Power MOSFET Basics -- Vrej Barkhordarian, International Rectifier, El Segundo, Ca.

Introduction to Power MOSFETs and their Applications -- Fairchild Semiconductor

Understanding Power MOSFETs -- Fairchild Semiconductor

The Do's and Don'ts of Using MOS-Gated Transistors -- International Rectifier

Current Ratings of Power Semiconductors -- International Rectifier

Gate Drive Characteristics and Requirements for HEXFETS -- International Rectifier

Mounting Considerations For IR’s Power Semiconductor Packages -- International Rectifier

Mounting Guidelines for the SUPER-247 -- Andrew Sawle and Arthur Woodworth, IR

Calculating temperature gradients in power MOSFETS with "HEXRise" program -- International Rectifier

MOSFET Thermal Characterization in the Application -- Siliconix/Vishay

 Power MOSFET Basics
Vrej Barkhordarian, International Rectifier, El Segundo, Ca.
http://www.irf.com/technical-info/appnotes/mosfet.pdf
Discrete power MOSFETs
Source Field Gate Gate Drain
employ semiconductor Contact Oxide Oxide Metallization Contact
processing techniques that are
similar to those of today's VLSI
circuits, although the device
geometry, voltage and current
levels are significantly different n* Drain
n* Source
from the design used in VLSI tox
devices. The metal oxide
semiconductor field effect p-Substrate
transistor (MOSFET) is based
on the original field-effect Channel l
transistor introduced in the
70s. Figure 1 shows the
device schematic, transfer (a)
characteristics and device
symbol for a MOSFET. The ID
invention of the power
MOSFET was partly driven by
the limitations of bipolar power
junction transistors (BJTs)
which, until recently, was the
device of choice in power
electronics applications.
0
Although it is not possible to 0 VT VGS
define absolutely the operating (b)
boundaries of a power device,
we will loosely refer to the ID
power device as any device
that can switch at least 1A. D
The bipolar power transistor is
SB
a current controlled device. A (Channel or Substrate)
large base drive current as
G
high as one-fifth of the
collector current is required to S
keep the device in the ON
(c)
state.
Figure 1. Power MOSFET (a) Schematic, (b) Transfer Characteristics, (c)
Also, higher reverse base drive Device Symbol.
currents are required to obtain
fast turn-off. Despite the very advanced state of manufacturability and lower costs of BJTs, these
limitations have made the base drive circuit design more complicated and hence more expensive than the
power MOSFET.
Another BJT limitation is that both electrons and holes 2000
contribute to conduction. Presence of holes with their higher

Holdoff Voltage (V)

carrier lifetime causes the switching speed to be several orders of 1500
magnitude slower than for a power MOSFET of similar size and Bipolar
voltage rating. Also, BJTs suffer from thermal runaway. Their Transistors
1000
forward voltage drop decreases with increasing temperature
causing diversion of current to a single device when several
500 MOS
devices are paralleled. Power MOSFETs, on the other hand, are
majority carrier devices with no minority carrier injection. They
0
are superior to the BJTs in high frequency applications where 1 10 100 1000
switching power losses are important. Plus, they can withstand Maximum Current (A)
simultaneous application of high current and voltage without Figure 2. Current-Voltage
undergoing destructive failure due to second breakdown. Power Limitations of MOSFETs and BJTs.
MOSFETs can also be paralleled easily because the forward
voltage drop increases with increasing temperature, ensuring an even distribution of current among all
components.

However, at high breakdown voltages (>200V) the on-state voltage drop of the power MOSFET becomes
higher than that of a similar size bipolar device with similar voltage rating. This makes it more attractive
to use the bipolar power transistor at the expense of worse high frequency performance. Figure 2 shows
the present current-voltage limitations of power MOSFETs and BJTs. Over time, new materials,
structures and processing techniques are expected to raise these limits.
Source
Gate Polysilicon
Oxide Gate
Source
Metallization

p+ Body Region Channels p+

+ p n+
n D
Drift Region
n- Epi Layer

n+ Substrate S
(100)

Drain
Metallization
Drain

Figure 3. Schematic Diagram for an n-Channel Power MOSFET and the Device.
Figure 3 shows schematic diagram and Figure 4 shows the physical origin of the parasitic components in
an n-channel power MOSFET. The parasitic JFET appearing between the two body implants restricts
current flow when the depletion widths of the two adjacent body diodes extend into the drift region with
increasing drain voltage. The parasitic BJT can make the device susceptible to unwanted device turn-on
and premature breakdown. The base resistance RB must be minimized through careful design of the
doping and distance under the source region. There are several parasitic capacitances associated with
the power MOSFET as shown in Figure 3.
CGS is the capacitance due to the overlap of the source and the channel regions by the polysilicon gate
and is independent of applied voltage. CGD consists of two parts, the first is the capacitance associated
with the overlap of the polysilicon gate and the silicon underneath in the JFET region. The second part is
the capacitance associated with the depletion region immediately under the gate. CGD is a nonlinear
function of voltage. Finally, CDS, the capacitance associated with the body-drift diode, varies inversely
with the square root of the drain-source bias. There are currently two designs of power MOSFETs, usually
referred to as the planar and the trench designs. The planar design has already been introduced in the
schematic of Figure 3. Two variations of the trench power MOSFET are shown Figure 5. The trench
technology has the advantage of higher cell density but is more difficult to manufacture than the planar
device.

Metal

Cgsm LTO

CGS2
CGD
n- CGS1
RCh n-

JFET
p- RB
BJT

CDS
REPI

n- Epi Layer

n- Substrate

Figure 4. Power MOSFET Parasitic Components.

BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE
S G S
Breakdown voltage,
BVDSS, is the voltage at
which the reverse-biased
body-drift diode breaks
down and significant
current starts to flow
between the source and
drain by the avalanche
multiplication process,
while the gate and
source are shorted
together. Current-voltage
characteristics of a Electron Flow
power MOSFET are
shown in Figure 6.
BVDSS is normally
measured at 250µA drain
current. For drain
voltages below BVDSS
and with no bias on the
gate, no channel is D
formed under the gate at (a)
the surface and the drain
voltage is entirely Source Source
supported by the Gate
reverse-biased body-drift
p-n junction. Two related
Oxide
phenomena can occur in Gate
Oxide
poorly designed and
processed devices:
punch-through and
reach-through. Punch-
through is observed Channel
n- Epi Layer
when the depletion
region on the source side
of the body-drift p-n
junction reaches the
n+ Substrate
source region at drain
(100)
voltages below the rated
avalanche voltage of the
device. This provides a
current path between
Drain
source and drain and
(b)
causes a soft breakdown
characteristics as shown Figure 5. Trench MOSFET (a) Current Crowding in V-Groove Trench MOSFET,
in Figure 7. The leakage (b) Truncated V-Groove MOSFET
current flowing between
source and drain is denoted by IDSS. There are tradeoffs to be made between RDS(on) that requires shorter
channel lengths and punch-through avoidance that requires longer channel lengths.

The reach-through phenomenon occurs when the depletion region on the drift side of the body-drift p-n
junction reaches the epilayer-substrate interface before avalanching takes place in the epi. Once the
depletion edge enters the high carrier concentration substrate, a further increase in drain voltage will
cause the electric field to quickly reach the critical value of 2x105 V/cm where avalanching begins.
ON-RESISTANCE
The on-state resistance of a power MOSFET is made up of several components as shown in Figure 8:

R DS(on) = R source + R ch + R A + R J + R D + R sub + R wcml (1)

where:
25
Rsource = Source diffusion resistance
Rch = Channel resistance 7

RA = Accumulation resistance
RJ = "JFET" component-resistance of the Gate
region between the two body regions Voltage

RD = Drift region resistance 20

Rsub = Substrate resistance 6

Linear Region
Wafers with substrate resistivities of up to

(Saturation
20mΩ-cm are used for high voltage

Region)
devices and less than 5mΩ-cm for low
15
voltage devices.

Rwcml = Sum of Bond Wire resistance, the 5

Normalized Drain Current

Contact resistance between the source

and drain Metallization and the silicon,
metallization and Leadframe 10 IDS VS VDS LOCUS
contributions. These are normally
negligible in high voltage devices but can 4
become significant in low voltage devices.

Figure 9 shows the relative importance of

each of the components to RDS(on) over the 5 3
voltage spectrum. As can be seen, at high
voltages the RDS(on) is dominated by epi
resistance and JFET component. This 2
component is higher in high voltage
devices due to the higher resistivity or 1
lower background carrier concentration in 0
0 5 10 15
the epi. At lower voltages, the RDS(on) is
Drain Voltage (Volts)
dominated by the channel resistance and
the contributions from the metal to Figure 6. Current-Voltage Characteristics of Power MOSFET
semiconductor contact, metallization,
bond wires and leadframe. The substrate contribution becomes more significant for lower breakdown
voltage devices.

TRANSCONDUCTANCE
Transconductance, gfs, is a measure of the sensitivity of drain current to changes in gate-source bias.
This parameter is normally quoted for a Vgs that gives a drain current equal to about one half of the
maximum current rating value and for a VDS that ensures operation in the constant current region.
Transconductance is influenced by gate width, which increases in proportion to the active area as cell
density increases. Cell density has increased over the years from around half a million per square inch in
1980 to around eight million for planar MOSFETs and around 12 million for the trench technology. The
limiting factor for even higher cell densities is the photolithography process control and resolution that
allows contacts to be made to the source metallization in the center of the cells.
Channel length also affects transconductance. Reduced
channel length is beneficial to both gfs and on-resistance,
with punch-through as a tradeoff. The lower limit of this ID
length is set by the ability to control the double-diffusion
process and is around 1-2mm today. Finally the lower the
gate oxide thickness the higher gfs.

Soft
THRESHOLD VOLTAGE
Sharp

Threshold voltage, Vth, is defined as the minimum gate

electrode bias required to strongly invert the surface
under the poly and form a conducting channel between BVDSS VDS
the source and the drain regions. Vth is usually measured
at a drain-source current of 250µA. Common values are Figure 7. Power MOSFET Breakdown
2-4V for high voltage devices with thicker gate oxides, and Characteristics
1-2V for lower voltage, logic-compatible devices with
thinner gate oxides. With power MOSFETs finding increasing use in portable electronics and wireless
communications where battery power is at a premium, the trend is toward lower values of RDS(on) and
Vth.

GATE
DIODE FORWARD VOLTAGE
N+
The diode forward voltage, VF, is the SOURCE
guaranteed maximum forward drop of
the body-drain diode at a specified
value of source current. Figure 10 RCH
RA
shows a typical I-V characteristics for RSOURCE P-BASE
RJ
this diode at two temperatures. P-
channel devices have a higher VF due
to the higher contact resistance
between metal and p-silicon
compared with n-type silicon.
Maximum values of 1.6V for high RD
voltage devices (>100V) and 1.0V for
low voltage devices (<100V) are
common.

POWER DISSIPATION N+ SUBSTRATE

RSUB
The maximum allowable power
dissipation that will raise the die
temperature to the maximum
allowable when the case temperature DRAIN
is held at 250C is important. It is give Figure 8. Origin of Internal Resistance in a Power MOSFET.
by Pd where:

Pd = T j m ax- 25 (2)
R thJC
Tjmax = Maximum allowable temperature of the p-n junction in the device (normally 1500C or 1750C) RthJC
= Junction-to-case thermal impedance of the device.

DYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS
When the MOSFET is used as a switch, its basic function is to control the drain current by the gate
voltage. Figure 11(a) shows the transfer characteristics and Figure 11(b) is an equivalent circuit model
often used for the analysis of MOSFET switching performance.

Voltage Rating: 50V 100V 500V

Packaging

Rwcml
Metallization

Source

RCH Channel

JFET
Region

REPI

Expitaxial
Layer

Substrate

Figure 9. Relative Contributions to RDS(on) With Different Voltage Ratings.

The switching performance of a device is determined by the time required to establish voltage changes
across capacitances. RG is the distributed resistance of the gate and is approximately inversely
proportional to active area. LS and LD are source and drain lead inductances and are around a few tens of
nH. Typical values of input (Ciss), output (Coss) and reverse transfer (Crss) capacitances given in the data
sheets are used by circuit designers as a starting point in determining circuit component values. The data
sheet capacitances are defined in terms of the equivalent circuit capacitances as:
Ciss = CGS + CGD, CDS shorted 100

Crss = CGD

Coss = CDS + CGD

ISD, Reverse Drain Current (A)

Gate-to-drain capacitance, CGD, is a 10
nonlinear function of voltage and is the most
important parameter because it provides a TJ = 1500C
feedback loop between the output and the
input of the circuit. CGD is also called the
Miller capacitance because it causes the total TJ = 250C
dynamic input capacitance to become greater 1
than the sum of the static capacitances.

Figure 12 shows a typical switching time test

circuit. Also shown are the components of
the rise and fall times with reference to the
VGS = 0V
VGS and VDS waveforms. 0.1
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5
Turn-on delay, td(on), is the time taken to VSD, Source-to-Drain Voltage (V)
charge the input capacitance of the device
before drain current conduction can start. Figure 10. Typical Source-Drain (Body) Diode Forward
Voltage Characteristics.
Similarly, turn-off delay, td(off), is the time
taken to discharge the capacitance after the after is switched off.

