Semiconductor latching switch with light-coupled triggering means

Claim 1

A SEMICONDUCTOR SWITCHING DEVICE, COMPRISING A SINGLE SEMICONDUCTOR BODY INTEGRALLY COMPRISING AN OPTICALLY CONTROLLABLE SWITCHING DIODE HAVING FOUR ZONES OF ALTERNATELY DIFFERENT CONDUCTIVITY TYPE FORMING P-N JUNCTIONS BETWEEN ADJACENT ONES THEREOF AND A RADIATION EMISSIVE EMISSION DIODE SEMICONDUCTOR MEMBER WHICH EMITS RADIATION WHEN EXCITED BY ELECTRICAL CURRENT, SAID RADIATION EMISSIVE DIODE MEMBER BEING INTEGRALLY FORMED WITH AND IN PROXIMITY WITH SAID SWITCHING DIODE AND SPACED FROM SAID SWITCHING DIODE BY A SPACE AND HAVING A P-N JUNCTION AND AN EMISSION BEAM AXIS ISSUING FROM THE P-N JUNCTION OF SAID RADIATION EMISSIVE MEMBR AND DIRECTED ONTO SAID SWITCHING DIODE FOR OPTICALLY TRIGGERING SAID SWITCHING DIODE UPON EXCITATION OF SAID RADIATION EMISSIVE MEMBER BY ELECTRICAL CURRENT, SAID RADIATION EMISSIVE MEMBER BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY ANNULAR CONFIGURATION AND COAXIALLY SURROUNDING SAID SWITCHING DIODE IN A MANNER WHEREBY RADIATION ISSUING FROM SAID RADIATION EMISSIVE MEMBER PASSES THROUGH THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID SWITCHING DIODE AND SAID RADIATION EMISSIVE MEMBER TO A P-N JUNCTION OF SAID SWITCHING DIODE, SAID SEMICONDUCTOR BODY INCLUDING ISOLATING P-N JUNCTIONS POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID SWITCHING DIODE AND SAID RADIATION EMISSIVE MEMBER AND ELECTRICALLY SEPARATING SAID SWITCHING DIODE FROM SAID RADIATION EMISSIVE MEMBER; BIASING MEANS FOR BIASING A P-N JUNCTION OF SAID SWITCHING DIODE IN THE BLOCKING DIRECTION; CONTROL CIRCUIT LEADS CONNECTED TO SAID RADIATION EMISSIVE MEMBER FOR EXCITING SAID RADIATION EMISSIVE MEMBER WITH ELECTRICAL CURRENT; AND LOAD CIRCUIT LEADS CONNECTED TO SAID SWITCHING DIODE.