Shielding structure for silicon carbide devices

A silicon carbide device, comprising:

• a planar gate structure on a first surface of a silicon carbide substrate, the planar gate structure having a gate length along a lateral first direction;
• a first source region of a first conductivity type extending under a first side of the planar gate structure over at least part of the gate length;
• a first body region of a second conductivity type, the first body region including a channel zone that adjoins the first source region under the planar gate structure;
• a second source region of the first conductivity type extending under a second side of the planar gate structure opposite the first side over at least part of the gate length;
• a second body region of the second conductivity type, the second body region including a channel zone that adjoins the second source region under the planar gate structure;
• a current spreading region of the first conductivity type separating the channel zone of the first body region and the channel zone of the second body region from one another under the planar gate structure;
• and
• a shielding region of the second conductivity type covering both the channel zone of the first body region and the channel zone of the second body region over at least part of the gate length,
• wherein the shielding region segments the channel zone of the first body region and the channel zone of the second body region into a plurality of sections below the planar gate structure.

A silicon carbide device, comprising:

• a planar gate structure on a first surface of a silicon carbide substrate, the planar gate structure having a gate length along a lateral first direction;
• a source region of a first conductivity type extending under the planar gate structure over at least part of the gate length;
• a body region of a second conductivity type, the body region including a channel zone that adjoins the source region under the planar gate structure;
• and
• a shielding region of the second conductivity type covering the channel zone over at least part of the gate length,
• wherein a maximum dopant concentration in the shielding region is higher than a maximum dopant concentration in the body region,
• wherein under the planar gate structure, the shielding region extends to the first surface of the silicon carbide substrate in a vertical direction that is orthogonal to the lateral first direction.