Sequential trip semiconductor device

Claim 1

A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE COMPRISING A BODY OF SEMICONDUCTIVE MATERIAL HAVING A FIRST CONTINUOUS LAYER OF A FIRST CONDUCTIVITY TYPE AND A SECOND CONTINUOUS LAYER OF A SECOND CONDUCTIVITY TYPE ADJACENT AND FORMING A RECTIFYING JUNCTION WITH SAID FIRST CONTINUOUS LAYER, SAID SECOND CONTINUOUS LAYER HAVING A FIRST PORTION AND A SECOND PORTION MUTUALLY SEPARATED BY A PORTION OF RESTRICTED THICKNESS, EACH OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PORTIONS OF SAID SECOND CONTINUOUS LAYER HAVING DISPOSED THEREON PHYSICALLY SEPARATED REGIONS OF MATERIAL OF SAID FIRST CONDUCTIVITY TYPE THEREBY FORMING FIRST AND SECOND BREAKDOWN JUNCTIONS, SEPARATED REGIONSOF SAID SECOND CONDUCTIVITY TYPE DISPOSED ON THE REMOTE SURFACE OF SAID SEPARATED REGIONS OF SAID FIRST CONDUCTIVITY TPE; MEANS TO APPLY A VOLTAGE ACROSS SAID SEMICONDUCTOR BODY SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE BREAKDOWN OF SAID FIRST BREAKDOWN JUNCTION, MEANS TO APPLY A TRIGGERING PULSE TO SAID SECOND CONTINUOUS LAYER TO CAUSE BREAKDOWN OF SAID SECOND BREAKDOWN JUNCTION, AND CIRCUIT MEANS COUPLED TO EXTINGUISH SAID FIRST ELEMENT UPON THE FIRING OF SAID SECOND ELEMENT.