Deep diode lead throughs

Claim 1

A semiconductor device comprising a body of single crystal semiconductor material having first and second major opposed surfaces comprising respectively, the top and bottom surfaces thereof, a first preferred level of resistivity, a preferred first type conductivity, a first preferred type conductivity, and a vertical axis aligned substantially parallel with a first preferred crystal axis of the material of the body; at least one of the opposed major surfaces having a preferred planar crystal orientation which is one selected from the group consisting of (111), (110) and (100); at least one region of second and opposite type conductivity having a second predetermined level of resistivity, and opposed end surfaces, disposed in the body and extending between and terminating in the two major opposed surfaces of the body, each of the end surfaces is coextensive with a respective one of the major surfaces, the material of the at least one region consisting of recrystallized semiconductor material of the body formed in situ in the body by the migration of a melt of metal-rich semiconductor material through the entire body, from one opposed major surface to the other, by thermal gradient zone melting at a predetermined elevated temperature along a thermal gradient aligned substantially parallel with the first preferred crystal axis and the vertical axis of the body and having the metal distributed substantially uniformly throughout the entire region, the level of concentration of the metal therein being determined by the solid solubility limit of that metal in that semiconductor material of the body at that predetermined elevated temperature of migration, the metal comprising a sufficient quantity of at least one dopant impurity material to impart the second type conductivity and second predetermined level of resistivity thereto, each of the at least one regions being a low electrical resistance path for conducting electrical currents between the major opposed surfaces of the body; each of the at least one region of second type conductivity having a vertical axis which is aligned substantially parallel with the first crystal axis; a P-N junction formed by the contiguous surfaces of the materials of each region and the body; at least one electrical device associated with one of the two major surfaces of the body; at least one electrical device associated with the other of the two major surfaces of the body, and means for electrically connecting the electrical devices associated with the respective two major opposed surfaces via the at least one region of second type conductivity.