A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a first conductive-type semiconductor layer, a second conductive-type base region that is arranged in the front surface portion of the semiconductor layer, a plurality of trenches that extend from a front surface of the semiconductor layer beyond a bottom portion of the base region with an active region being defined therebetween, a plurality of first conductive-type emitter regions that are arranged in the active region, each connecting the trenches adjacent to each other, a gate electrode that is embedded in the trench, an embedding insulating film that is embedded in the trench on the gate electrode and that has an upper surface in the same height position as the front surface of the semiconductor layer or in a height position lower than the front surface and an emitter electrode that covers the active region and the embedding insulating film and that is electrically connected to the base region and the emitter region.

A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a first conductive-type semiconductor layer, a second conductive-type base region that is arranged in the front surface portion of the semiconductor layer, a plurality of trenches that extend from a front surface of the semiconductor layer beyond a bottom portion of the base region with an active region being defined therebetween, a plurality of first conductive-type emitter regions that are arranged in the active region, each connecting the trenches adjacent to each other, a gate electrode that is embedded in the trench, an embedding insulating film that is embedded in the trench on the gate electrode and that has an upper surface in the same height position as the front surface of the semiconductor layer or in a height position lower than the front surface and an emitter electrode that covers the active region and the embedding insulating film and that is electrically connected to the base region and the emitter region.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having an outer rim, a plurality of switchable cells defining an active area, and an edge termination region arranged between the switchable cells and the outer rim. Each of the switchable cells includes a gate electrode structure. The semiconductor device further includes a gate metallization in contact with the gate electrode structure. The active area includes at least a first switchable region having a first specific transconductance and at least a second switchable region having a second specific transconductance which is different from the first specific transconductance. The second switchable region is arranged between the gate metallization and the first switchable region. A ratio of the area of the second switchable region to the total area of the switchable regions is in a range from 5% to 50%.

A reverse blocking semiconductor device is manufactured by introducing impurities of a first conductivity type into a semiconductor substrate of the first conductivity type through a process surface to obtain a process layer extending into the semiconductor substrate up to a first depth, and introducing impurities of a second, complementary conductivity type into the semiconductor substrate through openings of an impurity mask provided on the process surface to obtain emitter zones of the second conductivity type extending up to a second depth deeper than the first depth and channels of the first conductivity type between the emitter zones. Exposed portions of the process layer are removed above the emitter zones.

Reduction of power consumption of a semiconductor device is aimed. The semiconductor device includes a cell region where a vertical power MOSFET is formed and an intermediate region surrounding the cell region. In each of the cell region and the intermediate region, a plurality of p-type column regions and a plurality of n-type column regions are alternately formed. The n-type column region arranged in the cell region has a defect region formed therein, whereas the n-type column region arranged in the intermediate region does not have the defect region. A defect density in the n-type column region arranged in the cell region is larger than that in the n-type column region arranged in the intermediate region.

By using a single trench mask, first and second trenches are formed that extend from a main surface into a semiconductor layer. A foundation is formed that includes first regions in and/or directly adjoining the first trenches. A superstructure is formed in alignment with the foundation by using position information directly obtained from structures formed in the first and/or the second trenches.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming electrode trenches in a semiconductor substrate between semiconductor mesas that separate the electrode trenches, the semiconductor mesas including portions of a drift layer of a first conductivity type and a body layer of a second, complementary conductivity type between a first surface of the semiconductor substrate and the drift layer, respectively. The method further includes forming isolated source zones of the first conductivity type in the semiconductor mesas, the source zones extending from the first surface into the body layer. The method also includes forming separation structures in the semiconductor mesas between neighboring source zones arranged along an extension direction of the semiconductor mesas, the separation structures forming partial or complete constrictions of the semiconductor mesa, respectively.

A method for producing a semiconductor component includes providing a semiconductor body having a first semiconductor material extending to a first surface and at least one trench, the at least one trench extending from the first surface into the semiconductor body, a first insulation layer being arranged in the at least one trench. The method further includes forming a second insulation layer on the first surface having a recess that overlaps in a projection onto the first surface with the at least one trench, forming a mask region in the recess, etching the second insulation layer selectively to the mask region, depositing a third insulation layer over the first surface, and etching the third insulation layer so that a semiconductor mesa of the semiconductor body arranged next to the at least one trench is exposed at the first surface.

A semiconductor device which solves the following problem of a super junction structure: due to a relatively high concentration in the body cell region (active region), in peripheral areas (peripheral regions or junction end regions), it is difficult to achieve a breakdown voltage equivalent to or higher than in the cell region through a conventional junction edge terminal structure or resurf structure. The semiconductor device includes a power MOSFET having a super junction structure formed in the cell region by a trench fill technique. Also, super junction structures having orientations parallel to the sides of the cell region are provided in a drift region around the cell region.

A method of manufacturing an insulated gate bipolar transistor includes providing trenches extending from a first surface to a layer section in a semiconductor portion, introducing impurities into mesa sections between the trenches, and forming, from the introduced impurities, second portions of doped regions separated from source regions by body regions. The source regions are electrically connected to an emitter electrode. The second portions have a second mean net impurity concentration exceeding at least ten times a first mean net impurity concentration in first portions of the doped layer. The first portions extend from the body regions to the layer section, respectively.