A new type of trench gate IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor) which uses a SiGe layer for the collector is experimentally investigated. SiGe collectors with different Ge content are deposited by multiple cathode sputtering making low temperature processing possible. The change in turn-off characteristics with Ge content is also investigated. Results indicate that the use of a SiGe collector reduces the tail current at turn-off due to the reduced injection of holes to the n(-) drift region. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.