Transistor device with field electrode

1. A transistor device, comprising:

a semiconductor body including a source region, a drift region, and a body region between the source region and the drift region;

a source electrode electrically coupled to the source region;

a gate electrode adjacent the body region and dielectrically insulated from the body region by a gate dielectric

a field electrode adjacent the drift region, dielectrically insulated from the drift region by a field electrode dielectric, and electrically coupled to the source electrode;

a drain region spaced apart from the field electrode by the drift region; and

a rectifier element electrically coupling the field electrode to the source electrode;

wherein the rectifier element comprises a first region and a second region, and one of the first region and second region is connected to the source electrode, and the other of the first region and second region is only connected to the field electrode.

2. The transistor device of claim 1 , wherein the source region is n-doped, the rectifier element includes an anode region and a cathode region, and the anode region is connected to the one of the gate electrode and the source electrode.

3. The transistor device of claim 1 , wherein the source region is p-doped, the rectifier element includes an anode region and a cathode region, and the cathode region is connected to the one of the gate electrode and the source electrode.

4. The transistor device of claim 1 , further comprising a resistive element coupling the field electrode to the one of the gate electrode and the source electrode.

5. The transistor device of claim 4 , wherein the resistive element is connected in parallel to the rectifier element.

6. The transistor device of claim 1 , further comprising a connection electrode electrically connected to the field electrode, wherein the rectifier element is connected between the source electrode and the connection electrode.

7. The transistor device of claim 6 , wherein the semiconductor body has a first surface, the source electrode and the connection electrode are arranged above the first surface and distant to each other, and the rectifier element is integrated in the semiconductor body below the first surface.

8. The transistor device of claim 7 , wherein the rectifier element comprises two doped semiconductor regions forming a p-n junction.

9. The transistor device of claim 8 , wherein the two doped semiconductor regions are monocrystalline semiconductor regions.

10. The transistor device of claim 8 , wherein the two doped semiconductor regions are polycrystalline semiconductor regions.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the field electrode comprises a polycrystalline semiconductor material of a first doping type, and wherein the semiconductor device further comprises a polycrystalline rectifier element region of a second doping type complementary to the first doping type, the rectifier element region adjoining the field electrode and connected to the one of the gate electrode and the source electrode.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 11 , wherein the field electrode is arranged in a trench of the semiconductor body.

13. The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the rectifier element region is arranged in the trench.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the gate electrode is arranged in the trench between the field electrode and the first surface of the semiconductor body.