Patent ID: 7709896

Claim:
A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor body of a first conductivity type; a first highly doped region of a second conductivity type disposed at a surface of the semiconductor body, the second conductivity type different than the first conductivity type; a second highly doped region of the second conductivity type disposed at the surface of the semiconductor body and laterally spaced from the first highly doped region by a region of the first conductivity type; a contact overlying the first highly doped region and electrically coupled thereto; a third doped region of the first conductivity type within the semiconductor body and spaced from the surface by the first highly doped region, the third doped region vertically underlying the contact; a fourth doped region of the first conductivity type within the semiconductor body, spaced from the surface by the first highly doped region and laterally spaced from the third doped region by the semiconductor body, the fourth doped region adjacent a junction between the first highly doped region and the region of the first conductivity type, the fourth doped region not vertically underlying the contact; and a gate overlying and insulated from the region of the first conductivity type.