Patent ID: 7825474

Claim:
An insulated-gate semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate of a first general conductivity type; a plurality of gate electrodes formed on or in a surface portion of the semiconductor substrate in a form of stripes running in a first direction; a plurality of channel regions of a second general conductivity type formed in the surface portion in a form of stripes running in the first direction; a first insulating film formed between one of the plurality of gate electrodes and a corresponding one of the plurality of channel regions; a plurality of source regions of the first general conductivity type formed in the plurality of channel regions in a form of stripes running in the first direction; a gate pad electrode formed on the surface portion so that portions of the plurality of channel regions of the stripe form are disposed under the gate pad electrode; a plurality of pn junction diode elements formed on the surface portion outside the gate pad electrode so as to extend in the first direction, each of the plurality of pn junction diode elements comprising a plurality of pn junctions serially connected; a second insulating film formed on each of the plurality of gate electrodes, on the plurality of pn junction diode elements and on the portions of the plurality of channel regions; and a source electrode formed on the surface portion so that the source electrode is disposed on the plurality of source regions and is electrically in contact with the plurality of source regions through contact holes formed in the second insulating film, and no part of the source electrode is disposed under the gate pad electrode.