An integrated circuit, comprising: a semiconductor layer doped with a dopant of a first-type; a MOSFET device, comprising: a first trench in said semiconductor layer; a first region of the semiconductor layer doped with the dopant of the first-type at a top surface of the semiconductor layer; a third region of the semiconductor layer doped with a dopant of a second-type opposite the first-type and positioned between the first region and a first drift region formed by the semiconductor layer; and a first gate located within the first trench and separated from the first region and third region by a first gate oxide layer having a first thickness; a diode device, comprising: a second trench in said semiconductor layer; a second region of the semiconductor layer doped with the dopant of the first-type at the top surface of the semiconductor layer, wherein the first and second regions are separated from each other; a fourth region doped with the dopant of the second-type and positioned between the second region and a second drift region formed by the semiconductor layer; and a second gate located within the second trench and separated from the second region and fourth region by a second gate oxide layer having a second thickness (t1') that is less than the first thickness; wherein the diode device is electrically connected in parallel with a body diode of the MOSFET device; wherein the diode device is configured to have a forward voltage drop (Vf D2) that is less than the forward voltage drop (Vf D1) of the body diode; and wherein a gate electrode for the MOSFET device is electrically connected to the first gate; and an anode electrode of the diode device is electrically connected to the second gate. a semiconductor layer doped with a dopant of a first-type; a MOSFET device, comprising: a first trench in said semiconductor layer; a first region of the semiconductor layer doped with the dopant of the first-type at a top surface of the semiconductor layer; a third region of the semiconductor layer doped with a dopant of a second-type opposite the first-type and positioned between the first region and a first drift region formed by the semiconductor layer; and a first gate located within the first trench and separated from the first region and third region by a first gate oxide layer having a first thickness; a first trench in said semiconductor layer; a first region of the semiconductor layer doped with the dopant of the first-type at a top surface of the semiconductor layer; a third region of the semiconductor layer doped with a dopant of a second-type opposite the first-type and positioned between the first region and a first drift region formed by the semiconductor layer; and a first gate located within the first trench and separated from the first region and third region by a first gate oxide layer having a first thickness; a diode device, comprising: a second trench in said semiconductor layer; a second region of the semiconductor layer doped with the dopant of the first-type at the top surface of the semiconductor layer, wherein the first and second regions are separated from each other; a fourth region doped with the dopant of the second-type and positioned between the second region and a second drift region formed by the semiconductor layer; and a second gate located within the second trench and separated from the second region and fourth region by a second gate oxide layer having a second thickness (t1') that is less than the first thickness; a second trench in said semiconductor layer; a second region of the semiconductor layer doped with the dopant of the first-type at the top surface of the semiconductor layer, wherein the first and second regions are separated from each other; a fourth region doped with the dopant of the second-type and positioned between the second region and a second drift region formed by the semiconductor layer; and a second gate located within the second trench and separated from the second region and fourth region by a second gate oxide layer having a second thickness (t1') that is less than the first thickness; wherein the diode device is electrically connected in parallel with a body diode of the MOSFET device; wherein the diode device is configured to have a forward voltage drop (Vf D2) that is less than the forward voltage drop (Vf D1) of the body diode; and wherein a gate electrode for the MOSFET device is electrically connected to the first gate; and an anode electrode of the diode device is electrically connected to the second gate.