Patent ID: 6933546

Claim:
A semiconductor component comprising: a first semiconductor region having a first conductivity type; a second semiconductor region having a second conductivity type located above the first semiconductor region; a third semiconductor region located above the second semiconductor region; a fourth semiconductor region located above the third semiconductor region and having a conductivity type; a fifth semiconductor region having a conductivity type different from the conductivity type of the fourth semiconductor region and located above the second semiconductor region and at least partially contiguous with the fourth semiconductor region; a sixth semiconductor region having the conductivity type of the fifth semiconductor region and located above and electrically shorted to the fifth semiconductor region; a seventh semiconductor region having the second conductivity type, at least partially contiguous with the second semiconductor region, and circumscribing the third semiconductor region, the fourth semiconductor region, the fifth semiconductor region, and the sixth semiconductor region; and an electrically insulating layer above the fourth semiconductor region and the fifth semiconductor region, wherein: a junction between the fourth semiconductor region and the fifth semiconductor region forms a zener diode junction; the fifth semiconductor region has a doping level lower than doping levels of the second semiconductor region, the fourth semiconductor region, the sixth semiconductor region, and the seventh semiconductor region; the third semiconductor region has a doping level lower than the doping level of the fifth semiconductor region; and the zener diode junction is located only underneath the electrically insulating layer.