Abstract: A semiconductor body (100) has a first device region (20) of one conductivity type forming with a second device region (13) of the opposite conductivity type provided adjacent one major surface (11) of the semiconductor body (100) a first pn junction (40) which is reverse-biassed in at least one mode of operation. A floating further region (50) of the opposite conductivity type is provided within the first device region (20) remote from the major surfaces (11 and 12) of the semiconductor body (100) and spaced from the second device region (13) so that, in the one mode, the depletion region of the first pn junction (40) reaches the floating further region (50) before the first pn junction (40) breaks down.

Abstract: A semiconductor device (10) is formed by providing first and second semiconductor bodies (1 and 11) each having first and second major surfaces (2 and 3) and (12 and 13), respectively, defining a rectifying junction pattern (21) adjacent to at least one (12) of the first major surfaces, and bonding the first major surfaces (2 and 12) together to join the two semiconductor bodies (1 and 11) to form the semiconductor device (10) in which the rectifying junction pattern 21 defines a path for the flow of charge carriers between the second major surfaces. The rectifying junction pattern (21) is defined at the one first major surface (12) by an electrically conductive pattern (20) forming a Schottky junction (21) with at least one of the first and second semiconductor bodies (1 and 11).