The needle electrodes 132, the source regions 151 and the body regions 152 are electrically connected to a source metallization which is schematically shown in FIG. 3 as being connected with a terminal L. Thus, the same voltage, or electrical potential, is applied to the source regions 151, the body regions 152 and the needle electrodes 132. The gate electrodes 141 are electrically connected to a gate terminal G.

FIG. 3 illustrates that only the field electrodes 131 in the active area 104 are electrically connected to the source metallization. The field electrodes 131 in the edge termination area 110 are illustrated as electrically disconnected from the source metallization. Each of the field electrodes 131 in the edge termination area 110 can be, for example, electrically connected to a floating p-region formed in the edge termination area 110 at the first side 101 of the semiconductor substrate 100. Another option is to electrically connect the field electrodes 131 in the edge termination area 110 to the source metallization so that all field electrodes 131 in the active area 104 and in the edge termination area 110 are at source potential. It would also be possible to electrically connect only a portion of the field electrodes 131 in the edge termination area 110 with a source metallization while other field electrodes 131 in the edge termination area 110 are electrically insulated from the source metallization.