Patent ID: 8143645

Claim:
A semiconductor device, comprising: a first semiconductor element layered on a second semiconductor element, an entire length of the first semiconductor element is adhered to and abutting the second semiconductor element, each of the first semiconductor element and the second semiconductor element comprising: a semiconductor substrate having a collector region of a first conductivity type, a first base region that has a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type and that is formed on an upper face of the collector region, a second base region that has the first conductivity type and that is formed to be adjacent to the first base region, and an emitter region that has the second conductivity type and that is formed to be adjacent to the second base region; a gate electrode formed on an upper face of the second base region via an insulating material; an emitter electrode formed on upper faces of the second base region and the emitter region; and a collector electrode formed on a lower face of the collector region, wherein the first base region has a peripheral section in the vicinity of a side face of the semiconductor substrate, each of the first semiconductor element and the second semiconductor element has a peripheral base region of the first conductivity type being formed adjacent to the first base region to form a diode, and a diode electrode being formed on an upper face of the peripheral section of the first base region; the diode electrode and the collector electrode of the first semiconductor element are electrically connected to each other, and the diode electrode and the collector electrode of the second semiconductor element are electrically connected to each other, the emitter electrode of the first semiconductor element is electrically connected to the collector electrode of the second semiconductor element, so that upon alternately subjecting the first semiconductor element and the second semiconductor element to a switching operation, a current flows at a center side of the semiconductor substrate separated from the side face, a reverse current flows in the vicinity of the side face of the semiconductor substrate, when the semiconductor device is inoperative, and wherein the peripheral base region is formed at a corner of the semiconductor substrate.