Patent ID: 7135359

Claim:
A method of fabricating a silicon carbide thyristor, comprising: forming a plurality of light-activated silicon carbide thyristor cells on at least a portion of a silicon carbide wafer, the light-activated silicon carbide thyristor cells having corresponding gate regions at a first face of the silicon carbide wafer that are configured to be exposed to light from a light source external to the thyristor cells and first contacts on the first face of the silicon carbide wafer and a second contact on a second face of the silicon carbide wafer opposite the first face; electrically testing the plurality of light-activated silicon carbide thyristor cells to identify ones of the plurality of light-activated silicon carbide thyristor cells which pass an electrical test; and selectively interconnecting the first contact of the identified ones of the plurality of light-activated silicon carbide thyristor cells; wherein selectively interconnecting the first contact comprises: selectively depositing contact material to provide a first contact for the identified ones of the plurality of light-activated silicon carbide thyristor cells; and electrically connecting the deposited contact material; and wherein selectively depositing contact material comprises: masking contact regions of ones of the plurality of light-activated silicon carbide thyristor cells which are not identified as passing the electrical test; and depositing contact material so as to provide the first contacts on contact regions of the identified ones of the plurality of light-activated thyristor cells which are not masked.