A silicon carbide device having a silicon carbide substrate having a first carrier concentration, the device comprising: a first layer of silicon carbide (12, 12') of a first conductivity type on the silicon carbide substrate and having a carrier concentration less than the first carrier concentration; a buried region (14, 14') of a second conductivity type semiconductor material in the first layer of silicon carbide (12, 12') that defines a channel region between a first face of the first layer of silicon carbide (12, 12') and the buried region (14, 14'); a first region (18, 18') of semiconductor material of the first conductivity type, doped to a carrier concentration greater than the carrier concentration of the first layer of silicon carbide (12, 12'), wherein the first region (18, 18') of semiconductor material of the first conductivity type is between the buried region of semiconductor material and a face of the first layer of silicon carbide (12, 12') opposite the substrate and adjacent the channel region of the first layer of silicon carbide (12, 12'); a gate layer (16, 16') of semiconductor material of the second conductivity type on the first layer of silicon carbide (12, 12') wherein the gate layer (16, 16') extends to cover the channel region of the first layer of silicon carbide (12, 12'); a gate contact on the gate layer (16, 16') of semiconductor material so as to define the channel region of the first layer of silicon carbide (12, 12'); a first contact on the first region of semiconductor material (18, 18'); and a second contact on the silicon carbide substrate opposite the first layer of silicon carbide (12, 12'); wherein the thickness and doping of the channel region, and the doping of the buried region (14, 14') and the gate layer (16, 16') are such that the channel region is depleted when no bias voltage is applied to the gate contact, and wherein the gate layer is provided with a gate current limiting diode in the form of a layer of highly doped first conductivity type semiconductor material (26, 26') between the gate layer (16, 16') and the gate contact. a first layer of silicon carbide (12, 12') of a first conductivity type on the silicon carbide substrate and having a carrier concentration less than the first carrier concentration; a buried region (14, 14') of a second conductivity type semiconductor material in the first layer of silicon carbide (12, 12') that defines a channel region between a first face of the first layer of silicon carbide (12, 12') and the buried region (14, 14'); a first region (18, 18') of semiconductor material of the first conductivity type, doped to a carrier concentration greater than the carrier concentration of the first layer of silicon carbide (12, 12'), wherein the first region (18, 18') of semiconductor material of the first conductivity type is between the buried region of semiconductor material and a face of the first layer of silicon carbide (12, 12') opposite the substrate and adjacent the channel region of the first layer of silicon carbide (12, 12'); a gate layer (16, 16') of semiconductor material of the second conductivity type on the first layer of silicon carbide (12, 12') wherein the gate layer (16, 16') extends to cover the channel region of the first layer of silicon carbide (12, 12'); a gate contact on the gate layer (16, 16') of semiconductor material so as to define the channel region of the first layer of silicon carbide (12, 12'); a first contact on the first region of semiconductor material (18, 18'); and a second contact on the silicon carbide substrate opposite the first layer of silicon carbide (12, 12'); wherein the thickness and doping of the channel region, and the doping of the buried region (14, 14') and the gate layer (16, 16') are such that the channel region is depleted when no bias voltage is applied to the gate contact, and wherein the gate layer is provided with a gate current limiting diode in the form of a layer of highly doped first conductivity type semiconductor material (26, 26') between the gate layer (16, 16') and the gate contact.