A high withstand voltage semiconductor device does not show any significant fall
of its withstand voltage if the impurity concentration of the RESURF layer of a
low impurity concentration semiconductor region thereof varies from the optimal
level and/or influenced by the fixed electric charge. The device is produced by
forming a ring-shaped high impurity concentration edge termination layer of a second
conductivity type and a ring-shaped low impurity concentration RESURF layer of
the second conductivity type on the front surface of a semiconductor layer of a
first conductivity type carrying electrodes respectively on the opposite surfaces
thereof along the outer edge of one of the electrodes, then forming an outer ring
layer with an impurity concentration substantially as low as the RESURF layer concentrically
outside the RESURF layer with a gap separating therebetween and subsequently forming
an inner ring layer with an impurity concentration substantially as high as the
edge termination layer concentrically inside the RESURF layer.