Patent ID: 7960754

Claim:
A diode comprising: a first cathode portion in a semiconductor material, the first cathode portion having a first dopant concentration of an N type; a second cathode portion in the semiconductor material surrounded by the first cathode portion, the second cathode portion having a second dopant concentration of the N type higher than the first dopant concentration, the first cathode portion forming an outer edge of the diode's cathode; an N-type buried layer directly below the first cathode portion and the second cathode portion to conduct current through the first cathode portion and the second cathode portion, the N-type buried layer leading to a cathode contact; and an anode formed over and contacting the first cathode portion and the second cathode portion, wherein, when the diode is forward biased, current flows between the anode and the buried layer through the first cathode portion and the second cathode portion, the second cathode portion lowering an on-resistance of the diode by being more highly doped than the first cathode portion.