Patent ID: 7126169

Claim:
A semiconductor element comprising: a semiconductor body made of silicon carbide and including a first conductivity type semiconductor substrate and a first conductivity type epitaxial growth layer formed on the first conductivity type semiconductor substrate; an insulated gate field-effect transistor including a second conductivity type semiconductor formed in the first conductivity type epitaxial growth layer on a first surface side of the semiconductor body, a first conductivity type source region formed in the second conductivity type semiconductor, a source electrode provided on the first surface side of the semiconductor body so as to be in contact with the second conductivity type semiconductor and the source region, a drain electrode provided on a second surface side opposite to the first surface side, a first conductivity type drift region included in the first conductivity type epitaxial growth layer, and a gate electrode provided on an insulating film formed on the first surface side; and a Schottky diode formed by contact between the first conductivity type drift region and a plurality of metal electrodes, wherein a plurality of the field-effect transistors are arranged, and the metal electrodes of the Schottky diode are provided so as to extend between the transistors, the metal electrodes being disposed on a flat surface, and wherein the field-effect transistor and the Schottky diode are arranged such that a first depletion layer stemming from the Schottky diode is superimposed on a second depletion layer spreading around the second conductivity type semiconductor in an off-state of the field-effect transistor.