Patent ID: 7816229

Claim:
A semiconductor device, comprising: a semiconductor substrate including a first surface, an active area and a peripheral area; at least one channel stop trench formed in the semiconductor substrate, the channel stop trench extending from the first surface at least partially into the semiconductor substrate and being arranged between the active area and the peripheral area; at least one electrode arranged in the channel stop trench; a peripheral contact region of the semiconductor substrate arranged in the peripheral area at the first surface of the semiconductor substrate; at least one chipping stop trench formed in the semiconductor substrate, the chipping stop trench being arranged in the peripheral area between the channel stop trench and the peripheral contact region; and a conductive layer formed in electrical contact with the electrode arranged in the channel stop trench and in electrical contact with the peripheral contact region, wherein the conductive layer is electrically connected to the semiconductor substrate in the peripheral area and electrically insulated from the semiconductor substrate in the active area.