Patent ID: 7821032

Claim:
A semiconductor device, comprising: a semiconductor body having a first III-nitride semiconductor layer of N-type conductivity, a second III-nitride semiconductor layer of P-type conductivity formed over said first III-nitride semiconductor layer and a recess extending through said second III-nitride semiconductor layer and terminating in said first III-nitride semiconductor layer; a III-nitride active heterojunction body extending from at least said second III-nitride semiconductor layer along a sidewall of said recess and including a portion that directly overlies said first III-nitride semiconductor layer at a bottom of said recess, said III-nitride active heterojunction body including a first III-nitride body having one band gap and a second III-nitride body having, another hand gap formed over said first III-nitride body; a first power electrode electrically coupled to said III-nitride active heterojunction body, and disposed at least partially over said second III-nitride semiconductor layer; a second power electrode disposed directly over and electrically coupled to said portion of said III-nitride active heterojunction body directly overlying said first III-nitride semiconductor layer at said bottom of said recess and disposed over said first III-nitride semiconductor layer; a control electrode coupled to said III-nitride active heterojunction body and disposed between said first power electrode and said second power electrode; wherein a voltage applied to said control electrode is used to control a current flowing between said first power electrode and said second power electrode.