Investigation for a Smart Power and self-protected device under ESD stress through geometry and design considerations for automotive applications

This paper deals with a detailed study of the ESD capability of self-protected LDMOS used for automotive applications. Failure mechanisms of LDMOS devices during an ESD-HBM discharge are investigated in terms of device size and geometry. Various physical and chemical failure analyses and EMMI measurements are correlated with simulation results. The understanding of the physical mechanisms impacting the ESD capability allows providing practical design guidelines and significant improvement in the ESD robustness of self protected LDMOS.