Semiconductor Device with Trench Gate Structure Including a Gate Electrode and a Contact Structure for a Diode Region

A semiconductor device, comprising:

• one or more trench structures extending from a first surface into a semiconductor body and comprising a gate structure and a contact structure that extends through the gate structure, respectively;
• transistor mesas between the trench structures, each transistor mesa comprising a body zone forming a first pn junction with a drift structure and a second pn junction with a source zone;
• and
• one or more diode regions forming third pn junctions with the drift structure and directly adjoining one of the contact structures, respectively, wherein all direct connection lines between neighboring transistor mesas intersect one of the contact structures, the drift structure comprises a drift zone and current spread zones, wherein the current spread zones form the second pn junctions and a mean dopant concentration in the current spread zones is at least twice as high as a mean dopant concentration in the drift zone.

A semiconductor device, comprising:

• trench structures extending from a first surface into a semiconductor body and comprising a gate structure and a contact structure that extends through the gate structure, respectively;
• transistor mesas between the trench structures, each transistor mesa comprising a body zone forming a first pn junction with a drift structure and a second pn junction with a source zone;
• and
• diode regions directly adjoining one of the contact structures and forming a third pn junction with the drift structure, respectively, and wherein sidewalls of the transistor mesas are {11-20} or {1-100} crystal planes.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

• forming trenches extending from a front side into a semiconductor substrate, wherein each trench extends down to a diode region formed in the semiconductor substrate and wherein in transistor mesas between the trenches body zones form first pn junctions with a drift structure and second pn junctions with source zones, and sidewalls of the transistor mesas are {11-20} or {1-100} crystal planes;
• forming gate portions extending along opposite sidewalls of the trenches, respectively;
• and
• forming contact structures in the trenches between the gate portions, the contact structures directly adjoining the diode regions.