Patent ID: 8921969

Claim:
A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor die having a first major surface; a first electrode coupled to a schottky barrier and a portion of said first major surface of said semiconductor die; a second electrode electrically connected to said first major surface of said semiconductor die, but spaced from said first electrode; wherein respective areas of said first electrode and said second electrode are set to optimize a forward voltage of a schottky diode formed by said schottky barrier; and a first guard diffusion formed in said semiconductor die in a region surrounding outer perimeter of said second electrode and at least partly directly under but not in direct contact with said first electrode and said first guard diffusion is also at least partly in electrical path between said first electrode and said second electrode, wherein said semiconductor die includes a first lightly doped portion and a second highly doped portion, said first lightly doped portion being disposed over said second highly doped portion, and said semiconductor die further comprising a sinker extending from said second electrode through said first lightly doped portion to said second highly doped portion, and a second guard diffusion surrounding outer perimeter of said first electrode, and wherein said second electrode is electrically connected to said sinker.