ID

LD
CGD
D'

G RG
C ID Body-drain
Slope = gfs
CDS Diode

S'
CGS
LS
VGS

S
(a) (b)

Figure 11. Power MOSFET (a) Transfer characteristics, (b) Equivalent Circuit Showing Components That
Have Greatest Effect on Switching
GATE CHARGE
RD
Although input capacitance VDS
values are useful, they do not
provide accurate results when
comparing the switching D.U.T.
VGS
performances of two devices
from different manufacturers. -
Effects of device size and RG
VDD
transconductance make such +
comparisons more difficult. A
more useful parameter from the
circuit design point of view is
-10V
the gate charge rather than
Pulse Width < 1µµs
capacitance. Most Duty Factor < 0.1%
manufacturers include both
parameters on their data sheets.
(a)
Figure 13 shows a typical gate
charge waveform and the test td(on) tr td(off) tf
circuit. When the gate is
connected to the supply voltage, VGS
VGS starts to increase until it 100%
reaches Vth, at which point the
drain current starts to flow and
the CGS starts to charge. During
the period t1 to t2, CGS
continues to charge, the gate
voltage continues to rise and
drain current rises
90%
proportionally. At time t2, CGS
is completely charged and the VDS
drain current reaches the
predetermined current ID and (b)
stays constant while the drain Figure 12. Switching Time Test (a) Circuit, (b) VGS and VDS
voltage starts to fall. With Waveforms
reference to the equivalent
circuit model of the MOSFET shown in Figure 13, it can be seen that with CGS fully charged at t2, VGS
becomes constant and the drive current starts to charge the Miller capacitance, CDG. This continues
until time t3.
Charge time for the Miller capacitance is
VDD
larger than that for the gate to source
capacitance CGS due to the rapidly changing
drain voltage between t2 and t3 (current = C
dv/dt). Once both of the capacitances CGS ID D

and CGD are fully charged, gate voltage (VGS)

starts increasing again until it reaches the
supply voltage at time t4. The gate charge CDG D

(QGS + QGD) corresponding to time t3 is the

bare minimum charge required to switch G
the device on. Good circuit design practice
dictates the use of a higher gate voltage
than the bare minimum required for S S
switching and therefore the gate charge ID CGS
used in the calculations is QG
corresponding to t4. TEST CIRCUIT
(a)
The advantage of using gate charge is that
the designer can easily calculate the
amount of current required from the drive
circuit to switch the device on in a desired OGS OGD
length of time because Q = CV and I = C
dv/dt, the Q = Time x current. For VG
example, a device with a gate charge of
20nC can be turned on in 20µsec if 1ma is GATE
supplied to the gate or it can turn on in VG(TH) VOLTAGE
20nsec if the gate current is increased to
1A. These simple calculations would not t0 t1 t2 t3 t4
have been possible with input capacitance t
DRAIN
values. VOLTAGE
DRAIN CURRENT

dv/dt CAPABILITY VDD

ID
Peak diode recovery is defined as the
maximum rate of rise of drain-source
voltage allowed, i.e., dv/dt capability. If this WAVEFORM
rate is exceeded then the voltage across the (b)
gate-source terminals may become higher
than the threshold voltage of the device, Figure 13. Gate Charge Test (a) Circuit, (b) Resulting Gate
forcing the device into current conduction and Drain Waveforms.
mode, and under certain conditions a
catastrophic failure may occur. There are two possible mechanisms by which a dv/dt induced turn-on
may take place. Figure 14 shows the equivalent circuit model of a power MOSFET, including the
parasitic BJT. The first mechanism of dv/dt induced turn-on becomes active through the feedback action
of the gate-drain capacitance, CGD. When a voltage ramp appears across the drain and source terminal
of the device a current I1 flows through the gate resistance, RG, by means of the gate-drain capacitance,
CGD. RG is the total gate resistance in the circuit and the voltage drop across it is given by:

dv
VGS = I1 R G = R G C GD (3)
dt

When the gate voltage VGS exceeds the threshold voltage of the device Vth, the device is forced into
conduction. The dv/dt capability for this mechanism is thus set by:
dv V
= th
dt R G C GD (4)

It is clear that low Vth

devices are more prone to DRAIN
dv/dt turn-on. The
negative temperature
coefficient of Vth is of
D
special importance in I1
applications where high CDB
temperature environments CGD
NPN
are present. Also gate BIPOLAR APPLIED
circuit impedance has to be G I2 TRANSISTOR RAMP
chooses carefully to avoid VOLTAGE
this effect. RG RB
The second mechanism for CGS
the dv/dt turn-on in
S
MOSFETs is through the
parasitic BJT as shown in
Figure 15. The capacitance
associated with the SOURCE
depletion region of the body
diode extending into the Figure 14. Equivalent Circuit of Power MOSFET Showing Two Possible
drift region is denoted as Mechanisms for dv/dt Induced Turn-on.
CDB and appears between
the base of the BJT and the drain of the MOSFET. This capacitance gives rise to a current I 2 to flow
through the base resistance RB when a voltage ramp appears across the drain-source terminals. With
analogy to the first mechanism, the dv/dt capability of this mechanism is:

dv VBE
= (5)
dt R BC DB
SOURCE
GATE

If the voltage that develops across RB is greater N+ A

than about 0.7V, then the base-emitter junction
is forward-biased and the parasitic BJT is LN+
turned on. Under the conditions of high (dv/dt) RS
and large values of RB, the breakdown voltage of
the MOSFET will be limited to that of the open-
base breakdown voltage of the BJT. If the
applied drain voltage is greater than the open- CDS
base breakdown voltage, then the MOSFET will
enter avalanche and may be destroyed if the
current is not limited externally.
Increasing (dv/dt) capability therefore requires
reducing the base resistance RB by increasing
the body region doping and reducing the
distance current I2 has to flow laterally before it
is collected by the source metallization. As in
DRAIN
the first mode, the BJT related dv/dt capability
becomes worse at higher temperatures because Figure 15. Physical Origin of the Parasitic BJT
RB increases and VBE decreases with increasing Components That May Cause dv/dt Induced Turn-on
temperature.
References:

"HEXFET Power MOSFET Designer's Manual - Application Notes and Reliability Data," International
Rectifier
"Modern Power Devices," B. Jayant Baliga
"Physics of Semiconductor Devices," S. M. Sze
"Power FETs and Their Applications," Edwin S. Oxner
"Power MOSFETs - Theory and Applications," Duncan A. Grant and John Gower
http://www.fairchildsemi.com/an/AN/AN-558.pdf Application Note 558
Ralph Locher

Introduction to Power MOSFETs and their Applications

INTRODUCTION

The Power MOSFETs that are available today perform the same function as Bipolar transistors
except the former are voltage controlled in contrast to the current controlled Bipolar devices. Today
MOSFETs owe their ever-increasing popularity to their high input impedance and to the fact that
being a majority carrier device, they do not suffer from minority carrier storage time effects, ther-
mal runaway, or second breakdown.

MOSFET OPERATION

An Understanding of the operation of MOSFETs can best be gleaned by the first considering the
lateral N-channel MOSFET shown in Figure 1. V R D L
BODY

S D

VG

G
METAL (AL)
S G D
SOURCE GATE DRAIN
SILICON DIOXIDE
(SiO2 )
SiO2

ID
N+ N+
N+ N+

INVERTED
ZONE

P BODY SUBSTRATE

Figure 1. Lateral N-Channel MOSFET Cross- Figure 2. Lateral MOSFET Transistor Biased for
Section Forward Current Conduction

With no electrical bias applied to the gate G, no current can flow in either direction underneath the
gate because there will always be a blocking PN junction. When the gate is forward biased with
respect to the source S together with an applied drain-source voltage, as shown in Figure 2, the
free hole carriers in the p-epitaxial layer are repelled away from the gate area creating a channel,
which allows electrons to flow from the source to the drain. Note that since the holes have been
repelled from the gate channel, the electrons are the “majority carriers” by default. This mode of
operation is called “enhancement” but is easier to think of enhancement mode of operation as the
device being “normally off”, i.e., the switch blocks the current until it receives a signal to turn on.
The opposite is depletion mode, which is normally “on” device.

The advantages of the lateral MOSFET are:

1. Low gate signal power requirement. No gate current can flow into the gate after the small gate
oxide capacitance has been charged.
2. Fast switching speeds because electrons can start to flow from drain to source as soon as the
channel opens. The channel depth is proportional to the gate voltage and pinches closed as
soon as the gate voltage is removed, so there is no storage time effect as occurs in transis
tors.

Rev B, October 1998

The major disadvantages are:
1. High resistance channels. In normal operation, the source is electrically connected to the
substrate. With no gate bias, the depletion region extends out from the N+ drain in a pseudo-
hemispherical shape. The channel length L cannot be made shorter than the minimum deple-
tion width required to support the rated voltage of the device.
2. Channel resistance may be decreased by creating wider channels but this is costly since it
uses up valuable silicon real estate. It also slows down the switching speed of the device by
increasing its gate capacitance.

Enter vertical MOSFETs!

The Power MOSFET structure (also known as DMOS) is shown Figure 3.

SOURCE
METALLIZATION

GATE OXIDE
POLY SILICON GATE

N+ N+ N+ N+
P- P- P-
P+ P+

CHANNEL CHANNEL

CURRENT
FLOW

N- DRAIN

N+ SUBSTRATE

DRAIN

Figure 3. Vertical DMOS Cross-Sectional

The current path is created by inverting the p-layer underneath the gate by the identical method in
the lateral MOSFETs. Source current flows underneath this gate area and then vertically through
the drain, spreading out as it flows down. A typical MOSFET consists of many thousands of N+
sources conducting in parallel. This vertical geometry makes possible lower on-state resistances
(RDS(on)) for the same blocking voltage and faster switching than the lateral MOSFETs.

There are many vertical construction designs possible, e.g., V-groove and U-groove, and many
source geometries, e.g. squares, triangles, hexagons, etc. The many considerations that deter-
mine the source geometry are RDS(on), input capacitance, switching times and transconductance.

PARASITIC DIODE

Early versions of MOSFETs were susceptible to voltage breakdown due to voltage transients and
also had a tendency to turn on under high rates of rise of drain-to-source voltage (dV/dt). Both
resulted in catastrophic failures. The dV/dt turn-on was due to the inherent parasitic NPN transis-
tor incorporated within the MOSFET, shown schematically in Figure 4a. Current flow needed to
charge up junction capacitance CDG acts like base current to turn on the parasitic NPN.

The parasitic NPN action is suppressed by shorting the N+ source to the P+ body using the
source metallization. This now creates an inherent PN diode anti-parallel to the MOSFET transis-
tor (see Figure 4b). Because of its extensive junction area, the current ratings and thermal
resistance of this diode exhibit a very long reverse recovery time and large reverse recovery current
due to the long minority carrier lifetimes in the N-drain layer, which precludes the use of this
 S

G PARASITIC
DIODE

D
Figure 4a. DMOS Construction Figure 4b. Parasitic Diode Figure 4c. Circuit Symbol
Showing Location of the Parasitic
NPN Transistor

diodes except for very low frequency applications. e.g., motor control circuit shown in Figure 5.
However in high frequency applications, the parasitic diode must be paralleled externally by an
ultra-fast rectifier to ensure that the parasitic diode does not turn on. Allowing it to turn will sub-
stantially increase the device power dissipation due to the reverse recovery losses within the diode
and also leads to higher voltage transients due to the larger reverse recovery current.

CONTROLLING THE MOSFET

Figure 5. Full-Wave Motor Control Circuit

A major advantage of the Power MOSFET is its very fast switching speeds. The drain current is
strictly proportional to gate voltage so that the theoretically perfect device could switch in 50ps -
200ps, the time it takes the carriers to flow from source to drain. Since the MOSFET is a majority
carrier device, a second reason why it can outperform the junction transistor is that its turn-off is
not delayed by minority carrier storage time in the base. A MOSFET begins to turn off as soon as
its gate voltage drops down to its threshold voltage.

SWITCHING BEHAVIOR

Figure 6 illustrates a simplified model for the parasitic capacitances of a Power MOSFET and
switching voltage waveforms with a resistive load.There are several different phenomena occurring
during turn-on. Referring to the same figure:
 D
ID

CDG
+
VDS
CDS

G -

CGS

Figure 6a. MOSFET Capacitance Figure 6b. Switching Waveforms for

Model for Power MOSFET Resistive Load

Time interval t1<t<t2:

The initial turn-on delay time td(ON) is due to the length of time it takes VGS to rise exponentially
to the threshold voltage VGS(TH). From Figure 6, the time constant can be seen to be RSxCGS.

Typical turn-on delay approximation is:

(1)

Note that since the signal source impedance appears in the td equation, it is very important to pay
attention to the test conditions used in measuring switching times.

Physically one can only measure input capacitance Ciss, which consists of CGS in parallel with
CDG. Even though CGS>>CDG, the later capacitance undergoes a much larger voltage excursion
so its effect on switching time cannot be neglected.

