Semiconductor element including active region, low resistance layer and vertical drift portion

A semiconductor device having an active region, existing on a first main surface side of a substrate, that causes current to flow actively or passively, a first conductivity type low resistance layer that exists in a surface layer on a second main surface side of the substrate, and a vertical drift portion, interposed between the active region and the first conductivity type low resistance layer, through which a drift current flows in a vertical direction in an on-state and which depletes in an off-state, wherein the vertical drift portion forms a first parallel p-n structure formed by first vertical first conductivity type regions oriented in the thickness direction of the substrate and first vertical second conductivity type regions oriented in the thickness direction of the substrate being alternately and repeatedly joined,

• the semiconductor device comprising:
• an edge termination region, interposed between the first main surface side and first conductivity type low resistance layer on the periphery of the vertical drift portion, that is largely a non-current path region in an on-state and depletes in an off-state;
• a first conductivity type layer, provided from the active region to the edge termination region between the first parallel p-n structure and first conductivity type low resistance layer, that has resistance higher than that of the first conductivity type low resistance layer;
• a second conductivity type low resistance layer selectively provided in a surface layer on the second main surface side in the edge termination region;
• and
• an electrode in contact with the first conductivity type low resistance layer and the second conductivity type low resistance layer.