Abstract: A thyristor has a semiconductor body which comprises an n-emitter provided with a first contact in a first principal surface, a p-base adjacent thereto, a p-emitter provided with a second contact in a second principal surface, and an n-base adjacent to the second principal surface. A high dI/dt stability is achieved since one of the emitters is formed of a plurality of emitter regions, the adjacent base is formed of a plurality of island-shaped base regions, and each of the base regions has a field effect transistor allocated to it via which an ignition current circuit for an emitter region respectively inserted into the base region proceeds. The field effect transistors of all base regions are driven via a common gate terminal for ignition.

Abstract: A Darlington circuit comprises a field effect transistor and a bipolar transistor monolithically integrated on a semiconductor body of a first conductivity type. In order to reduce the residual voltage which drops off between the emitter and the collector of the output transistor in the current-conducting condition, the emitter of the output transistor is composed of a plurality of emitter regions of the first conductivity type which are located in a plurality of island-shaped semiconductor regions of the second conductivity type, which thus serves as base regions for the output transistor. The lateral spacing between an emitter region and a source region of the field effect transistor provided in one and the same island-shaped semiconductor region is selected smaller than the thickness of the semiconductor body between its principle surfaces which are provided with contacts for the emitter terminal and the collector terminal.

Abstract: A semiconductor power circuit breaker has several emitter zones of a width (b) less than 30 microns. The semiconductor device may be in the form of a switching transistor or a gate turn off (GTO) thyristor. The spacing (a) of the emitter zones is less than the thickness (d) of the low doped inner zone. The power circuit breaker can thus be operated up to the collector-base break-down voltage U.sub.CBO without a destruction through "second break-down" occurring. On the other hand, high current carrying capacity is maintained, since it depends practically only on the chip surface instead of being a function of emitter area.

Abstract: A thyristor comprising a semiconductor body which has a plurality of emitter zones formed by parts of a first electrode, a first base adjacent to the emitter zones, an emitter contacted by a second electrode, and a second base adjacent to the emitter and adjacent to the first base. Emitter shorts which are controllable via MIS field effect transistors of the depletion type are positioned at the edge side relative to the emitter zones. It is an objective to obtain thyristors of this type that are usable despite some fault locations. This is achieved by combining the emitter zones into a plurality of groups which have group-associated control terminals for the MIS-FETs. Only the control terminals of the functional groups are connected to a collective contact carrying a control voltage. The control terminals of the fault-affected groups are not connected thereto so that the latter groups are functionally suppressed.

Abstract: A monolithically integrated bipolar Darlington circuit comprising a driver transistor and output transistor whereby a semiconductor body contains a base layer of a first conductivity type and a collector layer of a second conductivity type which is below the base layer and the driver transistor and the output transistor have emitters of the second conductivity type which are formed in the base layer and whereby the emitter of the driver transistor is conductively connected to a subregion of the base layer which lies between both transistors.

Abstract: A thyristor comprises a semiconductor body containing a n emitter contacted by a cathode electrode and an adjacent p base, with a p emitter contacted by an anode electrode and an adjacent n base. The thyristor comprises a projection of the p base which extends up to the cathode boundary surface of the semiconductor body and likewise comprises a projection of the n base extending up to the boundary surface and which is adjacent to the first-mentioned projection. A gate electrode is carried insulated on the boundary surface covering the projection of the p base and serves to control the thyristor. Triggerability of the thyristor by a low light power and the attainment of a high critical voltage rise rate dU/dt relative to an inhibit voltage U is achieved by an illuminatable, light-sensitive resistor for ignition which is connected between the gate electrode and the projection of the n base and a further resistor which is connected between the gate electrode and the cathode electrode.

Abstract: A light-triggerable thyristor has a semiconductor body which contains an n emitter contacted by a cathode electrode and lying adjacent a p base which, in turn, is adjacent an n base contacting a p emitter having an anode electrode. A projection of the p base extends up to the boundary surface of the semiconductor body adjacent another projection of the n base which likewise extends up to the boundary surface. In order to obtain a high trigger sensitivity, and, at the same time, a high inhibit capability of the thyristor, a light-sensitive element is connected between an electrode which contacts the second-mentioned projection of the n base and the cathode electrode.

