Lateral MOS-gated power devices-a unified view

The authors present a unified view of lateral MOS-gated power devices based on the underlying device physics. This unified view facilities a qualitative understanding of the relative merit of different devices and their performance. Various MOS-controlled power and high-voltage devices can be viewed in a unified approach depending on the type of MOS gate control of the main current flowing through the device. The majority-carrier devices tend to favor speed over on-resistance. The mixed (bipolar-type) devices tend to favor lower on-resistance than speed. Hybrid devices are between these two extremes. Specifically, for high-frequency, high-voltage, and low-current applications the lateral DMOS (LDMOS) transistor is the device with the most desirable characteristics. At lower switching frequency and low-to-moderate current levels, the lateral IGBT (LIGBT) provides the same functionality with substantial areas savings. Lateral MOS-controlled thyristors (LMCTs) are suitable for low switching speed, high current applications