U.S. Philips Corporation

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Klaastinus Hendrikus Sanders

Einte Holwerda

Geert J Duinkerken

Alfred J Van Roosmalen

Jozeph Peter Karl Hoefsmit

Nicolaus Antonius Maria Koper

Johan B Kuperus

Jozeph P K Hoefsmit

Pieter Weyert Lukey

Gerrit Willem Jan Ter Horst

Klaas Van Der Vlist

The invention relates to a semiconductor device with a diode. The semiconductor body ( ) comprises a stack of a first semiconductor region provided with a first connection conductor ( ) and a second semiconductor region ( ) connected to a second connection conductor ( ), wherein a rectifying junction is present between the two semiconductor regions ( ) having opposite conductivity types. Such a device is&mdash;after a rotation through 90 degrees&mdash;suitable for surface mounting. However, in particular at high voltage and/or high power levels, the diode may suffer from breakdown or a high leakage current. In a device according to the invention, a portion ( A) of the first semiconductor region ( ) is electrically insulated from the rest ( B) of the first semiconductor region ( ), the semiconductor body ( ) is provided with means ( ) by which said portion ( A) is connected with electrical conduction to the second semiconductor region ( ), and the second connection conductor ( ) is situated on said portion ( A) of the first semiconductor region ( ). The resulting device is directly suitable for surface mounting, i.e. without the need of rotation, and is much less prone to breakdown or high leakage currents, even in high-voltage and/or high-power applications. The portions ( A, B) may be easily separated by a groove ( ). The means ( ) may be a conductive channel created in a simple manner by means of a current pulse through the rectifying junction. Manufacture of the device is both simple and inexpensive.

Semiconductor device with a diode, and method of manufacturing such a device

In the known method, a semiconductor element ( ) is provided with two connecting conductors ( ) by arranging, preferably a large number of elements ( ) between first and a second conductive plate ( ), the two connecting conductors ( ) secured at the upper surface and lower surface of an element ( ) being formed from the two plates ( ). The first connecting conductor ( ) is formed from a part ( ) of the first plate ( ) which borders on an opening ( ), and the element ( ) is covered with a protective envelope ( ). The known method has the drawback that the devices obtained are not always directly suitable for surface mounting. Furthermore, the reliability of the device is sub-optimal. In a method in accordance with the invention, the second connecting conductor ( ) of the element ( ) is formed by electroconductively securing a part ( B) of the second plate ( ) to a further part ( A) of the first plate ( ), which further part borders on the opening ( ), is situated opposite the part ( ) of the first plate ( ), and from said further part the second connecting conductor ( ) is made. In this relatively simple manner, namely without the necessity of bending the two connecting conductors ( ) after the provision of the protective envelope ( ), a device is obtained which can suitably be used for surface mounting. In addition, for several reasons the reliability of the device obtained is improved, so that the method can very suitably be used for so-called medium or high-power elements ( ).

Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device suitable for surface mounting whereby semiconductor elements are interconnected into a coherent row of semiconductor elements by means of conductive strips such that a connection point of a certain semiconductor element is connected to a connection point of a semiconductor element preceding it in the row by means of a strip, and another connection point of said certain semiconductor element is connected to a connection point of a semiconductor element following it in the row, and the row of semiconductor elements is enveloped in a protective material, and the semiconductor elements are mutually separated into individual semiconductor devices provided with two side faces, each side face having a portion of the strip which is processed into a connection conductor in that an electrically conducting layer is provided on the side faces contacting said portion of the strip.

Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device suitable for surface

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Stadskanaal, Netherlands

Klaastinus Hendrikus Sanders