which is biased in a nonconducting direction when exposed to light, wherein in order to avoid a reduction in the inhibiting voltage of the optically activatable semiconductor component, the light-sensitive PN junction leading to the light-sensitive surface of the component is shaped such that it has a simple, preferably circular or tubular form at the light-sensitive surface. In one embodiment, plural light-sensitive PN junctions extend to the light-sensitive surface defining several subareas. The technology is applicable to thyristors, diodes, transistors or other light-sensitive semiconductor components.

Abstract: A light-ignitable thyristor formed of a main thyristor and an auxiliary thyristor integrated on a common wafer, wherein in order to reduce the ignition ratio between the main and auxiliary thyristors, the length of the cathode emitter edge near the gate of the main thyristor is shortened by forming anode base zone ducts which reach up to the cathode side surface between portions of the main thyristor gate and cathode zones. The width of the anode base zone areas formed on the cathode surface side is selected such that during the entire ignition process, a narrow space charging zone acting as an insulation zone remains at least partially around the PN junction bordering the surface areas of the anode base zone.

Abstract: A semiconductor component including at least one planar PN junction formed between a first semiconductor region and a second semiconductor region, zone guard rings surrounding the first region and surrounded by the second region in order to improve the reverse-current behavior of the PN junction, and a third semiconductor region having the same conductivity type as the second region, but having a higher doping concentration than the latter provided in the second region preceding the respective edges of the guard rings on the side of the PN junction. Typically the third region is doped such that with the PN junction polarized in the blocking direction, at least one point in the third region remains at zero field strength. Additionally provided is a fourth semiconductor region between the guard rings and between the guard ring closest the PN junction and the PN junction, which has the same conductivity type as the second region, but a lesser doping concentration.

Abstract: A thyristor having a gate and emitter shunts distributed over a cathode surface, wherein those emitter shunts provided in the vicinity of the gate are separated by shorter distances than those emitter shunts which are present on the remainder of the cathode surface. The distances are in each case determined by measuring the distance from the center of one emitter short-circuit to the center of an adjacent emitter short-circuit.

Abstract: A semiconductor device including at least four zones of alternately opposite conductivity types, the two inner zones and the outer zone adjoining each of them in each case possessing a common surface, on which there is provided a main electrode making contact with both the inner and the outer zone, the first main electrode comprising a central recess in which the first inner zone is in contact with a control electrode, and there being on the surface of the two inner zones heavily doped regions, surrounding the two outer zones, of the same conductivity type as the adjoining inner zone and which are at a distance of at least two carrier-diffusion lengths for the purpose of forming a guard zone for the outer zone disposed on the same surface, and wherein there is provided on the surface of an inner zone, between the outer zone disposed on the same surface and the heavily doped region surrounding that outer zone, an annular guard zone of the opposite conductivity type to that of the adjacent inner zone.

Abstract: A semiconductor component, preferably a thyristor, having emitter short-circuits in the cathode space. The emitter short-circuits are preferably arranged in a uniform fashion about the cathode space and, when formed of a material having <111> oriented crystals are arranged in ternary symmetry about the cathode or in multiples of three. In the case of material having <001> oriented crystals the emitter short-circuits are arranged in a quarternary symmetry or in multiples of four.

Abstract: A thyristor having improved high frequency performance is disclosed. The thyristor includes at least two parallel sequences of semiconductor zones wherein the carrier lifetime in the base region of a first sequence of zones is higher than in the corresponding base region of the second sequence of zones. The second sequence of zones is also more heavily doped at its outer extremities than the first sequence of zones. A method of making the improved thyristor is also disclosed and includes the step of diffusing recombination centers into the second sequence of zones in order to decrease carrier lifetime.