life of the charge carriers by irradiating only the n conducting cathode emitter side or both sides i e the n conducting cathode emitter side and the p conducting anode emitter side application_number US 99911104 A description the description below is based by way of example on the structure of a high voltage diode that is shown in fig1 and has already been discussed the dimensions shown in fig1 in particular the thicknesses of the respective zones and regions are not to scale and serve only for elucidation fig3 graphically shows simulation results of the doping concentration profile by means of the solid curve a and of the defect concentration profile of a high voltage diode according to the invention by means of the curves b 1 and b 2 depicted in dashed fashion it is clear that in the case of this reduction of the charge carrier lifetime u03c4 from both sides i e from the front side v that is to say that from the top side of the p type anode emitter 4 and from the rear side r that is to say from the top side of the n type cathode emitter 6 in each case at a depth of between approximately 15 and 18 u03bcm from the front side v and between approximately 70 and 80 u03bcm from the front side v a large increase in the defect concentration is obtained locally the magnitude of the reverse current peak cf fig5 is set by means of the local and targeted reduction of the charge carrier lifetime u03c4 from the p type anode emitter side curve b 1 the reduction of the.