Plots of Ciss, Coss, and Crss for the Fairchild Semiconductor SupersotTM NDS351N are shown in
Figure 7 below. The charging and discharging of CDG is analogous to the “Miller” effect that was
first discovered with electron tubes and dominates the next switching interval.
300

200
C iss
CAPACITANCE (pF)

100
C oss

50

30

20 f = 1 MHz
C rss
VGS = 0V

10
0.1 0.2 0.5 1 2 5 10 20 30
V DS, DRAIN TO SOURCE VOLTAGE (V)

Figure 7. Typical Capacitances of NDS351N

Time interval t2<t<t3:

Since VGS has now achieved the threshold value, the MOSFET begins to draw increasing load
current and VDS decreases. CDG must not only discharge but its capacitance value also increases
since it is inversely proportional to VDS, namely:

(2)

Unless the gate driver can quickly supply the current required to discharged C DG, voltage fall will
be slowed with increases in turn-on time.

Time interval t3<t<t4:

The MOSFET is now on so the gate voltage can rise to the overdrive level.

Turn-off interval t4<t<t6:

Turn-off occurs in reverse order. VGS must drop back close to the threshold value before RDS(on)
will start to increase. As VDS starts to rise, the Miller effect due to CDG re-occurs and impedes the
rise of VDS as CDG recharges to VCC.

Specific gate drive circuits for different applications are discussed and illustrated later in this
paper.

MOSFET CHARACTERIZATION

The output characteristics (ID vs VDS) of the Fairchild Semiconductor SupersotTM NDS351N are
illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. The two distinct regions of operation in Figure 8 have been labeled
“linear” and “saturated”. To understand the difference, recall that the actual current path in a
MOSFET is horizontal through the channel created under the gate oxide and then vertical through
the drain. In the linear region of operation, the voltage across the MOSFET channel is not
sufficient for the carriers to reach their maximum current density. The static RDS(on), defined
simply as VDS/IDS, is a constant.

As VDS is increased, the carriers reach their maximum drift velocity and the current amplitude
cannot increase. Since the device is behaving like a current generator, it is said to have high output
impedance. This is the so-called “saturation” regions. One should also note that in comparing
MOSFET operation to Bipolar transistor, the linear and saturated regions are just the opposite to
the MOSFET. The equal spacing between the output ID curves for constant step in VGS indicates
that the transfer characteristics in Figure 9 will be linear in the saturated region.

Figure 8. NDS351N Output Characteristics Figure 9. NDS351N Transfer Characteristics

IMPORTANCE OF THRESHOLD VOLTAGE

Threshold voltage VGS(th) is the minimum gate voltage that initiates drain current flow. VGS(th) can
be easily measured on a Tektronix 576 curve tracer by connecting the gate to the drain and
recording the required drain voltage for a specified drain current, typically 250µA. VGS(th) in Figure
9 is 1.6V. While a high value of VGS(th), can apparently lengthen turn-on delay time, a low value for
Power MOSFET is undesirable for the following reasons:

1. VGS(th) decreases with increased temperature.

2. The high gate impedance of a MOSFET makes it susceptible to spurious turn-on due to gate
noise.
3. One of the more common modes of failure is gate-oxide voltage punch-through. Low VGS(th)
requires thinner oxides, which lowers the gate oxide voltage rating.

POWER MOSFET THERMAL MODEL

Like all other power semiconductor devices, MOSFETs operate at elevated junction temperature.
It is important to observe their thermal limitations in order to achieve acceptable performance and
reliability. Specification sheets contain information on maximum junction temperature (TJ(max)),
safe operating areas, current ratings and electrical characteristics as a function of TJ where appro-
priate. However, since it is still not possible to cover all contingencies, it is still important that the
designer perform some junction calculations to ensure that the device operates within specifica-
tions.

Figure10. MOSFET Steady-State Thermal Resistance Model

Figure 10 shows an elementary, steady-state, thermal model for any power semiconductor and
the electrical analogue. The heat generated at the junction flows through the silicon pellet to
the case or tab and then to the heat sink. The junction temperature rise above the surrounding
environment is directly proportional to this heat flow and the junction-to-ambient thermal resis-
tance. The following equation defined the steady-state thermal resistance RθJA between device
junction to ambient:

(3)
where:
TJ = average temperature at the device junction (oC)
TA = average temperature at ambient (oC)
P = average heat flow in watts (W).
Note that for thermal resistance to be meaningful, two temperature reference points must be
specified. Units for RθJA are 0C/W.
The thermal model shows symbolically the locations for the reference points of junction tempera-
ture, case temperature, sink temperature and ambient temperature. These temperature reference
define the following thermal resistances:
RθJC: Junction-to-Case thermal resistance.
RθCS: Case-to-Sink thermal resistance.
RθSA:Sink-to-Ambient thermal resistance.

Since the thermal resistances are in series:

(4)

The design and manufacture of the device determines RθJC so that while RθJC will vary somewhat
from device to device, it is the SOLE RESPONSIBILITY of the manufacturer to guarantee a maxi-
mum value for RθJC. Both the user and manufacturer must cooperate in keeping RθCS to an
acceptable maximum. Finally, the user has sole responsibility for the external heat sinking.
By inspection of Figure 10, one can write an expression for TJ:

(5)

While this appears to be a very simple formula, the major problem using it is due to the fact that
the power dissipated by the MOSFET depends upon TJ. Consequently one must use either an
iterative or graphical solution to find the maximum RθSA to ensure stability. But an explanation of
transient thermal resistance is in order to handle the case of pulsed applications.

Use of steady-state thermal resistance is not satisfactory for finding peak junction temperatures
for pulsed applications. Plugging in the peak power value results in overestimating the actual
junction temperature while using the average power value underestimates the peak junction tem-
perature at the end of the power pulse. The reason for the discrepancy lies in the thermal capacity
of the semiconductor and its housing, i.e., its ability to store heat and to cool down before the next
pulse.

Figure 11. Transient Thermal Resistance Model

The modified thermal model for the MOSFET is shown in Figure 11. The normally distributed
thermal capacitances have been lumped into single capacitors labeled CJ, CC, and CS. This
simplification assumes current is evenly distributed across the silicon chip and that the only
significant power losses occur in the junction. When a step pulse of heating power, P, is intro-
duced at the junction, figure 12a shows that TJ will rise at an exponential rate to some steady
state value dependent upon the response of the thermal network. When the power input is termi-
nated at time t2, TJ will decrease along the curve indicated by Tcool in Figure 12a back to its initial
value. Transient thermal resistance at time t is thus defined as:

(6)

The transient thermal resistance curve approaches the steady-state value at long times and the
slope of the curve for short times is inversely proportional to CJ. In order to use this curve
Figure 12a. Junction Temperature Response to a Figure 12b. Transient Thermal Resistance Curve
Step Pulse of Heating Power for NDS351N

with confidence, it must represent the highest values ZθJC for each time interval that can be
expected from the manufacturing distribution of the products.

While predicting TJ in response to a series of power pulses becomes very complex, superposition
of power pulses offers a rigorous numerical method of using the transient thermal resistance curve
to secure a solution. Superposition tests the response of a network to any input function by
replacing the input with an equivalent series of superimposed positive and negative step functions.
Each step function must start from zero and continue to the time for which TJ is to be computed.
For example, Figure 13 illustrates a typical train of heating pulses.

Figure 13a. Heat Input Figure 13b. Equivalent Heat Input by

Superposition of Power Pulses

Figure 13c. Junction Temperature Response Figure 13d. Use of Superposition to Determine
to Individual Power Pulse Peak TJ

TJ at time is given by:

(7)

The typical use condition is to compute the peak junction temperature at thermal equilibrium for a
train of equal amplitude power pulses as shown in Figure 14.
 Figure 14a. Train of Power Pulses Figure 14b. Normalized r(t) for NDS351N

To further simplify this calculation, the bracketed expression in equation (G) has been plotted for
all Fairchild Semiconductor Power MOSFETs, as exemplified by the plot of Z θJC in Figure 14b.
From this curve, one can readily calculate TJ if one knows PM. ZθJC and TC using the expression:

(8)

Example: Compute the maximum junction temperature for a train of 1W, 10ms wide heating
pulses repeated every 100ms. Assume a case temperature of 55oC.
Duty factor=0.1
From Figure 14b: ZθJC=0.14*250oC/W=35oC/W
Substituting into Equation (7):
TJ(max)=55+1*35=90oC

SAFE OPERATING AREA

The Power MOSFET is not subjected to forward or reverse bias second breakdown, which can
easily occur in transistors. Second breakdown is a potentially catastrophic condition in transis-
tors caused by thermal hot spots in the silicon as the transistor turns on or off. However in the
MOSFET, the carriers travel through the device much as if it were a bulk semiconductor, which
exhibits positive temperature coefficient. If current attempts to self-constrict to a localized area,
the increasing temperature of the spot will raise the spot resistance due to positive temperature
coefficient of the bulk silicon. The ensuing higher voltage drop will tend to redistribute the current
away from the hot spot. Figure 15 shows the safe operating area of the Fairchild Semiconductor
SupersotTM NDS351N device.

Figure 15. Safe Operating Area of NDS351N

Note that the safe area boundaries are only thermally limited and exhibit no derating for second
breakdown. This shows that while the MOSFET transistor is very rugged, it may still be destroyed
thermally by forcing it to dissipate too much power.

ON-RESISTANCE RDS(on)

The on-resistance of a Power MOSFET is a very important parameter because it determines how
much current the device can carry for low to medium frequency (less than 200kHz) applications.
After being turned on, the on-state is defined simply as its on-state voltage divided by on-state
current. When conducting current as a switch, the conduction losses P are:

(9)

To minimize RDS(on), the applied gate signal should be large enough to maintain operation in the
linear or ohmic region as shown in Figure 8. Fairchild Semiconductor SUPERSOTTM-3 NDS351N
will conduct its rated current for VGS=4.5V, which is also the value used to generate the curves of
RDS(on) vs ID and TJ that are shown in Figure 16 for the Fairchild Semiconductor Supersot NDS351N.
Since RDS(on) is a function of TJ, Figure 16 plots this parameter at varies junction temperatures.
Note that as the drain current rises, RDS(on) increases once ID exceeds the rated current value.
Because the MOSFET is a majority carrier device, the component of RDS(on) due to the bulk
resistance of the N- silicon in the drain region increases with temperature as well. While this must
be taken into account to avoid thermal runaway, it does facilitate parallel operation of MOSFETs.
Any imbalance between MOSFETs does not result in current hogging because the device with the
most current heat up and ensuing higher on-voltage will divert some current to the other devices in
parallel.

Figure 16. RDS(on) of NDS351N

TRANSCONDUCTANCE

Since MOSFETs are voltage controlled, it has become necessary to resurrect the term
transconductance gFS, commonly used in the past with electron tubes. Referring to Figure 8, gFS
equals to the change in drain current divided by the change in gate voltage for a constant drain
voltage. Mathematically:

(10)
Transconductance varies with operating conditions, starting at 0 for VGS<VGS(th) and peaking at a
finite value when the device is fully saturated. It is very small in the ohmic region because the
device cannot conduct any more current. Transconductance is useful in designing linear amplifiers
and does not have any significance in switching power supplies.

GATE DRIVE CIRCUITS FOR POWER MOSFETs

The drive circuit for a Power MOSFET will affect its switching behavior and its power dissipation.
Consequently the type of drive circuitry depends upon the application. If on-state power losses
due to RDS(on), will predominate, there is little point in designing a costly drive circuit. This power
dissipation is relatively independent of gate drive as long as the gate-source voltage exceeds the
threshold voltage by several volts and an elaborate drive circuit to decrease switching times will
only create additional EMI and voltage ringing. In contrast, the drive circuit for a device switching at
200KHz or more will affect the power dissipation since switching losses are a significant part of
the total power dissipation.

Compare to a junction transistor, the switching losses in a MOSFET can be made much smaller
but these losses must still be taken into consideration. Examples of several typical loads along
with the idealized switching waveforms and expressions for power dissipation are given in Figure
17 to 19.

Figure17. Resistive Load Figure18. Clamped Inductive Figure19. Capacitive Load

Switching Waveforms Load Switching Waveforms Switching Waveforms

Their power losses can be calculated from the general expression:

(11)

where fS =Switching frequency.

For the idealized waveforms shown in the figures, the integration can be approximated by the
calculating areas of triangles:
Resistive loads:

Inductive Load:
where PC = conduction loss during period T.
Capacitive load:

Gate losses and blocking losses can usually be neglected. Using these equations, circuit de-
signer is able to estimate the required heat sink. A final heat run in a controlled temperature
environment is necessary to ensure thermal stability.

Since a MOSFET is essentially voltage controlled, the only gate current required is that neces-
sary to charge the input capacitance Ciss. In contrast to a 10A transistor, which may require a
base current of 2A to ensure saturation, a Power MOSFET can be driven directly by CMOS or
open-collector TTL logic circuit similar to that in Figure 20.

Figure 20. Open Collector TTL Drive Circuit

Turn-on speed depends upon the selection of resistor R1, whose minimum value will be deter-
mined by the current sinking rating of the IC. It is essential that an open collector TTL buffer be
used since the voltage applied to the gate must exceed the MOSFET threshold voltage. CMOS
devices can be used to drive the power device directly since they are capable of operating 15V
supplies.

