Semiconductor device with current detecting function

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor device having a current detecting function which has been developed for obviating the above-mentioned problems to produce a detection signal corresponding to an operation current at the time of operating the device and to reduce the magnitude of the detection signal to substantially zero at the time of not operating the device without any external current detecting resistor.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, there is provided according to the present invention a semiconductor device with a current detecting function, comprising a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, a diffusion layer of a second conductivity type formed in a predetermined region on the main surface side of the semiconductor substrate, a diffusion layer of the first conductivity type formed in the diffusion layer of the second conductivity type, and a probe electrode formed in an isolated manner in the diffusion layer of the second conductivity type on the main surface of the semiconductor substrate and electrically connected to the semiconductor substrate to detect a signal corresponding to the operation current.