Unclamped inductive switching dynamics in lateral and vertical power DMOSFETs

Unclamped inductive switching (UIS) is a routine method for characterizing the ruggedness of a device in the industry. Using this method, comparison of the ruggedness of a vertical DMOS and a lateral DMOS is presented in this paper. A complete understanding of the dynamics in each of the devices under UIS conditions is achieved by comparing the results obtained through extensive measurements and an advanced 2D device and circuit simulator. Also presented in this paper is a comparison of the parasitic bipolar action in both the devices under this high stress condition.