Semiconductor device with housing of varistor material

Claim 2

IN COMBINATION WITH A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE INCLUDING A BODY OF PN JUNCTION SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL HAVING AT LEST TWO CONTACTS ACROSS WHICH A VOLTAGE MAY BE APPLIED, A HOUSING FOR SAID BODY OF SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL, AN EXCESS-VOLTAGE PROTECTION BODY OF METAL OXIDE VARISTOR MATERIAL HAVING AN ALPHA IN EXCESS OF 10 CONSTITUTING AN INTEGRAL PART OF SAID HOUSING, RESPECTIVE ELECTRODES LOCATED ON SPACED REGIONS OF SAID VARISTOR BODY, AND MEANS FORMING ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SAID CONTACTS AND SAID ELECTRODES.

Claim 3

The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said varistor material comprises a coating on at least a portion of a surface of an insulative portion of said housing.

Claim 4

The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said varistor material is predominantly zinc oxide.

Claim 5

A thyristor comprising a body of semiconductor material having regions of one and the opposite conductivity type, separated by pN, an enclosure for said body including conductive portions connected to selected regions of said body and an insulative portion separating said conductive portions, a body of metal oxide varistor material having an alpha in excess of 10 integrally associated with at least a part of said insulative portion, and means forming respective electrical connections between said conductive portions and spaced regions of said varistor body, said varistor body being dimensioned in relation to the spacing between said electrical connections thereto so as to control and stabilize the forward and reverse leakage currents through said thyristor as well as the peak inverse voltage of said thyristor.

Claim 6

A thyristor comprising a body of semiconductor material having regions of one and the opposite conductivity type, separated by pN, an enclosure for said body including conductive portions connected to selected regions of said body and an insulative portion separating said conductive portions, a body of metal oxide varistor material having an alpha in excess of 10 integrally associated with at least a part of said insulative portion, and means forming respective electrical connections between said conductive portions and spaced regions of said varistor body, said varistor body being dimensioned in relation to the spacing between said electrical connections thereto so as to control and stabilize the forward and reverse leakage currents through said thyristor as well as the peak inverse voltage of said thyristor.

Claim 7

In a semiconductor device including a body of PN junction semiconductor material having at least one PN junction, respective spaced electrodes electrically connected to spaced locations on the surface of said body of semiconductor material, and a housing member for said semiconductor body extending between said electrodes and comprising a body of metal oxide varistor material having an alpha in excess of 10, said body of varistor material being dimensioned to provide a predetermined breakover voltage characteristic, leakage current characteristic, and shunt capacitance for the PN junction semiconductor body.

Claim 8

In a semiconductor device including a body of PN junction semiconductor material having at least one PN junction, respective spaced electrodes electrically connected to spaced locations on the surface of said body of semiconductor material, and a housing member for said semiconductor body extending between said electrodes and comprising a body of metal oxide varistor material having an alpha in excess of 10, said body of varistor material being dimensioned to provide a predetermined breakover voltage characteristic, leakage current characteristic, and shunt capacitance for the PN junction semiconductor body.

Claim 9

A semiconductor device comprising a body of PN junction semiconductor material having at least one PN junction, spaced electrodes electrically connected to spaced locations on the surface of said body of semiconductor material, and also comprising a housing for said semiconductor body, said housing extending between said electrodes and said housing comprising means for establishing predetermined breakover voltage and predetermined peak inverse voltage characteristics of said semiconductor device.

Claim 10

A semiconductor device comprising a body of PN junction semiconductor material having at least one PN junction, spaced electrodes electrically connected to spaced locations on the surface of said body of semiconductor material, and also comprising a housing for said semiconductor body, said housing extending between said electrodes and said housing comprising means for establishing predetermined breakover voltage and predetermined peak inverse voltage characteristics of said semiconductor device.

Claim 11

A semiconductor device according to claim 6 wherein said means for establishing predetermined breakover voltage and predetermined peak inverse voltage characteristic comprises a body of metal oxide varistor material.