Interface ICs, originally intended for other applications, can be used to drive the Power MOSFETs,
as shown below in Figure 21.

Figure 21. Interface ICs Used to Drive Power MOSFETs

Most frequently, switching power supply applications employ a pulse width modulator IC with an
NPN transistor output stage. This output transistor is ON when the MOSFET should be ON,
hence the type of drive used with open-collector TTL devices cannot be used. Figures 22 and 23
give examples of typical drive circuits used with PWM ICs.

Figure 22. Circuit for PWM IC Driving MOSFET. Figure 23. Emitter Follower with Speed-Up
The PNP Transistor Speeds Up Turn-Off Capacitor

Isolation: Off-line switching power supplies use power MOSFETs in a half bridge configuration
because inexpensive, high voltage devices with low RDS(on) are not available.

Since one of the power devices is connected to the positive rail, its drive circuitry is also floating at
a high potential. The most versatile method of coupling the drive circuitry is to use a pulse trans-
former. Pulse transformers are also normally used to isolate the logic circuitry from the MOSFETs
operating at high voltage to protect it from a MOSFET failure.

Figure 24. Half-Bridge Configuration Figure 25. Simple Pulse Transformer Drive Circuit.
The Transistor May Be a Part of a PWM IC if Appli-
cable

The zener diodes shown in Figure 25 is included to reset the pulse transformer quickly. The duty
cycle can approach 50% with a 12V zener diode. For better performance at turn-off, a PNP
transistor can be added as shown in Figure 26.

Figure 27 illustrates an alternate method to reverse bias the MOSFET during turn-off by inserting
a capacitor in series with the pulse transformer. The capacitor also ensures that the pulse trans-
former will not saturate due to DC bias.
Opto-isolators may also be used to drive power MOSFETs but their long switching times make
them suitable only for low frequency applications.

Figure 26. Improved Performance at Turn-Off Figure 27. Emitter Follower Driver with Speed-
with a Transistor Up Capacitor

SELECTING A DRIVE CIRCUIT

Any of the circuits shown are capable of turning a Power MOSFET on and off. The type of circuit
depends upon the application. The current sinking and sourcing capabilities of the drive circuit will
determine the switching time and switching losses of the power device. As a rule, the higher the
gate current at turn-on and turn-off, the lower the switching losses will be. However, fast drive
circuits may produce ringing in the gate circuit and drain circuits. At turn-on, ringing in the gate
circuit may produce a voltage transient in excess of the maximum VGS rating, which will puncture
the gate oxide and destroy it. To prevent this occurrence, a zener diode of appropriate value may
be added to the circuit as shown in Figure 28. Note that the zener should be mounted as close as
possible to the device.

At turn-off, the gate voltage may ring back up to the threshold voltage and turn on the device for a
short period. There is also the possibility that the drain-source voltage will exceed its
maximum rated voltage due to ringing in the drain circuit. A protective RC snubber circuit or zener
diode may be added to limit drain voltage to a safe level.

Figure 28. Zener Diode to Prevent Excessive Gate-Source Voltages

TRADEMARKS
The following are registered and unregistered trademarks Fairchild Semiconductor owns or is authorized to use and is
not intended to be an exhaustive list of all such trademarks.

ACEx™ ISOPLANAR™
CoolFET™ MICROWIRE™
CROSSVOLT™ POP™
E2CMOSTM PowerTrench™
FACT™ QS™
FACT Quiet Series™ Quiet Series™
FAST® SuperSOT™-3
FASTr™ SuperSOT™-6
GTO™ SuperSOT™-8
HiSeC™ TinyLogic™

DISCLAIMER

FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES WITHOUT FURTHER

NOTICE TO ANY PRODUCTS HEREIN TO IMPROVE RELIABILITY, FUNCTION OR DESIGN. FAIRCHILD
DOES NOT ASSUME ANY LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF THE APPLICATION OR USE OF ANY PRODUCT
OR CIRCUIT DESCRIBED HEREIN; NEITHER DOES IT CONVEY ANY LICENSE UNDER ITS PATENT
RIGHTS, NOR THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS.

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DEVICES OR SYSTEMS WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN APPROVAL OF FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION.
As used herein:
1. Life support devices or systems are devices or 2. A critical component is any component of a life
systems which, (a) are intended for surgical implant into support device or system whose failure to perform can
the body, or (b) support or sustain life, or (c) whose be reasonably expected to cause the failure of the life
failure to perform when properly used in accordance support device or system, or to affect its safety or
with instructions for use provided in the labeling, can be effectiveness.
reasonably expected to result in significant injury to the
user.

PRODUCT STATUS DEFINITIONS

Definition of Terms

Datasheet Identification Product Status Definition

Advance Information Formative or This datasheet contains the design specifications for
In Design product development. Specifications may change in
any manner without notice.

Preliminary First Production This datasheet contains preliminary data, and

supplementary data will be published at a later date.
Fairchild Semiconductor reserves the right to make
changes at any time without notice in order to improve
design.

No Identification Needed Full Production This datasheet contains final specifications. Fairchild
Semiconductor reserves the right to make changes at
any time without notice in order to improve design.

Obsolete Not In Production This datasheet contains specifications on a product

that has been discontinued by Fairchild semiconductor.
The datasheet is printed for reference information only.
 Understanding Power MOSFETs
http://www.fairchildsemi.com/an/AN/AN-7500.pdf
Application Note October 1999 AN-7500

Introduction is a term that defines the average velocity of a carrier in terms

of the electrical field imposed on it) makes a MOSFET more
Power MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor, Field Effect resistive at elevated temperatures, and much more immune to
[ /Title Transistors) differ from bipolar transistors in operating the thermal-runaway problem experienced by bipolar devices.
(AN72 principles, specifications, and performance. In fact, the
performance characteristics of MOSFETs are generally supe- A useful by-product of the MOSFET process is the internal par-
44) rior to those of bipolar transistors: significantly faster switching asitic diode formed between source and drain, Figure 1(c).
/Sub- time, simpler drive circuitry, the absence of or reduction of the (There is no equivalent for this diode in a bipolar transistor other
second-breakdown failure mechanism, the ability to be than in a bipolar darlington transistor.) Its characteristics make it
ject useful as a clamp diode in inductive-load switching.
paralleled, and stable gain and response time over a wide
(Under temperature range. This note provides a basic explanation of ALUM GATE p CONVERTED
stand- general MOSFET characteristics, and a more thorough
SOURCE TO n CHANNEL

ing discussion of structure, thermal characteristics, gate

Power parameters, operating frequency, output characteristics, and
drive requirements. n+ n+
n+ n+
MOS- p p
FETs, General Characteristics
n-
Inter- A conventional n-p-n bipolar power transistor is a current-
n+
sil driven device whose three terminals (base, emitter, and
collector) are connected to the silicon by alloyed metal con- DRAIN
Corpo- tacts. Bipolar transistors are described as minority-carrier (a)
ration) devices in which injected minority carriers recombine with
/Autho majority carriers. A drawback of recombination is that it limits D +
r () the device's operating speed. And because of its current-
driven base-emitter input, a bipolar transistor presents a low- N + D
/Key- impedance load to its driving circuit. In most power circuits,
G
N P
words this low-impedance input requires somewhat complex drive N
– + G
() circuitry. + S
/Cre- By contrast, a power MOSFET is a voltage-driven device S
–
ator () whose gate terminal, Figure 1(a), is electrically isolated from +
its silicon body by a thin layer of silicon dioxide (SiO2). As a (b) (c)
/DOCI majority-carrier semiconductor, the MOSFET operates at FIGURE 1. THE MOSFET, A VOLTAGE-CONTROLLED DEVICE
NFO much higher speed than its bipolar counterpart because there WITH AN ELECTRICALLY ISOLATED GATE, USES
pdf- is no charge-storage mechanism. A positive voltage applied to MAJORITY CARRIERS TO MOVE CURRENT FROM
the gate of an n-type MOSFET creates an electric field in the SOURCE TO DRAIN (A). THE KEY TO MOSFET
mark OPERATION IS THE CREATION OF THE INVER-
channel region beneath the gate; that is, the electric charge
SION CHANNEL BENEATH THE GATE WHEN AN
on the gate causes the p-region beneath the gate to convert
[ ELECTRIC CHARGE IS APPLIED TO THE GATE (B).
to an n-type region, as shown in Figure 1(b). This conversion, BECAUSE OF THE MOSFETs CONSTRUCTION, AN
/Page- called the surface-inversion phenomenon, allows current to INTEGRAL DIODE IS FORMED ON THE DEVICE
Mode flow between the drain and source through an n-type material. (C), AND THE DESIGNER CAN USE THIS DIODE
In effect, the MOSFET ceases to be an n-p-n device when in FOR A NUMBER OF CIRCUIT FUNCTIONS
/Use- this state. The region between the drain and source can be
Out- represented as a resistor, although it does not behave linearly,
Structure
lines as a conventional resistor would. Because of this surface-
inversion phenomenon, then, the operation of a MOSFET is Intersil Power MOSFETs are manufactured using a vertical
/DOC- entirely different from that of a bipolar transistor, which always double-diffused process, called VDMOS or simply DMOS. A
VIEW retain its n-p-n characteristic. DMOS MOSFET is a single silicon chip structured with a
pdf- By virtue of its electrically-isolated gate, a MOSFET is
large number of closely packed, hexagonal cells. The
mark number of cell varies according to the dimensions of the
described as a high-input impedance, voltage-controlled
chip. For example, a 120-mil2 chip contains about 5,000
device, whereas a bipolar transistor is a low-input-impedance,
cells; a 240-mil2 chip has more than 25,000 cells.
current-controlled device. As a majority-carrier semiconductor,
a MOSFET stores no charge, and so can switch faster than a One of the aims of multiple-cells construction is to minimize
bipolar device. Majority-carrier semiconductors also tend to the MOSFET parameter rDS(ON), or resistance from drain to
slow down as temperature increases. This effect, brought about source, when the device is in the on-state. When rDS(ON) is
by another phenomenon called carrier mobility (where mobility minimized, the device provides superior power-switching

©2001 Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation Application Note 7500 Rev. A

 Application Note 7500

performance because the voltage drop from drain to source Note in Figure 2 that RCHAN and REXT are completely inde-
is also minimized for a given value of drain-to-source current. pendent of voltage, while RBULK is highly dependent on
applied voltage. Note also that below about 150 volts,
Since the path between drain and source is essentially
rDS(ON) is dominated by the sum of RCHAN and REXT.
resistive, because of the surface-inversion phenomenon,
Above 150 volts, rDS(ON) is increasingly dominated by
each cell in the device can be assumed to contribute an
RBULK. Table 1 gives a percentage breakdown of the contri-
amount, RN, to the total resistance. An individual cell has a
bution of each resistance for three values of voltage.
fairly low resistance, but to minimize rDS(ON), it is necessary
to put a large number of cells in parallel on a chip. In general, Two conclusions, inherent consequences of the laws of
therefore, the greater the number of paralleled cells on a semiconductor physics, and valid for any DMOS device, can
chip, the lower its rDS(ON) value: be drawn from the preceding discussion: First, rDS(ON)
obviously increases with increasing breakdown-voltage
rDS(ON) = RN/N, where N is the number of cells.
capability of a MOSFET. Second, minimum rDS(ON)
3000 performance must be sacrificed if the MOSFET must with-
stand ever-higher breakdown voltages.
REXT
The significance of RBULK in devices with a high voltage
1000 capability is due to the fact that thick, lightly doped epi layers
rDS(ON) RCHAN
are required for the drain region in order to avoid producing
high electric fields (and premature breakdown) within the
RBULK device. And as the epi layers are made thicker and less
rDS(ON) (mΩ)

resistive to support high voltages, the bulk component of

rDS(ON)
resistance rapidly increases (see Figure 2) and begins to
dominate the channel and external resistance. The rDS(ON)
100 therefore, increases with increasing breakdown voltage
capability, and low rDS(ON) must be sacrificed if the
MOSFET is to withstand even higher breakdown voltages.
RBULK RCHAN
There is a way around these obstacles. The rDS(ON) in Fig-
REXT
ure 2 holds only for a given cell and chip size. Using a larger
chip results in a lower value for rDS(ON) because a large chip
10
has more cells (see Figure 3), shifting the vertical axis for
30 100 1000 each of the constituent parts.
BVDSS (V) The penalty for using a larger chip, however, is an increase
FIGURE 2. THE DRAIN-TO-SOURCE RESISTANCE, rDS(ON) , in cost, since chip size is a major cost factor. And because
OF A MOSFET IS NOT ONE BUT THREE chip area increases exponentially, not linearly, with voltage,
SEPARATE RESISTANCE COMPONENTS the additional cost can be substantial. For example, to obtain
a given rDS(ON) at a breakdown voltage twice as great as the
TABLE 1. PERCENTAGE RESISTANCE COMPONENTS FOR original, the new chip requires an area four or five times
A TYPICAL CHIP larger than the original. Although the cost does not rise
exponentially, it is substantially more than the original cost.
BVDSS 40V 150V 500V
RCHANNEL 50% 23% 2.4% Effects of Temperature
RBULK 35% 70% 97%
The high operating temperatures of bipolar transistors are
REXTERNAL 15% 7% <1% frequent cause of failure. The high temperatures are caused
by hot-spotting, the tendency of current in a bipolar device to
In reality, rDS(ON) is composed of three separate resis- concentrate in areas around the emitter. Unchecked, this
tances. Figure 2 shows a curve of the three resistive compo- hot-spotting results in the mechanism of thermal runaway,
nents for a single cell and their contributions to the overall and eventual destruction of the device. MOSFETs do not
value of rDS(ON). The value of rDS(ON) at any point of the suffer this disadvantage because their current flow is in the
curve is found by adding the values of the three components form of majority carriers. The mobility of majority carriers
at that point: (where, again, mobility is a term that defines the average
rDS(ON) = RBULK + RCHAN + REXT velocity of a carrier in terms of the electrical field imposed on
it) is temperature dependent in silicon: mobility decreases
where RCHAN represents the resistance of the channel with increasing temperature. This inverse relationship
beneath the gate, and REXT includes all resistances resulting dictates that the carriers slowdown as the chip gets hotter. In
from the substrate, solder connections, leads, and the effect, the resistance of the silicon path is increased, which
package. RBULK represents the resistance resulting from the prevents the concentrations of current that lead to hot spots.
narrow neck of n material between the two layers, as shown in In fact, if hot spots do attempt to form in a MOSFET, the local
Figure 1(a), plus the resistance of the current path below the resistance increases and defocuses or spreads out the
neck and through the body to the substrate region of the current, rerouting it to cooler portions of the chip.
device.

