A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, a first semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type, a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type, first semiconductor regions of the first conductivity type, second semiconductor regions of the second conductivity type, gate insulating films, gate electrodes, an insulating film, first electrodes, a second electrode, and trenches. The first semiconductor regions and the second semiconductor regions are periodically disposed apart from one another in a first direction in which the trenches extend in a stripe pattern.

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes first and second electrodes, first, fourth, and sixth semiconductor regions of a first conductivity type, a junction region, a fifth semiconductor region of a second conductivity type, and a gate electrode. The junction region includes a second semiconductor region of the first conductivity type and a third second semiconductor region of the second conductivity type. The second semiconductor regions and the third semiconductor regions are alternately provided in a second direction perpendicular to a first direction. A concentration of at least one first element selected from the group consisting of a heavy metal element and a proton in the junction region is greater a concentration of the first element in the fourth semiconductor region, or a density of traps in the junction region is greater than that in the first semiconductor region and greater than that in the fourth semiconductor region.

A silicon carbide semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate and a first semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type; a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type; a first semiconductor region of the first conductivity type; a gate electrode provided opposing at least a surface of the second semiconductor layer between the first semiconductor region and the first semiconductor layer, across a gate insulating film; and a first electrode provided on surfaces of the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor layer. Protons are implanted in a first region of the semiconductor substrate, spanning at least 2 μm from a surface of the semiconductor substrate facing toward the first semiconductor layer; and in a second region of the first semiconductor layer, spanning at least 3 μm from a surface of the first semiconductor layer facing toward the semiconductor substrate. The protons having a concentration in a range from 1×10.sup.13/cm.sup.3 to 1×10.sup.15/cm.sup.3.

In an element region and a non-element region, a silicon carbide semiconductor device includes a drift layer having a first conductivity type provided on a silicon carbide semiconductor substrate. In the element region, the silicon carbide semiconductor device includes a first trench that reaches the drift layer, and a gate electrode provided in the first trench through a gate insulation film and electrically connected to a gate pad electrode. In the non-element region, the silicon carbide semiconductor device includes a second trench whose bottom surface reaches the drift layer, a second relaxation region having a second conductivity type disposed below the second trench, an inner-surface insulation film provided on a side surface and on the bottom surface of the second trench, and a low-resistance region provided in the second trench through the inner-surface insulation film and electrically insulated from the gate pad electrode.

A transistor device is disclosed. The transistor device includes: a semiconductor body; a source conductor on top of the semiconductor body; a source clip on top of the source conductor and electrically connected to the source conductor; a first active device region arranged in the semiconductor body, covered by the source conductor and the source clip, and including at least one device cell; and a second active device region arranged in the semiconductor body, covered by regions of the source conductor that are not covered by the source clip, and including at least one device cell. The first active device region has a first area specific on-resistance and the second active device region has a second area specific on-resistance, the second area specific on-resistance being greater than the first area specific on-resistance.

An integrated circuit comprising a surrounding gate transistor (SGT) MOSFET and a super barrier rectifier (SBR) is disclosed. The SBR horizontally disposed in different areas to the SGT MOSFET on single chip creates a low potential barrier for majority carrier in MOS channel, therefore has lower forward voltage and reverse leakage current than conventional Schottky Barrier Rectifier. Moreover, in some preferred embodiment, a multiple stepped oxide (MSO) structure is applied to the shielded gate structure to further reduce the on-resistance.

A superjunction silicon carbide semiconductor device includes a silicon carbide semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, a first semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type, a parallel pn structure in which epitaxially grown first column regions of the first conductivity type and ion-implanted second column regions of a second conductivity type are disposed to repeatedly alternate with one another, a second semiconductor layer of the second conductivity type, first semiconductor regions of the first conductivity type, trenches, gate electrodes provided in the trenches via gate insulating films, another electrode, and a third semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type. The first column regions have an impurity concentration in a range from 1.1×10.sup.16/cm.sup.3 to 5.0×10.sup.16/cm.sup.3.

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first element region. The first element region includes first, second, and third semiconductor regions, and first, and second conductive layers. The first semiconductor region includes first, second, and third partial regions. A second direction from the first partial region toward the first conductive layer crosses a first direction from the second partial region toward the first partial region. The third partial region is between the second partial region and the second conductive layer in the second direction. The second semiconductor region includes a first semiconductor portion. The first semiconductor portion is between the first partial region and the first conductive layer in the second direction. At least a portion of the third semiconductor region is between the first partial region and the first semiconductor portion in the second direction.

A power module is disclosed that includes a housing with an interior chamber wherein multiple switch modules are mounted within the interior chamber. The switch modules comprise multiple transistors and diodes that are interconnected to facilitate switching power to a load. In one embodiment, at least one of the switch modules supports a current density of at least 10 amperes per cm.sup.2.

A semiconductor component includes a semiconductor component, including: a merged PiN Schottky (MPS) diode structure in a SiC semiconductor body having a drift zone of a first conductivity type; an injection region of a second conductivity type adjoining a first surface of the SiC semiconductor body; a contact structure at the first surface, the contact structure forming a Schottky contact with the drift zone and electrically contacting the injection region; and a zone of the first conductivity type formed between the injection region and a second surface of the SiC semiconductor body, the second surface being situated opposite the first surface. The zone is at a maximal distance of 1 μm from the injection region of the second conductivity type.