Patent ID: 7821034

Claim:
A III-nitride semiconductor device, comprising: an active III-nitride heterojunction that includes a two dimensional electron gas, said heterojunction comprising a III-nitride channel layer and a III-nitride barrier confinement layer disposed over said III-nitride channel layer; a conductive substrate supporting said heterojunction; a first power contact; a plurality of first power runners connected to said first power contact; a second power contact; a plurality of second power runners connected to said second power contact; a first power electrode coupled to said heterojunction and connected to and extending from one of said first power runners; a second power electrode coupled to said heterojunction and connected to and extending from one of said second power runners; a third power electrode disposed between said first and said second power electrodes; a trench through said heterojunction under said third power electrode, said trench extending through said III-nitride confinement layer and said III-nitride channel layer; an electrically conductive body inside said trench and electrically connected to said substrate and said third power electrode; a first gate arrangement between said first power electrode and said third power electrode; and a second gate arrangement between said second power electrode and said third power electrode; wherein said first power runners and said second power runners are alternately arranged in an interdigitated pattern.