©2001 Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation Application Note 7500 Rev. A

 Application Note 7500

10 range of tens of nanoamperes, does flow, and is identified on

6 data sheets as a leakage current, IGSS. Because the gate
4 SMALLEST
2 current is so small, the input impedance of a MOSFET is
CHIP
extremely high (in the megohm range) and, in fact, is largely
capacitive rather than resistive (because of the isolation of
1
the gate terminal).
rDS(ON) (Ω)

0.6
0.4 Figure 5 illustrates the basic input circuit of a MOSFET. The ele-
0.2
ments are equivalent, rather than physical, resistance, R, and
LARGEST capacitance, C. The capacitance, called CISS on MOSFET data
0.1 CHIP
sheets, is a combination of the device's internal gate-to-source
0.06
and gate-to-drain capacitance. The resistance, R, represents
0.04
the resistance of the material in the gate circuit. Together, the
0.02 equivalent R and C of the input circuit will determine the upper
0.01 frequency limit of MOSFET operation.
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
BVDSS (V)

FIGURE 3. AS CHIP SIZE INCREASES, rDS(ON) DECREASES

D
Because of the character of its silicon structure, a MOSFET R G
has a positive temperature coefficient of resistance, as S
shown by the curves of Figure 4.
4 CISS
ID = 4A
VGS = 10V

FIGURE 5. A MOSFETs SWITCHING SPEED IS DETERMINED

rDS(ON) (Ω)

2 BY ITS INPUT RESISTANCE R AND ITS INPUT

CAPACITANCE CISS

1
Operating Frequency
Most DMOS processes use a polysilicon gate structure
0 rather than the metal-gate type. If the resistance of the gate
-50 0 50 100 150 200
structure (R in Figure 5) is high, the switching time of the
JUNCTION TEMPERATURE - TJ (oC) DMOS device is increased, thereby reducing its upper oper-
ating frequency. Compared to a metal gate, a polysilicon
FIGURE 4. MOSFETs HAVE A POSITIVE TEMPERATURE
gate has a higher gate resistance. This property accounts for
COEFFICIENT OF RESISTANCE, WHICH
GREATLY REDUCES THE POSSIBILITY OF
the frequent use of metal-gate MOSFETs in high-frequency
THERMAL RUNAWAY AS TEMPERATURE (greater than 20MHz) applications, and polysilicon-gate
INCREASES MOSFETs in higher-power but lower-frequency systems.
Since the frequency response of a MOSFET is controlled by
The positive temperature coefficient of resistance means the effective R and C of its gate terminal, a rough estimate
that a MOSFET is inherently more stable with temperature can be made of the upper operating frequency from
fluctuation, and provides its own protection against thermal datasheet parameters. The resistive portion depends on the
runaway and second breakdown. Another benefit of this sheet resistance of the polysilicon-gate overlay structure, a
characteristic is that MOSFETs can be operated in parallel value of approximately 20 ohms. But whereas the total R
without fear that one device will rob current from the others. value is not found on datasheets, the C value (CISS) is; it is
If any device begins to overheat, its resistance will increase, recorded as both a maximum value and in graphical form as
and its current will be directed away to cooler chips. a function of drain-to-source voltage. The value of CISS is
Gate Parameters closely related to chip size; the larger the chip, the greater
the value. Since the RC combination of the input circuit must
To permit the flow of drain-to-source current in an n-type be charged and discharged by the driving circuit, and since
MOSFET, a positive voltage must be applied between the the capacitance dominates, larger chips will have slower
gate and source terminals. Since, as described above, the switching times than smaller chips, and are, therefore, more
gate is electrically isolated from the body of the device, useful in lower-frequency circuits. In general, the upper
theoretically no current can flow from the driving source into frequency limit of most power MOSFETs spans a fairly broad
the gate. In reality, however, a very small current, in the range, from 1MHz to 10MHz.

©2001 Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation Application Note 7500 Rev. A

 Application Note 7500

Output Characteristics
Probably the most used MOSFET graphical data is the VG = 20V VG = 8V
output characteristics or a plot of drain-to-source current 30
(IDS) as a function of drain-to-source voltage (VDS). A typi-
cal characteristic, shown in Figure 6, gives the drain current 25 VG = 10V
that flows at various VDS values as a function of the gate-to-

DRAIN CURRENT - ID (A)

VG = 7V
source voltage (Vgs). The curve is divided into two
20
regions: a linear region in which VDS is small and drain cur- PULSE TEST
PULSE DURATION = 80µS
rent increases linearly with drain voltage, and a saturated DUTY CYCLE ≤ 2%
region in which increasing drain voltage has no effect on 15
TC = 25oC VG = 6V
drain current (the device acts as a constant-current source).
The current level at which the linear portion of the curve joins 10
with the saturated portion is called the pinch-off region.
VG = 5V
Drive Requirements 5
VG = 4V
When considering the Vgs level required to operate a
0
MOSFET, note from Figure 6, that the device is not turned 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
on (no drain current flows) unless Vgs is greater than a
certain level (called the threshold voltage). In other words, DRAIN-TO-SOURCE VOLTAGE - VDS (V)
the threshold voltage must be exceeded before an apprecia-
FIGURE 6. MOSFETs REQUIRE A HIGH INPUT VOLTAGE (AT
ble increase in drain current can be expected. Generally Vgs LEAST 10V) IN ORDER TO DELIVER THEIR FULL
for many types of DMOS devices is at least 2V. This is an RATED DRAIN CURRENT
important consideration when selecting devices or designing
circuits to drive a MOSFET gate: the gate-drive circuit must
provide at least the threshold-voltage level, but preferably, a
much higher one.
As Figure 6 shows, a MOSFET must be driven by a fairly
high voltage, on the order of 10V, to ensure maximum
saturated drain-current flow. However, integrated circuits,
such as TTL types, cannot deliver the necessary voltage
levels unless they are modified with external pull-up
resistors. Even with a pull-up to 5V, a TTL driver cannot fully
saturate most MOSFETs. Thus, TTL drivers are most
suitable when the current to be switched is far less than the
rated current of the MOSFET. CMOS ICs can run from
supplies of 10V, and these devices are capable of driving a
MOSFET into full saturation. On the other hand, a CMOS
driver will not switch the MOSFET gate circuit as fast as a
TTL driver. The best results, whether TTL or CMOS ICs
provide the drive, are achieved when special buffering chips
are inserted between the IC output and gate input to match
the needs of the MOSFET gate.

©2001 Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation Application Note 7500 Rev. A

TRADEMARKS
The following are registered and unregistered trademarks Fairchild Semiconductor owns or is authorized to use and is
not intended to be an exhaustive list of all such trademarks.
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As used herein:
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systems which, (a) are intended for surgical implant into support device or system whose failure to perform can
the body, or (b) support or sustain life, or (c) whose be reasonably expected to cause the failure of the life
failure to perform when properly used in accordance support device or system, or to affect its safety or
with instructions for use provided in the labeling, can be effectiveness.
reasonably expected to result in significant injury to the
user.

PRODUCT STATUS DEFINITIONS

Definition of Terms

Datasheet Identification Product Status Definition

Advance Information Formative or This datasheet contains the design specifications for
In Design product development. Specifications may change in
any manner without notice.

Preliminary First Production This datasheet contains preliminary data, and

supplementary data will be published at a later date.
Fairchild Semiconductor reserves the right to make
changes at any time without notice in order to improve
design.

No Identification Needed Full Production This datasheet contains final specifications. Fairchild
Semiconductor reserves the right to make changes at
any time without notice in order to improve design.

Obsolete Not In Production This datasheet contains specifications on a product

that has been discontinued by Fairchild semiconductor.
The datasheet is printed for reference information only.

Rev. H
 http://www.irf.com/technical-info/appnotes/an-936.pdf AN-936 (v.Int)
The Do's and® Don'ts of Using MOS-Gated Transistors
(HEXFET is the trademark for International Rectifier Power MOSFETs)

In this application note, some of the most common do's and don'ts of using power HEXFET®s are described. The objective is to
help the user get the most out of these remarkable devices, while reducing "on the job" learning time to a minimum.

Topics Covered:
Be Mindful of the Reverse Blocking Characteristics of the Device
Be Careful When Handling and Testing Power HEXFET® s
Beware of Unexpected Gate-to-Source Voltage Spikes
Beware of Drain or Collector Voltage Spikes Induced by Switching
Do Not Exceed the Peak Current Rating
Stay within the Thermal Limits of the Device
Pay Attention to Circuit Layout
Be Careful When Using the Integral Body-Drain Diode
Be On Your Gaurd When Comparing Current Ratings

1. BE MINDFUL OF THE REVERSE BLOCKING CHARACTERISTICS OF

THE DEVICE
IGBTs have a limited reverse blocking capability of approximately 20-30 V, with high leakage. This is characterized in IR’s data
sheets with a Reverse Avalanche Energy (EARV). This rating is
useful to absorb energy spikes due to the stray inductance in
series with the anti-parallel diode. This is a significant
advantage over bipolar transistors and power darlingtons.
A feature of power MOSFETs is that they inherently have built
into them an integral reverse body-drain diode. The existence of
this diode is explained by reference to Figure 1. When the
source terminal is made positive with respect to the drain,
current can flow through the middle of the source cell, across a
forward biased P-N junction. In the "reverse" direction, the
power HEXFET® thus behaves like a P-N junction rectifier. The
integral body-drain diode is a real circuit element, and its
current handling capability is typically as high as that of the
transistor itself. Some circuits require an "inverse" rectifier to be
connected across the switching device, and in these circuits it
will often be possible to utilize the body-drain diode of the
HEXFET® provided the proper precautions are taken.
Figure 1. Basic HEXFET Structure

2. BE CAREFUL WHEN HANDLING & TESTING POWER HEXFET®S

The user's first "contact" with a MOS-gated transistor could be a package of parts arriving on his desk. Even at this stage, it
behooves one to be knowledgeable about some elementary precautions. Being MOS devices, HEXFET®s can be damaged by static
charge when handling, testing or installing into a circuit. Power Devices have large input capacitance, and are able to absorb
static charge without excessive buildup of voltage. In order to avoid possible problems, however, the following procedures should
be followed as a matter of good practice, wherever possible:

• MOS-gated transistors should be left in their anti-static shipping bags, or conductive foam, or they should be placed in metal
containers or conductive tote bins, until required for testing or connection into a circuit. The person handling the device
should ideally be grounded through a suitable wrist strap, though in reality this added precaution is seldom essential.
• Devices should be handled by the package, not by the leads. When checking the electrical characteristics of the MOS-gated
transistors on a curve tracer, or in a test circuit, the following precautions should be observed:
• Test stations should use electrically conductive floor and table mats that are grounded. Suitable mats are available
commercially.
 AN-936 (v.Int)
• When inserting the device in a curve tracer or a test circuit, voltage should not be applied until all terminals are solidly
connected into the circuit.
• When using a curve tracer, a resistor should be connected in series with the gate to damp spurious oscillations that can
otherwise occur on the trace. A suitable value of resistance is 100 ohms.
• For repeated testing, it is convenient to build this resistor into the test fixture.
• When switching from one test range to another, voltage and current settings should be reduced to zero, to avoid the
generation of potentially destructive voltage surges during switching.

The next step is to connect the device into an actual circuit. The following simple precautions should be observed:

• Work stations should use electrically grounded table and floor mats.
• Soldering irons should be grounded.

Now that the device has been connected into its circuit, it is ready for the power to be applied. From here on, success in applying
the device becomes a matter of the integrity of the circuit design, and of what circuit precautions have been taken to guard
against unintentional abuse of its ratings.

