A semiconductor device having PN column section

A semiconductor device includes: a first semiconductor layer (11), a pn-pillar portion (19) which is disposed above the first semiconductor layer (11) and second and third semiconductor layers (17), which are alternately arranged; and having a peripheral portion (25) which is arranged adjacent to the pn-pillar portion (19) and a fourth semiconductor layer (21). An outermost second semiconductor layer (15a) has a doping amount is greater than or equal to half the doping amount of each of the other second semiconductor layers (15). The third semiconductor layers (17) have a portion (17a, 17b) high doping amount, which is arranged adjacent to the outermost second semiconductor layer (15a). The portion (17a, 17b) of high doping amount has at least a third semiconductor layer (17) which has a higher doping amount than the other third semiconductor layers (17).