A 10 A automotive high-side switch

A 10-A high-side driver device that has on-chip intelligence to provide self-protection and diagnostics for an automotive antilock braking system application is described. The device is fabricated by means of a multiepitaxial bipolar process that combines the ruggedness of discrete power transistors with junction-isolated IC circuits. The process combines single or multiple vertical epitaxial-base power transistors with either standard bipolar or CMOS logic, without the compromises typically associated with this type or merged technology. The power components are fabricated by means of an epitaxial process. The process characteristics include wide and uniformly doped base and collector regions affording forward- and reverse-bias safe operating area typical of discrete bipolar power transistors. The power device closely resembles a single diffused bipolar power transistor. A comparison of safe operating area characteristics of several technologies is provided, and the advantage of bulk-epitaxial fabricated devices over power IC surface-control devices is shown.<>