The following are the interrelated device and circuit considerations that lead to reliable, trouble-free design.

3. BEWARE OF UNEXPECTED GATE-TO-SOURCE VOLTAGE SPIKES

Excessive voltage will punch through the gate-source oxide layer and result in permanent damage. This seems obvious enough,
but it is not so obvious that transient gate-to-source overvoltages can be generated that are quite unrelated to, and well in excess
of, the amplitude of the applied drive signal. The problem is illustrated by reference to Figure 2.
If we assume that the impedance, Z, of the drive source is high, then any positive-going change of voltage applied across the
drain and source terminals (caused, for example, by the switching of another device in the circuit) will be reflected as a positive-
going voltage transient across the source and the drain terminals, in the approximate ratio of:

1
C gs
1+
C dg

The above ratio is typically about 1 to 6. This means that a change of drain-to-source voltage of 300V, for example, could
produce a voltage transient approaching 50V between the gate and source terminals. In practice this “aiming” voltage will not
appear on the gate if the dv/dt is positive because the MOS-gated device goes in conduction at approximately Vgs = 4V, thereby
clamping the dv/dt at the expense of a current transient and increased power dissipation. However, a negative-going dv/dt will
not be clamped. This calculation is based upon the worst case assumption that the transient impedance of the drive circuit is high
by comparison with the gate-to-source capacitance of the device. This situation can, in fact, be quite easily approximated if the
gate drive circuit contains inductance—for example the leakage inductance of an isolating drive transformer. This inductance
exhibits a high impedance for short transients, and effectively decouples the gate from its drive circuit for the duration of the
transient.

The negative-going gate-to-source voltage transient produced under the above circumstances may exceed the gate voltage rating
of the device, causing permanent damage. It is, of course, true that since the applied drain transient results in a voltage at the
gate which tends to turn the device ON, the overall effect is to an extent self-limiting so far as the gate voltage transient is
concerned. Whether this self-limiting action will prevent the voltage transient at the gate from exceeding the gate-source voltage
rating of the device depends upon the impedance of the external circuit. Spurious turn-on is of itself undesirable, of course,
though in practical terms one may grudgingly be able to accept this circuit operating imperfection, provided the safe operating
area of the device is not violated.

Notice that a voltage clamp (a conventional zener diode is suitable for this purpose) to prevent the gate-source voltage rating
from being exceeded will not prevent the dv/dt induced turn-on, as the gate will not reach the zener voltage. In many instances
the zener is responsible for generating oscillations in the gate circuit, particularly when a significant amount of stray inductance
is present. A more fundamental solution, of course, is to make the impedance of the gate circuit low enough that not only is the
gate-source voltage rating not exceeded, but also the voltage transient at the gate is contained to a level at which spurious turn-on
does not occur.
 AN-936 (v.Int)

"POSITIVE DRAIN-SOURCE D
GOING" VOLTAGE
CHANGE

CDG
"NEGATIVE GOING" DRIVE
CHANGE SOURCE
IMPEDANCE
G
Z CDS

CGS

WITH NO
CLAMPING GATE-SOURCE
VOLTAGE
S

WITH NO
CLAMPING EXTERNALLY CONNECTED
CLAMPING ZENER DIODE

Figure 2. A Rapidly Changing Applied Drain-Source Voltage will Produce Gate-Source Transients

LS
+E

+E
OVERVOLTAGE R
TRANSIENT LS OVERVOLTAGE
DUE TO L TRANSIENT
R DUE TO LS

(b) CLAMPED
E
INDUCTIVE
L
LOAD
(a) UNCLAMPED
INDUCTIVE
L VDS
LOAD
LS
D

LS = STRAY CIRCUIT
INDUCTANCE

Figure 3. Drain-Source Overvoltage Transient when Figure 4. Drain-Source Overvoltage Transient

Switching Off with Unclamped Inductive Load Produced by Stray Circuit Inductance When Switching
Off with Clamped, Inductive Load

It should be remembered that a collapse of voltage across the device (i.e., a negative-going dv/dt) will produce a transient
negative voltage spike across the gate-source terminals. In this case, of course, there will be no tendency for the device to turn
ON, and hence no tendency for the effect to be self-limiting. A zener diode connected to clamp positive transients will
automatically clamp negative-going transients, limiting them to the forward conduction voltage drop of the zener.
 AN-936 (v.Int)
4. BEWARE OF DRAIN OR COLLECTOR VOLTAGE SPIKES INDUCED BY
SWITCHING
The uninitiated designer is often not aware that self-inflicted overvoltage transients can be produced when the device is switched
OFF, even though the DC supply voltage for the drain circuit is well below the VDS rating of the transistor.
Figure 3 shows how a voltage spike is produced when switching the device OFF, as a result of inductance in the circuit. The
faster the device is switched, the higher the overvoltage will be.
Inductance is always present to some extent in a practical circuit, and therefore, there is always danger of inducing overvoltage
transients when switching OFF. Usually, of course, the main inductive component of the load will be "clamped", as shown in
Figure 4. Stray circuit inductance still exists, however, and overvoltage transients will still be produced as a result—to say
nothing of the fact that the clamping diode may not provide an instantaneous clamping action, due to its "forward recovery"
characteristic.

The first approach to this problem is to minimize stray circuit inductance, by means of careful attention to circuit layout, to the
point that whatever residual inductance is left in the circuit can be tolerated. HEXFET®s have an inductive energy rating that
makes capable of withstanding these inductive spikes, assuming that the data sheet limits for energy and temperature are not
violated. IGBTs, however, do not have an avalanche rating, and a clamping device should be connected, physically as close as
possible to the drain and source terminals, as shown in Figure 5. A conventional zener diode, or a "transorb" clamping device,
are satisfactory for this purpose. An alternative clamping circuit is shown in Figure 6, depending on the voltage and current
rating of the circuit.
The capacitor C is a reservoir capacitor and charges to a substantially constant voltage, while the resistor R is sized to dissipate
the "clamping energy" while maintaining the desired voltage across the capacitor. The diode D must be chosen so that its forward
recovery characteristic does not significantly spoil the transient clamping action of the circuit. A simple RC snubber can also be
used, as shown in Figure 7. Note, however, that an RC snubber not only limits the peak voltage, it also slows down the effective
switching speed. In so doing, it absorbs energy during the whole of the switching period, not just at the end of it, as does a
voltage clamp. A snubber is therefore less efficient than a true voltage clamping device.

Note that the highest voltage transient occurs when switching the highest level of current. The waveform of the voltage across the
device should be checked with a high-speed oscilloscope at the full load condition to ensure that switching voltage transients are
within safe limits.

5. DO NOT EXCEED THE PEAK LS

CURRENT RATING +E

All power transistors have a specified maximum peak

current rating. This is conservatively set at a level that
R LS OVERVOLTAGE
guarantees reliable operation and it should not be
TRANSIENT
exceeded. It is often overlooked that, in a practical CLAMPED
circuit, peak transient currents can be obtained that are BY ZENER
well in excess of the expected normal operating current,
unless proper precautions are taken. Heating, lighting (c) CLAMPED
and motor loads, for example, consume high in-rush INDUCTIVE LOAD L
WITH LOCAL D-S
currents if not properly controlled. A technique that ZENER CLAMP
ensures that the peak current does not exceed the VDS
LS
capability of the device is to use a current sensing control
that switches it OFF whenever the current D
instantaneously reaches a preset limit.

S CLAMPING
Unexpectedly high transient current can also be obtained
ZENER
as a result of rectifier reverse recovery, when a transistor
is switched ON rapidly into a conducting rectifier. This is
illustrated in Figure 8. The solution is to use a faster
rectifier, or to slow down the switching of the transistor
Figure 5. Overvoltage Transient at Switch-Off Clamped by
to limit the peak reverse recovery current of the rectifier.
Local Drain-Source Zener

6. STAY WITHIN THE THERMAL LIMITS

 AN-936 (v.Int)

Power transistors are thermally limited. They must be

mounted on a heatsink that is adequate to keep the +E
junction temperature within the rated under the
"worst case" condition of maximum power dissipation
and maximum ambient temperature.

It must be remembered that in a switching

application, the total power is due to the conduction EC
losses and the switching loss. Switching time and E
switching losses of HEXFET®s are essentially
independent of temperature, but the conduction losses
increase with increasing temperature, because RDS(on)
increases with temperature. IGBTs, on the contrary,
have switching losses that highly dependent of
temperature, while conduction losses are not. This
must be taken into account when sizing the heatsink.
The required thermal resistance of the heatsink can
be calculated as follows: D

The transistor conduction power, PT, is given 0

approximately by PT = On-state Voltage x Drain or C

Collector current R
EC
The switching energy depends upon the voltage and
current being switched and the type of load. The total
switching loss, PS, is the total switching energy, εT,
Figure 6. Overvoltage Transient at Switch-Off Limited by
multiplied by the operating frequency, f. eT is the sum
Local Clamp
of the energies due to the individual switchings that
take place in each fundamental operating cycle:

PS = εT f

The total power dissipation is the sum of the conduction power, PT, and the switching power, PS.

P = PT + PS
LS
Since: +E
OVERVOLTAGE TRANSIENT
∆TJA = PRth REDUCED BY SNUBBER
where:
R LS
Rth = junction-to-ambient thermal E
resistance

The junction-to-ambient thermal resistance, RJA, (d) CLAMPED INDUCTIVE

LOAD WITH LOCAL
is made up of the internal junction-to-case L
D-S SNUBBER
thermal resistance, RJC, plus the case-to-
heatsink thermal resistance, RCS, plus the sink- LS VDS
to-ambient thermal resistance, RSA. The first
D
two terms are fixed for the device, and the SNUBBER
required thermal resistance of the heatsink, RS-
S
A, for a given junction temperature rise DTJ-A,
can be calculated from:

RS-A = RJ-A - (RJC + RC-S) Figure 7. Overvoltage Transient at Switch-Off Limited by Local
Capacitor-Resistor Snubber

7. PAY ATTENTION TO CIRCUIT LAYOUT

 AN-936 (v.Int)

Stray inductance in the circuit can cause overvoltage transients, slowing down of the switching speed, unexpected unbalance of
current between parallel connected devices, and unwanted oscillations.

In order to minimize these effects, stray circuit inductance must be minimized. This is done by keeping conduction paths as short
as possible, by minimizing the area of current loops, by using twisted pairs of leads, and by using ground plane construction.
Local decoupling capacitors alleviate the affects of any residual circuit inductance, once these measures have been taken.
Circuit layout should be kept as symmetrical as possible in order to maintain balanced currents in parallel connected HEXFET®s
or IGBTs. The gates of parallel connected devices should be decoupled by small ferrite beads placed over the gate connections, or
by individual resistors in series with each gate. These measures prevent parasitic oscillations.

8. BE CAREFUL WHEN USING THE INTEGRAL BODY-DRAIN DIODE

The HEXFET®'s integral body-drain diode exhibits
minority carrier reverse recovery. Reverse recovery pre-
sents a potential problem when switching any rectifier off;
the slower the rectifier, the greater the problem. By
comparison with the HEXFET® itself, the switching speed
of the integral reverse rectifier is quite slow. The switching
speed of a circuit which utilizes the body-drain diode of the I
HEXFET® may therefore be limited by the rectifier.
Whether this will be so depends upon the circuit and the
operating conditions. IF:
I INDUCTIVE LOAD
CURRENT IS
Regardless of the overall circuit configuration, or the FREE-WHEELING
particular application, the "local" circuit operating IN THE
situation that is troublesome occurs when the freewheeling BODY-DRAIN
current from an inductive load is commutated from the DIODE OF
THIS DEVICE
integral rectifier of one HEXFET® to the transistor of an
"opposite" HEXFET®, the two devices forming a tandem THEN:
series connected pair across a low impedance voltage
source, as shown in Figure 8. This “local” circuit TAKE CARE WHEN
SWITCHING-ON
configuration occurs in most chopper and inverter THIS DEVICE
schemes.

If the incoming HEXFET® switches ON too rapidly, the

peak reverse recovery current of the integral body-drain
diode of the opposite HEXFET® will rise too rapidly, the Figure 8. Local Circuit Configuration and Operating
peak reverse recovery current rating will be exceeded, and Condition Requiring Special Care When Using the
the device may possibly be destroyed. HEXFET's Integral Body-Drain Diode.

The peak reverse recovery current of the rectifier can be reduced by slowing down the rate of change of current during the
commutation process. The rate of change of current can be controlled by purposefully slowing down the rate of rise of the gate
driving pulse. Using this technique, the peak current can be reduced to almost any desired extent, at the expense of prolonging
the high dissipation switching period.

The oscillograms in Figure 9 illustrate the effect. By slowing the total switch-ON time from 300ns to 1.8ms, the peak current of
the IRF330 has been decreased from 20A to 10A. The energy dissipation associated with the “unrestrained” switch-ON in Figure
9(a) is 0.9mJ, whereas it is 2.7mJ for the controlled switch-ON of Figure 9(b).

