Semiconductor device with front and rear surface electrodes on a substrate having element and circumferential regions, an insulating gate type switching element in the element region being configured to switch between the front and rear surface electrodes

A semiconductor device comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate;
• a front surface electrode provided on a front surface of the semiconductor substrate;
• and
• a rear surface electrode provided on a rear surface of the semiconductor substrate;
• the semiconductor substrate comprising:
• an element region in which an insulated gate type switching element configured to switch between the front surface electrode and the rear surface electrode is provided;
• and
• a circumference region adjacent to the element region,
• the insulated gate type switching element comprising:
• a first region of a first conductivity type connected to the front surface electrode;
• a second region of a second conductivity type connected to the front surface electrode and being in contact with the first region;
• a third region of the first conductivity type provided under the second region and separated from the first region by the second region;
• a gate trench provided in the front surface in the element region,
• a gate insulating film provided in the gate trench and being in contact with the second region;
• a gate electrode provided in the gate trench and facing the second region via the gate insulating film, and
• a sixth region of the second conductivity type provided in a range in the semiconductor substrate, the range including a bottom surface of the gate trench,
• wherein
• a first trench and a second trench spaced apart from the first trench are provided in the front surface in the circumference region,
• insulating films are provided in the first trench and the second trench,
• a fourth region of the second conductivity type is provided so as to extend from a bottom surface of the first trench to a bottom surface of the second trench,
• a fifth region of the first conductivity type continuous from the third region is provided under the fourth region,
• a low area density region is provided in a region within the fourth region and between the first trench and the second trench,
• a first specific region is provided in a region within the fourth region and under the first trench,
• a second specific region is provided in a region within the fourth region and under the second trench,
• an area density of second conductive type impurities measured along a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate is lower in the low area density region than in the first specific region and the second specific region, and
• when a maximum rated voltage is applied to the insulated gate type switching device in an off state
• the low area density region is depleted,
• at least a part of the first specific region and at least a part of the second specific region are not depleted, and
• the at least a part of the first specific region not depleted and the at least a part of the second specific region not depleted are separated from each other by a depleted layer formed in the low area density region.