Power MOSFETs and fabrication processes for power MOSFETs use a continuous conductive gate structure within trenches to avoid problems arising from device topology caused when a gate bus extends above a substrate surface. The gate bus trench and/or gate structures in the device trenches can contain a metal/silicide to reduce resistance, where polysilicon layers surround the metal/silicide to prevent metal atoms from penetrating the gate oxide in the device trenches. CMP process can remove excess polysilicon and metal and planarize the conductive gate structure and/or overlying insulating layers. The processes are compatible with processes forming self-aligned or conventional contacts in the active device region.