Note also that it is not necessary to slow the switching-OFF of the HEXFET®, hence the energy dissipation at switch-OFF will be
relatively small by comparison with that at switch-ON. For operation at frequencies up to a few kHz, where ultra-fast switching is
not mandatory, slowing the applied gate drive signal to reduce the peak reverse recovery current of the "opposite" rectifier offers
a good practical solution.
 AN-936 (v.Int)
9. BE ON YOUR GUARD WHEN COMPARING CURRENT RATINGS
The user can be forgiven if he assumes that the continuous drain current rating, that appears on the data sheet represents the
current at which the device can actually be operated continuously in a practical system. To be sure, that's what it should
represent; unfortunately it often does not.

Frequently a "continuous" current rating is assigned to the device which in practical terms cannot be used, because the resulting
conduction power dissipation would be so large as to require a heatsink with an impractically low thermal resistance, and/or an
impractically low ambient operating temperature. The best advice to the user is to compare different types on the basis of high
temperature conduction and switching losses, and not of current rating. For MOSFETS, it is sufficient to compare RDS(on) at 25°
C, and this provides a common basis for comparison. This parameter, taken in conjunction with the junction-case thermal
resistance, is a much better indication of the power MOSFET true current handling capability.

100V

10mV 10mV
µS
2µ µS
2µ

(a) I(max) = 20A, di/dt = 50A/ms. /µs.

(b) I(max) = 20A, di/dt = 50A/µ
Switching time = 300nsec. Switching time = 1.8 ms..

Figure 9. Oscillograms of IRF330 Switching into Reverse Rectifier of Another IRF330 with Freewheeling
Current of 4A.
Top Trace: Voltage 100V/div.
Bottom Trace: Current 4A/div.
Time Scale: 2ms/div.
 AN-949 (v.Int)
Current Ratings of Power Semiconductors
http://www.irf.com/technical-info/appnotes/an-949.pdf
Topics Covered:

What is a current rating?

Current ratings for power semiconductors
Continuous current ratings
Current ratings under duty cycle conditions
Transient thermal impedance
Peak Current Ratings of Power Semiconductors
RMS values of common waveforms

1. WHAT IS A CURRENT RATING?

The current rating of an electrical device, be that a circuit breaker or a motor or a transformer, is the current at which the
temperature within the electrical device reaches a value that may impair the reliability or functionality of the device itself. The
manufacturer knows the temperature limits of the materials used in the device, but he does not know the temperature of the
ambient in which the device will be used. So he makes an assumption on this temperature. This has two important consequences:

1. A current rating is meaningless without the rated temperature

2. The temperature at wich the rating applies may, or may not be related to actual operating conditions. If it is, the
current rating can be used as an indication of the current capability of that device in a real applications. If the device is
rated at a temperature that is not encountered in a typical operating environment, e.g. 25ºC, it cannot be trusted to
provide an indication of actual device capability in an application. It can only be used to compare the ratings of
similar devices rated at the same temperature.

The rating of electrical devices like motors and circuit breakers are dictated by various agreements and regulations. The ratings
of many other devices, like transformers, resistors and semiconductors are specified in their data sheets. As a result, the user
must do, at a minimum, a verification that the device is capable of operating:

a) at the maximum current

b) at the maximum ambient temperature
c) without exceeding its maximum temperature

2. CURRENT RATINGS FOR POWER SEMICONDUCTORS

Like any other electrical device, power semiconductors must be operated within their maximum temperature. Since the vast
majority of power semiconductors operate at large power densities, they need to be heatsunk. It is the task of the designer to
identify the heatsink, or other cooling method, that fulfills the requirements a, b and c of the previous section. This task is
normally referred to as “thermal design”.

Power semiconductors have, however, some additional limitations normally associated with their capability of handling high
voltages and high currents at the same time, under static or dynamic conditions. These limitations are peculiar to the specific
type of semiconductor, e.g. SOA for transistors, dv/dt, di/dt and tq for tyristors, trr for diodes. Information on these limitations are
normally contained in publications that are specific to the particular device.

Bipolar transistors have one additional limitation that is not common to other power semiconductors: gain. To operate a bipolar
transistor at its headlined “rated” continuous current would require an inconveniently large amount of drive current, and the
saturation voltage and switching times would be hard to live with in a practical design.

Other power semiconductors are not limited by gain. IGBT for motor drive applications are, by design, limited in gain to current
levels much beyond normal operating conditions to reduce the current under short-circuit conditions.
 AN-949 (v.Int)
3. CONTINUOUS CURRENT RATINGS
The continuous rating of a power semiconductor is based is heat removal when conducting a fixed amount of current. This is
determined by the fundamental equation for temperature rise (see INT-936), with no switching losses present. Rated ID, for a
MOSFET is therefore:

TJMAX - TC
ID =
R DS(on) R th(JC)

where RDS(on) is the limiting value of the on-resistance at rated T(Jmax] , at the appropriate value of ID. RthJC is the maximum
value of internal junction-to-case thermal resistance, and Tc is the case temperature.

Similarly, the continuous current rating of a diode, or a thyristor, or an IGBT is calculated from the basic equation of temperature
rise. The power dissipation is calculated from voltage drop and continuous current.

Except for water-cooled sinks, it is very difficult to keep the case temperature of a power semiconductor at less than 90º. Thus,
the usable continuous direct current of a power device for most practical is whatever is applicable to a case temperature of 90 to
110° C. This allows a sufficient differential between case and ambient temperature for the heat dissipator to handle the heat
transfer.

The “headlined” continuous current rating shown on the data sheets of most power transistors is usually larger than the above
practically usable level of continuous drain current. This is because the case temperature adopted by the industry, to which the
“headlined” continuous ID rating applies, is 25°C.

Figure 1 shows typical heatsinks for TO-3 and TO-220 packaged HEXFET®s that allow them to operate in a 40°C ambient at a
continuous direct drain current that is 60 to 70% of the rated continuous drain current at Tc = 25°C; the corresponding steady
case temperature is about 100°C.

The continuous current rating of power transistors is, however, of little direct use to the designer, other than as a benchmark, for
the following three reasons:

1. Power transistors are normally operated in switchmode, with duty cycles considerably less than l00%, and what is really
of interest is the current-carrying capability of the device under the actual “switched” operating conditions.

2. When operated in switchmode, power transistors have switching losses, that have to be calculated and added to the
conduction losses, as indicated in INT-936.

3. The selection of the power device may be dictated by surge requirements that make the continuous current rating
irrelevant.

And, if this were not enough, advances in the low-voltage MOSFET technology have reduced conduction losses to the point that
the package has become the limiting factor in their continuous current rating. This is explained in INTDT93-4

4. SWITCHING “DUTY CYCLE” RATINGS

The basic thermal equation of INT-936 determines the basic rating of a “thermal system” in a practical application. This
equation can be used to determine how much power can be dissipated by a (known) thermal system or the junction temperature
for a given set of electrical operating conditions (power dissipation). Since the power entered in that equation is the “average”
power, it remains valid as long as the frequency of operation is high with respect to the thermal inertia of the system. When the
frequency is very low (tens of Hz), the transient thermal response curve is used, as described below in Section 5.

The power dissipation is normally divided in conduction and switching. Conduction losses in a power MOSFET, being resistive
2
in nature, can be calculated as (IRMS) x R. The RMS content of waveforms of different shape can be found in the Appendix.
Switching losses can be calculated from the switching waveforms, from the gate charge or from analytical methods. Conduction
and switching losses for IGBTs are more complex, as explained in INT-990.
 AN-949 (v.Int)
5. JUNCTION TEMPERATURE UNDER PULSED CONDITIONS
Under surge conditions the junction temperature rises
exponentially, according to its thermal inertia. Rather than using
the thermal resistance, that is appropriate for steady state
operation, we use the Transient Thermal Impedance (or, more
correctly, Thermal Response Curve), as the one shown in Figure
2. For a surge of given duration (x axis), this curve gives a
thermal response factor (y axis). The peak junction temperature
due to the surge condition can be calculated as indicated in the
figure itself. The power dissipation is normally calculated from
the voltage and current across the device during the surge.

This curve is also useful for determining the peak junction

temperature for power or pulses with a very low repetition rate,
when the method described in the previous section is not
applicable The reason for this is illustrated by the waveforms in
(a) Type 621-A heatsink give 4A continuous rating for
Figures 3(a) and 3(b). Both sets of waveforms are for the same IRF331 with 5 CFM airflow in 400C ambient.
power dissipation and duty cycle, but for different operating
frequencies. The cycle-by-cycle fluctuations of junction
temperature at 20Hz (Figure 3a) are clearly greater than at 200Hz
(Figure 3b). As frequency increases, thermal inertia of the
junction “irons out” instantaneous temperature fluctuations, and
the junction responds more to average, rather than peak power
dissipation. At frequencies above a few kHz and duty cycles above
20% or so, cycle-by-cycle temperature fluctuations become small,
and peak junction temperature rise becomes equal to the average
power dissipation multiplied by the DC junction-to-case thermal
resistance, within one or two percent.

For pulses with low repetition rate the remaining curves in Figure
2 show effective thermal impedance at different duty cycles. These
curves are approximately related to the single pulse curve, by the
following relationship:
(b) Type 641-A heatsink gives 3.5A continuous rating
for IRF331 with natural convection cooling in 400C
Effective normalized thermal impedance = D + (l - D) x (transient ambient.
thermal impedance for single pulse of duration t).

The thermal impedance, when multiplied by the power dissipation

during the conduction period t (i.e., the power within the
conduction pulse itself, not the power averaged over the whole
cycle), gives the value of the repetitive peak junction-to-case
temperature rise.

To determine the absolute value of the peak junction temperature,

it is, of course, necessary to know the case temperature TC under
steady-state operating conditions. Because of thermal inertia, the
heatsink responds only to average power dissipation (except at
extremely low frequencies which generally will not be of practical
interest). TC is therefore given by:
TC = TA + (RthC-S + RthS-A) PAV
where: (c) Type 689-75 e4 heatsink give 1A continuous rating
for IRF710 with natural convection cooling in 400C
TA = ambient temperature ambient.
RthC-S = case-to-sink thermal resistance
RthS-A = sink-to-ambient thermal resistance Figure 1. Typical Heatsinks for HEXFETs
PAV = average power dissipation (Heatsink by Wakefield)
also,
PAV = peak power x duty cycle for rectangular pulses of power
 AN-949 (v.Int)
The transient thermal response curve assumes constant case temperature. This is generally valid for pulses shorter than 10ms.
For longer surges the case temperature starts to rise and the results are of questionable accuracy. For operation in free air, case
temperature starts to rise within few ms and this curve does not provide any useful information. More sophisticated analytical
methods that take the entire thermal system into account are normally used to calculate temperature rise under these conditions.

10
θJC)

1
Thermal Response (Zθ

0-0.5

0.2

0.1

0.1 0.05

PDM
0.02
SINGLE PULSE t1
0.01
(THERMAL RESPONSE) t2

NOTES:
1. DUTY FACTOR, D-t1/t2
2. PEAK T -P
J DM
x ZthJC + TC
10-2
10-5 10-4 10-3 10-2 0.1 1 10
t1, Rectangular Pulse Duration (seconds)

Figure 2. Transient Thermal Impedance Curves for IRF530 HEXFET

100W
POWER

t = 10ms
∆TJ = 640C
JUNCTION
TEMP
RISE

(a) t = 10 ms D = 0.2

100W
POWER

t=1
JUNCTION ms
TEMP ∆TJ = 33.40C
RISE AVERAGE

(b) t = 1 ms D = 0.2

Figure 3. Waveforms of Power and Junction Temperature for Repetitive Operation,

showing that Peak Junction Temperature is function of Operating Frequency. IRF330
 AN-949 (v.Int)
6. PEAK CURRENT RATINGS
IGBTs and MOSFETs are able to 3
carry peak current well in excess of 400V HEXFET
their continuous current rating, 100V VGS = 10V
VGS = 10V
provided that the rated junction HEXFET
temperature is not exceeded. There is,
however, an upper limit on the
permissible current, defined by the 2
rated peak current. Most devices have

PER UNIT RDS(on)

a peak rating, that is several times
their continuous rating at Tc =25°C.
400V VGS = 20V
Power transistors are fundamentally HEXFET
“linear” devices, as opposed to 1
“latching” devices. As current
increases, the point eventually is 100V
VGS = 20V
reached at which they go into “linear” HEXFET
operation and start to act, in effect, as
a current limiter. This point depends
upon the drive voltage applied to the 0
gate, the safe limit of which is 0 20 40 60 80 100
determined by the thickness of the %I
Rated ID @ TC = 250C DM
oxide that insulates the gate from the
body of the device. Peak ratings of Figure 4. Typical Variation of On-Resistance with Drain Current.
power devices are normally
achievable with an applied gate voltage that is equal to the maximum permissible gate voltage of 20V. They are repetitive
ratings, as long as the junction temperature is kept within the rated TJmax. Peak junction temperature can be calculated from the
thermal impedance data for the device, as indicated above.

It should be pointed out that the on-resistance of any MOSFET does increase as current increases. As shown in Figure 4, the on-
resistance of a 100V rated HEXFET® at its rated IDM with 20V applied to the gate is typically 1.4 x the value at the rated ID; the
corresponding multiplier for a 400V rated HEXFET® is 2.9. This increase of on-resistance must, of course, be taken into account
when making thermal calculations and designing for use of the IDM rating.

