Method of Manufacturing a Semiconductor Device Comprising a Support Element and Semiconductor Device Comprising a Support Element

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising a power transistor in a semiconductor substrate portion, the method comprising:

• forming components of the power transistor in a first main surface of a semiconductor substrate in a central portion of the semiconductor substrate portion;
• thereafter, thinning the semiconductor substrate to a thickness less than 100 μm;
• and
• thereafter, patterning the semiconductor substrate at a second main surface thereof to form a support element extending in a horizontal direction over the second main surface in the central portion of the semiconductor substrate portion.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising a power transistor in a semiconductor substrate portion, the method comprising:

• forming components of the power transistor in a first main surface of a semiconductor substrate in a central portion of the semiconductor substrate portion;
• thinning the semiconductor substrate to a thickness d less than 100 μm;
• forming a support layer over a surface of the semiconductor substrate, the support layer having a thickness h, wherein 0.1×h≦d≦4×h;
• patterning the support layer to form a support element over the surface of the semiconductor substrate in the central portion of the semiconductor substrate portion;
• and
• thereafter, forming a metallization layer over the support layer.