A method for manufacturing a reverse-conducting insulated gate bipolar transistor comprises the following steps: - On a wafer of first conductivity type with a first side and a second side opposite the first side, a second layer of a second conductivity type and at least one third layer of the first conductivity type, which is surrounded by the second layer, are created on the first side. The part of the wafer, which has an unamended doping in the finalized RC-IGBT, forms a first layer. - Afterwards a fifth electrically insulating layer is created on the first side, which partially covers the at least one third layer, the second layer and the first layer. - An electrically conductive fourth layer is created on the first side, which is electrically insulated from the wafer by the fifth layer. The at least one third layer, the fourth layer and the fifth layer are created in such a way that they form a first opening above the second layer. - A first electrical contact is created on the first side, which is in direct electrical contact to the second layer and the third layer. - At least one sixth layer of the second conductivity type and at least one seventh layer of the first conductivity type are created on the second side. The at least one sixth and seventh layers are arranged alternately in a plane. - A second electrical contact is created on the second side, which is in direct electrical contact to the at least one sixth and seventh layer. - After the creation of the fourth and fifth layers a ninth layer, formed as a defect layer, is created by implantation of ions on the first side through the first opening using at least the fourth and fifth layer as a first mask.