Patent ID: 7693201

Claim:
A light-emitting semiconductor component comprising a monolithically produced sequence of semiconductor layers, which comprise: an area of n-doped semiconductor layers; an area of p-doped semiconductor layers following the area of n-doped semiconductor layers; a first pn junction formed between the areas; an insulating section dividing the first pn junction into a light-emitting section and a protective-diode section; and an n-doped semiconductor provided in the protective-diode section on a side of the area of p-doped semiconductor layers facing away from the first pn junction; wherein the first pn junction in the area of the protective-diode section is short circuited, wherein the insulating section is constructed as a trench bounded by an insulating layer, whereby the insulating section electrically insulates the light-emitting section and the protective-diode section from one another in the area of p-doped semiconductor layers, wherein the trench is filled with a material forming a contact metallization, and wherein the n-doped semiconductor portion forms a second pn junction with a first portion of the area of p-doped semiconductor layers in the protective-diode section and is electrically conductively connected to a second portion of the area of p-doped semiconductor layers in the light-emitting section.