provided is a process for forming a contact for a compound semiconductor device without electrically shorting the device . in one embodiment , a highly doped compound semiconductor material is electrically connected to a compound semiconductor material of the , same conductivity type through an opening in a compound semiconductor material of the opposite conductivity type . another embodiment discloses a transistor including multiple compound semiconductor layers where a highly doped compound semiconductor material is electrically connected to a compound semiconductor layer of the same conductivity type through an opening in a compound semiconductor layer of the opposite conductivity type . embodiments further include metal contacts electrically connected to the highly doped compound semiconductor material . a substantially planar semiconductor device is disclosed . in embodiments , the compound semiconductor material may be silicon carbide .