Patent ID: 7355260

Claim:
A device comprising: a first terminal connected to a conductive layer, a first portion of the conductive layer being a Schottky contact; a first region of a first conductivity type underlying the Schottky contact, a first portion of the first region immediately underlying the Schottky contact; a second region of a second conductivity type underlying the first region, a first portion of the second region immediately underlying the first portion of the first region, the second conductivity type being opposite the first conductivity type; a third region of the first conductivity type underlying the second region, a first portion of the third region immediately underlying the second region; a second terminal overlying the first region and electrically connected to the first region and to the third region; and a fourth region of the second conductivity type adjacent to the first region in a lateral direction, the fourth region electrically connected to the first terminal, a first portion of the fourth region immediately adjacent in a lateral direction to the second region, wherein the second region is electrically connected to the conductive layer through a tie-portion of the fourth region, and the tie-portion of the fourth region comprises a higher dopant concentration than other portions of the fourth region.