Semiconductor device and method

Claim 1

IN A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE WHICH HAS DESIRED REVERSE CURRENT AND BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE CHARACTERISTICS AND IS ONE OF THE TYPE OF A GROUP WHICH INCLUDES NP, PN, PNP, AND NPN DEVICES, SAID SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE INCLUDING A SEMICONDUCTOR ELEMENT HAVING THEREIN A FIRST REGION AND A SECOND REGION WHICH ARE ADJACENT ONE ANOTHER AND ARE OF OPPOSITE CONDUCTIVITY TYPE, A JUNCTION AT THE INTERFACE OF SAID TWO REGIONS, AND A GROWN PASSIVTING COATING ON THE TOP SURFACE OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR ELEMENT UNDER WHICH A CHANNEL CAN FORM WITHIN SAID ELEMENT IMMEDIATELY AT SAID TOP SURFACE AND WHICH WOULD EXTEND LATERALLY OUT OF SAID SECOND REGION INTO SAID FIRST REGION AND WOULD BE OF OPPOSITE CONDUCTIVITY TYPE TO SAID FIRST REGION, WITH SAID JUNCTION UPON DORMATION OF SUCH A CHANNEL LIKEWISE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID SECOND REGION ALONG THE INTERFACE OF SUCH A CHANNEL AND THE FIRST REGION, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A CHANNEL-INTERRUPTING REGION FORMED IN SAID FIRST REGION WHICH PROVIDES THE DESIRED REVERSE CURRENT CHARACTERISTIC AND MAINTAINS THE DESIRED BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE CHARACTERISTIC FOR THE SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE BY INTERRUPTING AND TERMINATING ANY SUCH A CHANNEL AT A PLACE SPACED LATERALLY AWAY AND SEPARATED FROM SAID SECOND REGION AND COMPLETELY SURROUNDING SAID SECOND REGION, SAID CHANNELINTERRUPTING REGION BEING OF THE SAME CONDUCTIVITY TYPE AS SAID FIRST REGION, OF LOWER RESISTIVITY THAN THE SAME, AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID TOP SURFACE THROUGH SUCH A CHENNEL AND INTO SAID FIRST REGION TO A TORAL DEPTH GREATER THAN THE DEPTH FROM SAID TOP SURFACE OF ANY SUCH A CHANNEL SO AS TO STRUCTURALLY BLOCK SUCH A CHANNEL AND TURN SAID JUNCTION UPWARDLY TOWARD AND TO SAID TOP SURFACE UNDERNEATH SAID PASSIVATING COATING, WITH SAID SPACING AND SEPARATION OF SAID CHANNEL-INTERRUPTING REGION FROM SAID SECOND REGION BEING AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO ACCOMMODATE THE ENTIRE DEPLETION REGION IN THE SEMICONDUCTOR ELEMENT OT MAINTAIN SAID DESIRED BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE DURING THE OPERATION OF SAID SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE.