TY - JOUR
T1 - Analysis of PowerMOSFET chips failed in thermal instability
AU - Castellazzi, A.
AU - Schwarzbauer, H.
AU - Schmitt-Landsiedel, D.
PY - 2004/9
Y1 - 2004/9
N2 - Recent developments in power electronics foresee the extensive use of new-generation low-voltage PowerMOSFETs also in the thermally unstable portion of their transfer-characteristic. In such conditions, current crowding phenomena and hot-spots are formed, which can initiate degradation of the devices and eventually lead to their catastrophic failure. In this work, basing on the analysis of the cross-section of a failed chip, an interpretation of the evolution of the failure mechanism is presented. In particular, the conditions which characterise and define the failure itself are identified.
AB - Recent developments in power electronics foresee the extensive use of new-generation low-voltage PowerMOSFETs also in the thermally unstable portion of their transfer-characteristic. In such conditions, current crowding phenomena and hot-spots are formed, which can initiate degradation of the devices and eventually lead to their catastrophic failure. In this work, basing on the analysis of the cross-section of a failed chip, an interpretation of the evolution of the failure mechanism is presented. In particular, the conditions which characterise and define the failure itself are identified.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=4544380936&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.microrel.2004.07.029
DO - 10.1016/j.microrel.2004.07.029
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:4544380936
SN - 0026-2714
VL - 44
SP - 1419
EP - 1424
JO - Microelectronics Reliability
JF - Microelectronics Reliability
IS - 9-11 SPEC. ISS.
ER -