Abstract: A semiconductor switch has a disconnectible thyristor, a first switching transistor connected to a lead of the thyristor and a turn-off current path which emits a control electrode of the thyristor to a terminal of the lead. Given such semiconductor switches, the critical voltage rise rate dU/dt is increased for an inhibit voltage up to which an undesired ignition of the thyristor is reliably avoided. This is achieved by providing a second switching transistor having its switching path connected in the turn-off current path. Both switching transistors are conductive in the inhibiting condition of the thyristor and form a stabilizing emitter-base short.

Abstract: A thyristor has a pair of opposite conductivity bases between and respectively adjacent to opposite conductivity emitters. An auxiliary emitter serves for internal current gain and is provided with an auxiliary emitter cathode. In order to meet the mutually-contradictory requirements for great stability against unintentional trigger operations and a high trigger sensitivity, the auxiliary emitter electrode is connected by way of a semiconductor switch to the base layer adjacent the auxiliary emitter for increasing the trigger sensitivity. The thyristor may be employed in situations in which a high di/dt stability and a high dU/dt stability is desired.

Abstract: A thyristor has an n-emitter provided with a cathode, a p-emitter provided with an anode, and two base layers respectively adjacent thereto. Further, an auxiliary emitter serves the purpose of internal current gain. High ignition sensitivity is strived for in addition to good stability. To this end, a connectible auxiliary emitter is provided next to the auxiliary emitter, forming a three-layer structure together with the base layers with a higher current transfer ratio for the charge carriers emitted by it than the auxiliary emitter. In order to produce a high ignition sensitivity, the connectible auxiliary emitter is conductively connected to the auxiliary emitter via a semiconductor switch. The area of employment comprises trigger-sensitive thyristors with high di/dt and dU/dt stability.

Abstract: A thyristor has a semiconductor body with an n-emitter provided with a cathode, a p-emitter provided with an anode, and two base layers respectively adjacent thereto. Mutually contridictory requirements for great stability against unintentional ignition operations and a high degree of trigger insensitivity are met as well as possible. To this end, a connectible n(p) emitter is provided laterally adjacent the n(p) emitter, the connectible n(p) emitter forming a three layer structure together with the two base layers with a higher current transfer ratio for the charge carriers emitted thereby than the n(p) emitter. For the purpose of producing a high degree of ignition insensitivity, the connectible n(p) emitter can be selectively connected to the n(p) emitter via a semiconductor switch. The area of use encompasses ignition-sensitive thyristors having a high dU/dt load requirement.

Abstract: A method for the manufacture of metallized semiconductor components, particularly power semiconductor components such as thyristors in which the semiconductor substrate is covered with at least three metal layers including a base layer attached to the substrate, an intermediate layer, and an upper layer upon which the various photoresist compositions are located to define the electrode structures, the intermediate layer being composed of a metal which has different solubility characteristics than either the upper or lower metal layers so that the various layers can be selectively etched by means of suitable solvents.

Abstract: The invention relates to a thyristor with a multi-layer semiconductor body with a pnpn layer sequence which has two boundary surfaces which lie essentially parallel to the pn-junctions between the individual layers. The thyristor has a doubly slanted edge (or dove-tail profile) which can be produced without mechanical work steps. To this end, such boundary surfaces are oriented in the {100} direction and are rectangularly configured and also have lateral limits which proceed parallel to the {100} orientation direction. Respective pairs of lateral surfaces in the {111} orientation direction are obtained by means of an etching process which extend from mutually corresponding, lateral limits of both boundary surfaces. These pairs of lateral surfaces meet in a plane situated between the boundary surfaces and in which the semiconductor body exhibits a minimum cross-sectional surface. The area of employment comprises power thyristors.

Abstract: In a thyristor, a junction field effect transistor is provided for controlling an emitter short circuit. The thyristor has an outer n-emitter, an outer p-emitter, each carrying a respective electrode, a p-base and an n-base between and respectively adjacent the emitters, and the emitter short circuit is constituted by a semiconductor zone in one of the emitters and doped opposite to that emitter and carrying a gate electrode. A portion of the emitter under the zone constitutes a channel zone for the field effect transistor, while lateral portions of the emitter constitute a source and drain.