A process for the production of semiconductor elements

A process is disclosed for manufacturing semiconductor components, in particular diodes. The following steps are successively carried out: bonding two semiconductor bodies (wafer 1, 2) having different conductivity types (p, n) according to the silicon fusion bonding process; separating a plurality of semiconductor elements (chips 8) by generating wells (9) whose depth extends at least down to the pn-junctions; overetching and passivating the pn-junctions laterally exposed by the wells (9); metallizing the surfaces (10, 11) of the semiconductor bodies and cutting out the semiconductor elements from the semiconductor bodies.