A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device and semiconductor device. One embodiment provides a semiconductor substrate with an active region and a margin region bordering on the active region. The spacer layer in the margin region is broken through at a selected location and at least part of the spacer layer is removed in the active region using a common process. The location is selected such that at least part of the semiconductor mesa structure is exposed and the spacer layer in the margin region is broken through to the conductive layer and not to the semiconductor substrate.