Reliability Challenges in Integrated High Voltage Devices
Peter Moens, AMI Semiconductor, Oudenaarde, Belgium
and
Geert Van den bosch , IMEC
Integrated medium-to-high voltage transistors with a breakdown voltage between 20 and 100V, are widely used in automotive, industrial and even medical applications. These transistors are used as an interface between the sub-micron digital CMOS and the analog outside world. Often, the transistors have to switch relatively large currents (1-10A), and as such power dissipation is a prime concern.
In this tutorial, the challenges in device reliability for integrated smart power devices are highlighted. An overview of the applications and the resulting quality and reliability requirements is given. The most common types of devices are presented and discussed (DeMOS, LDMOS, VDMOS, IGBT, ...). Their typical device reliability problems are highlighted. These are, amongst others : DC hot carrier, robustness under ESD-like events, switching of different types of loads, operation and failure upon single and multiple power pulsing, thermal modeling, etc… The different measurement techniques used to assess the complete reliability behavior of integrated power devices, are discussed
Peter Moens
Dr. Peter Moens received a M.S. and a Ph.D. in solid state physics from the University of Gent, Belgium, in 1990 and 1993 respectively. From 1993 till 1996, he worked as a post-doctoral fellow in collaboration with Agfa-Gevaert, Mortsel Belgium on the electron capture efficiency of silver halide emulsions. In 1996, he joined AMI Semiconductor, Oudenaarde, Belgium where he is involved in the development of smart power technologies and devices. His present activities are focusing on advanced device concepts and the reliability of integrated power devices. He is author or co-author of over 60 papers in international journals and proceedings and issued several patents. He is vice-chairman of the HV reliability sub-committee of IRPS.
Geert Van den bosch
Dr. Geert Van den bosch received the M. Sc. in electrical and mechanical engineering in 1987 and the Ph. D. in applied sciences in 1993, both from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.
In 1987, he joined the Interuniversity Microelectronics Center (IMEC) in Leuven, where he did research on basic hot-carrier degradation effects, semiconductor device physics and electrical characterization techniques. From 1993 to 1999 he has been active in the development of several generations of deep submicron mixed-signal CMOS technologies. Since 1999, he has been working as a Senior Reliability Researcher in fields such as plasma and process induced damage, hot-carrier degradation, ultrathin gate oxide integrity, Cu-low-k dielectric back end reliability, and the reliability of high voltage devices and smart power technology.
Dr. Van den bosch has served as a technical program committee member of the Plasma and Process Induced Damage (P2ID) conference, the International Conference on IC Design and Technology (ICICDT) and the International Reliability Physics Symposium (IRPS).