Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing same

A semiconductor device comprising a silicon carbide layer of a first conductivity type, the silicon carbide layer having a first principal surface and a second principal surface and including an element region and a terminal region which surrounds the element region on the first principal surface,

• wherein the silicon carbide layer includes:
• a first dopant layer of the first conductivity type which contacts with the first principal surface;
• a second dopant layer of the first conductivity type which is located closer to the second principal surface than the first dopant layer is;
• and a third dopant layer of the first conductivity type which is located between the first and second dopant layers and has a lower dopant concentration than the second dopant layer and,
• the terminal region has, in its surface portion with a predetermined depth as measured from the first principal surface, a terminal structure which includes a portion of the first dopant layer, a portion of the second dopant layer, and a ring region of a second conductivity type that runs through the first and third dopant layers to reach the second dopant layer,
• the dopant concentration of the first dopant layer is twice to five times as high as the dopant concentration of the second dopant layer,
• when viewed along a normal to the first principal surface, the first dopant layer is arranged to contact with the ring region both inside and outside of the region.