A semiconductor device includes a junction field effect transistor cell with a top gate region, a lateral channel region and a buried gate region. The lateral channel region is arranged between the top gate region and the buried gate region along a vertical direction with respect to a first surface of a semiconductor body. The lateral channel region comprises at least two first zones of a first conductivity type and at least one second zone of a second conductivity type, wherein the first and second zones alternate along the vertical direction. The embodiments provide well-defined channel widths and facilitate the adjustment of pinch-off voltages as well as the manufacture of normally-off junction field effect transistor cells.