Patent ID: 8633521

Claim:
A semiconductor diode comprising: first and second field-effect-gated current-conducting devices of opposite respective conductivity types, the first and second devices each comprising gates, sources, and drains, the first and second devices having respective sources thereof connected together, the second field-effect-gated current-conducting device further comprising a drift region and a semiconductor region formed within the drift region, the gate of the first field-effect-gated current-conducting device being connected to the semiconductor region of the drift region of the second field-effect-gated current-conducting device; said first and second field-effect-gated current-conducting devices each having respective drain terminals, the drain terminal of the first field-effect-gated current-conducting device being connected to a first external terminal of the semiconductor diode and the drain terminal of the second field-effect-gated current-conducting device being connected to a second external terminal of the semiconductor diode, the first and second externally connected to provide anode and cathode connections of the semiconductor diode, respectively; wherein the semiconductor diode has no external electrical connection other than the anode and cathode connections, wherein said drift region of the first field-effect-gated current-conducting device is substantially lateral, and a drift region of the second field-effect-gated current-conducting device extends vertically downward to a backside drain connection structure of the first field-effect-gated current-conducting device.