A lateral DMOS transistor structure, comprising: (a) a substrate of a first dopant polarity; (b) a body region of a first dopant polarity included in the substrate; (c) a body tap, of the first dopant polarity, in the body region; (d) a source region on or within the body region; (e) a drift region of a second dopant polarity; (f) a drain region on or within the drift region; (g) a channel region between the source region and the drift region; (h) a gate structure over the channel region, wherein the gate structure has a source region side and a drain region side, wherein a gate sidewall spacer structure is disposed along the gate structure on the source region side thereof; (i) a hybrid contact implant, of the second dopant polarity, in the source region; and (j) a respective silicide metal contact (122,123,124) on or within each of the source region, the gate structure, and the drain region; (k) wherein the respective metal contacts are ohmic contacts, wherein the body tap is in ohmic contact with the source region metal contact and in contact with the underlying body region, and wherein the source region metal contact abuts the source region and the body tap; (l) wherein a first portion of the hybrid contact implant is disposed beneath the gate sidewall spacer structure and a second portion of the hybrid contact implant is exposed adjacent to the gate sidewall spacer structure; (m) wherein the hybrid contact implant and the metal contact that is on or within the source region combine to form a hybrid contact that defines first, second, and third electrical junctions, wherein the first electrical junction is a Schottky junction formed vertically between the source metal contact and the substrate, wherein the second electrical junction is an ohmic junction formed laterally between the source metal contact and the hybrid contact implant, and wherein the third electrical junction is a rectifying PN junction between the hybrid contact implant and the channel region. (a) a substrate of a first dopant polarity; (b) a body region of a first dopant polarity included in the substrate; (c) a body tap, of the first dopant polarity, in the body region; (d) a source region on or within the body region; (e) a drift region of a second dopant polarity; (f) a drain region on or within the drift region; (g) a channel region between the source region and the drift region; (h) a gate structure over the channel region, wherein the gate structure has a source region side and a drain region side, wherein a gate sidewall spacer structure is disposed along the gate structure on the source region side thereof; (i) a hybrid contact implant, of the second dopant polarity, in the source region; and (j) a respective silicide metal contact (122,123,124) on or within each of the source region, the gate structure, and the drain region; (k) wherein the respective metal contacts are ohmic contacts, wherein the body tap is in ohmic contact with the source region metal contact and in contact with the underlying body region, and wherein the source region metal contact abuts the source region and the body tap; (l) wherein a first portion of the hybrid contact implant is disposed beneath the gate sidewall spacer structure and a second portion of the hybrid contact implant is exposed adjacent to the gate sidewall spacer structure; (m) wherein the hybrid contact implant and the metal contact that is on or within the source region combine to form a hybrid contact that defines first, second, and third electrical junctions, wherein the first electrical junction is a Schottky junction formed vertically between the source metal contact and the substrate, wherein the second electrical junction is an ohmic junction formed laterally between the source metal contact and the hybrid contact implant, and wherein the third electrical junction is a rectifying PN junction between the hybrid contact implant and the channel region.