Energy capability of lateral and vertical DMOS transistors in an advanced automotive smart power technology

Thermal failure of 65 V-rated SMARTMOS power devices is analyzed. Failure time measurements in the 1 ms range correlate with a 3D analytical model. The failure mechanism is shown to be purely thermal, not electrical. The RESURF (reduced surface voltage) LDMOS and updrain TMOS devices have equal energy capability per unit area. The low specific on-resistance of the LDMOS (1.6 m/spl Omega/-cm/sup 2/) gives it a significant advantage over the updrain TMOS (2.3 m/spl Omega/-cm/sup 2/) for many automotive applications.