Patent ID: 7253456

Claim:
A diode structure comprising: a first semiconductor region, formed in a semiconductor substrate, with a basic doping of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor region, which adjoins the first semiconductor region, of a second conductivity type which is the opposite of the first conductivity type, a pn-junction, which determines the functionality of the diode structure, between the first and the second semiconductor region, and a third semiconductor region, which adjoins the second semiconductor region, of the first conductivity type; at least one first inner contact region, which is formed within the first semiconductor region and adjoins a substrate surface of the semiconductor substrate, with a contact doping of the first conductivity type which is higher than the basic doping, a base substrate of the second conductivity type which adjoins the third semiconductor region; and a first connection which is connected to the first semiconductor region in the region of the inner contact region, a second connection which is connected to the second semiconductor region, one of the connections being operated as a cathode connection and the other connection being operated as an anode connection, and the third semiconductor region being connected to the second connection, characterized by at least one second inner contact region of the second conductivity type which is formed within the first semiconductor region and is connected to the first connection.