APPENDIX
Determining the RMS Value of ID Waveforms
To accurately determine the conduction losses in a MOSFET, the RMS value for ID must be known. The current waveforms are
rarely simple sinusoids or rectangles, and this can pose some problems in determing the value for IRMS. The following equations
and procedure can be used to determine IRMS for any waveform that can be broken up into segments for which the RMS value
can be calculated individually.

∫0t I 2 (t)dt
The RMS value of any waveform is defined as I RMS = (1)
T

Figure A-1 shows several simple waveforms and the derivation for IRMS using equation (1).

If the actual waveform can be approximated satisfactorily by combining the waveforms in Figure A-1, then the RMS value of the
waveform can be calculated from: I RMS = I 2 RMS(1) + I 2 RMS(2) + ⋅⋅ ⋅ + I 2 RMS( N ) (2)

This is true to the extent that no two waveforms are different from zero at the same time.
In some applications such as switching regulators, it is possible for the designer to control the wave shape with topology or
magnetic design. This can be very beneficial in reducing the value for IRMS in the switch for a given value of average current.
 AN-949 (v.Int)

EFFECT OF WAVEFORM SHAPE ON RMS VALUE

In a swith mode converter, the current waveforms through the inductors, transformer windings rectifiers and switches will appear
as shown in Figure A-1, ranging from a triangle to a rectangle depending on the value of the averaging inductor and load.

The RMS content of the current waveform changes accordingly and this has a bearing on the MOSFET conduction losses that are
2
proportional to I RMS.

Ia
A measure of the squareness of the waveform can be obtained from the ratio: K =
Ib
Ia
It can be shown that: K = = f ( L, L c ) where:
Ib
L = inductance of the averaging choke.
Lc = l is the critical inductance for a
I1
particular input voltage and load
power. I1
IRMS =
2
As L is increased, K goes from 0 (triangle) to 1 T=T FULL WAVE
SINUSOIDAL
(rectangle).
T

Ia + Ib I1
From the above expression and I avg = IRMS = I
1
D
2 2
T
PULSED D=
2K T T
we have: I a = I , SINUSOIDAL
K + 1 avg
2
Ib = I I1
K + 1 avg IRMS = I D + sin T (1-D) cos Π (1-D)
1/2
1 2Π
2
Substituting into the RMS expression for a
PHASE t
trapezoidal waveform, shown in Figure A-1, we t1 T
CONTROLLED D=1- 1
T
have: SINUSOIDAL

T
1+ K + K 2 I1 IRMS = I D
I RMS = 2 D I avg 1
3( K + 1) 2
T
D=
T
For constant I(avg) and D, the normalized (IRMS = T

1 for K = 1) IRMS is as shown in Figure A-3. This T

curve shows that, for trianglar current waveforms, Ib
1/2
2 IRMS = D ( Ib2 + Ia Ib + Ia2)/3
the I R losses are 32% higher than for rectangular Ia
waveforms. It is also apparent that for Ia / Ib > 0.6, T
D=
T
the improvement incurred by increasing L is only
2%, so from a practical point of view, L need only T RECTANGULAR
be about twice Lc. T
Increasing the value of Ia / Ib increases the switch I1 IRMS = I D
turn-on losses but decreases the turn-off losses. 1 3
T
Since the turn-off losses tend to be larger than the D=
T
turn-on losses, increasing Ia / Ib reduces the total
T TRIANGLE
switching loss also.
For the case of discontinuous inductor currcnt (L
Figure A-1
< Lc), Ia / Ib = 0 and is no longer relevant, since
the waveforms are now triangles.
 AN-949 (v.Int)

Ib

SMALL L

Ib
Ia

LARGE L

Figure A-2. Current Waveform

1.16

1.14

1.12
IRMS NORMALIZED

1.10

1.08

1.06

1.04

1.02

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
K = Ia / Ib

Figure A-3. Variation of IRMS with Squareness Ratio

 http://www.irf.com/technical-info/appnotes/an-937.pdf AN-937 (v.Int)

Gate Drive Characteristics and Requirements for

HEXFET®s
Topics covered:
Gate drive vs base drive
Enhancement vs Depletion
N vs P-Channel
Max gate voltage
Zener diodes on gate?
The most important factor in gate drive: the impedance of the gate drive circuit
Switching 101 or Understanding the waveforms
What happens if gate drive impedance is high? dv/dt induced turn-on
Can a TTL gate drive a standard HEXFET® ?
The universal buffer
Power dissipation of the gate drive circuit is seldom a problem
Can a C-MOS gate drive a standard HEXFET® ?
Driving HEXFET® s from linear circuits
Drive circuits not referenced to ground
Gate drivers with optocouplers
Gate drive supply developed from the drain of the power device
Gate drivers with pulse transformers
Gate drivers with choppers
Drive requirements of Logic Level HEXFET® s
How fast is a Logic Level HEXFET® driven by a logic circuit?
Simple and inexpensive isolated gate drive supplies
A well-kept secret: Photovoltaic generators as gate drivers
Driving in the MHz? Use resonant gate drivers
Related topics

(Note: Most of the gate drive considerations and circuits are equally applicable to IGBTs. Only MOSFETs are mentioned for the
sake of simplicity. Special considerations for IGBTs are contained in INT-990)

1. GATE DRIVE VS BASE DRIVE

The conventional bipolar
transistor is a current-driven CURRENT PRODUCES
VOLTAGE PRODUCES
device. As illustrated in IN BASE CURRENT
AT GATE CURRENT
IN COLLECTOR
Figure 1(a). a current must IN DRAIN
be applied between the base +
and emitter terminals to pro- IC +
+ ID
duce a flow of current in the IB
collector. The amount of a
drive required to produce a
given output depends upon CURRENT VOLTAGE
the gain, but invariably a SOURCE SOURCE
current must be made to flow
into the base terminal to (a) Bipolar Transistor (b) HEXFET
produce a flow of current in Figure 1. Bipolar Transistor is Current Driven, HEXFET is Voltage Driven
the collector.

The HEXFET®is fundamentally different: it is a voltage-controlled power MOSFET device. A voltage must be applied between
the gate and source terminals to produce a flow of current in the drain (see Figure 1b). The gate is isolated electrically from the
source by a layer of silicon dioxide. Theoretically, therefore, no current flows into the gate when a DC voltage is applied to it -
though in practice there will be an extremely small current, in the order of nanoamperes. With no voltage applied between the
gate and source electrodes, the impedance between the drain and source terminals is very high, and only the leakage current
flows in the drain.
 AN-937 (v.Int)

When a voltage is applied between the gate and

source terminals, an electric field is set up within the
HEXFET®. This field “inverts” the channel (Figure
2) from P to N, so that a current can flow from drain
to source in an uninterrupted sequence of N-type
silicon (drain-channel-source). Field-effect
transistors can be of two types: enhancement mode
and depletion mode. Enhancement-mode devices
SOURCE
need a gate voltage of the same sign as the drain METALLIZATION
voltage in order to pass current. SILICON GATE
INSULATING
CHANNEL OXIDE

Depletion-mode devices are naturally on and are

turned off by a gate voltage of the same polarity as
the drain voltage. All HEXFET®s are enhancement- P

mode devices. N N N
SOURCE GATE OXIDE

All MOSFET voltages are referenced to the source TRANSISTOR DRAIN DRAIN TRANSISTOR
terminal. An N-Channel device, like an NPN CURRENT CURRENT
transistor, has a drain voltage that is positive with
respect to the source. Being enhancement-mode DIODE CURRENT
devices, they will be turned on by a positive voltage
Figure 2. Basic HEXFET Structure
on the gate. The opposite is true for P-Channel
devices, that are similar to PNP transistors.
Although it is common knowledge that HEXFET®transistors are more easily driven than bipolars, a few basic considerations
have to be kept in mind in order to avoid a loss in performance or outright device failure.

2. GATE VOLTAGE LIMITATIONS

Figure 2 shows the basic HEXFET®structure. The silicon oxide layer between the gate and the source regions can be punctured
by exceeding its dielectric strength. The data sheet rating for the gate-to-source voltage is between 10 and 30 V for most
HEXFET®s.
Care should be exercised not to exceed the gate-to-source maximum voltage rating. Even if the applied gate voltage is kept below
the maximum rated gate voltage, the stray inductance of the gate connection, coupled with the gate capacitance, may generate
ringing voltages that could lead to the destruction of the oxide layer. Overvoltages can also be coupled through the drain-gate
self-capacitance due to transients in the drain circuit. A gate drive circuit with very low impedance insures that the gate voltage
is not exceeded in normal operation. This is explained in more detail in the next section.

Zeners are frequently used “to protect the gate from transients”. Unfortunately they also contribute to oscillations and have been
known to cause device failures. A transient can get to the gate from the drive side or from the drain side. In either case, it would
be an indication of a more fundamental problem: a high impedance drive circuit. A zener would compound this problem, rather
than solving it. Sometimes a zener is added to reduce the ringing generated by the leakage of a gate drive transformer, in
combination with the input capacitance of the MOSFET. If this is necessary, it is advisable to insert a small series resistor (5-10
Ohms) between the zener and the gate, to prevent oscillations.

3. THE IMPEDANCE OF THE GATE CIRCUIT

To turn on a power MOSFET a certain charge has to be supplied to the gate to raise it to the desired voltage, whether in the
linear region, or in the “saturation” (fully enhanced) region. The best way to achieve this is by means of a voltage source, capable
of supplying any amount of current in the shortest possible time. If the device is operated as a switch, a large transient current
capability of the drive circuit reduces the time spent in the linear region, thereby reducing the switching losses.

On the other hand, if the device is operated in the linear mode, a large current from the gate drive circuit minimizes the
relevance of the Miller effect, improving the bandwidth of the stage and reducing the harmonic distortion. This can be better
understood by analyzing the basic switching waveforms at turn-on and turn-off for a clamped inductive load, as shown in Figures
 AN-937 (v.Int)

3 and 5. Figure 3 shows the waveforms of the drain current, drain-to-source voltage and gate voltage during the turn-on interval.
For the sake of simplicity, the equivalent impedance of the drive circuit has been assumed as purely resistive.

DRAIN-SOURCE
VOLTAGE

LOAD

DRAIN-SOURCE
STRAY
INDUCTANCE
I
DRIVE CIRCUIT
RESISTANCE

G
SE
UL
IVEP
R
"D
CUIT
CIR SOURCE
EN "OPEN CIRCUIT"
"OP GATE-SOURCE DRIVE INDUCTANCE
VOLTAGE PULSE
VTH

t 0 t1 t2 t3 t4

Figure 3. Waveforms at Turn-On

VOLTAGE DROP ACROSS

THIS L MEANS THAT THE
DRAIN VOLTAGE FALL DRAIN-SOURCE
+
RESULTING IN VOLTAGE
DISCHARGE OF
THIS CAPACITOR
RESULTING IN
MORE CURRENT - ID
THROUGH THIS
RESISTANCE
CURRENT
I

DRIVE
+
THIS INDUCED VOLTAGE
IS SUBSTRACTS FROM THE
- DRIVE VOLTAGE
RESULTING IN
G-S VOLTAGE
GATE VOLTAGE
RESULTING IN "OPEN CIRCUIT" GIVING I
THIS VOLTAGE RISING DRIVE PULSE VTH
MORE SLOWLY
RESULTING IN

t0 t1 t2 t4
SLOW RISE OF IS t3

Figure 4. Diagrammatic Representation of Effects Figure 5. Waveforms at Turn-OFF

When Switching-ON

At time, t0, the drive pulse starts to rise. At t0 it reaches the threshold voltage of the HEXFET®s and the drain current starts to
increase. At this point, two things happen which make the gate-source voltage waveform deviate from its original “path”. First,
inductance in series with the source which is common to the gate circuit (“common source inductance”) develops an induced
voltage as a result of the increasing source current. This voltage counteracts the applied gate drive voltage, and slows down the
rate of rise of voltage appearing directly across the gate and source terminals; this in turn slows down the rate of rise of the
source current. This is a negative feedback effect: increasing current in the source produces a counteractive voltage at the gate,
which tends to resist the change of current.

The second factor that influences the gate-source voltage is the so called “Miller” effect. During the period t1 to t2 some voltage
is dropped across “unclamped” stray circuit inductance in series with the drain, and the drain-source voltage starts to fall. The
 AN-937 (v.Int)

decreasing drain-source voltage is reflected across the drain-gate capacitance, pulling a discharge current through it, and
increasing the effective capacitive load on the drive circuit.
This in turn increases the voltage drop across the source impedance of the drive circuit, and decreases the rate of rise of voltage
appearing between the gate and source terminals. Obviously, the lower the impedance of the gate drive circuit, the less this effect
will be. This also is a negative feedback effect; increasing current in the drain results in a fall of drain-to-source voltage, which in
turn slows down the rise of gate-source voltage, and tends to resist the increase of drain current. These effects are illustrated
diagramatically in Figure 4. This state of affairs continues throughout the period t1 to t2, as the current in the HEXFET®rises to
the level of the current, IM, already flowing in the freewheeling rectifier, and it continues into the next period, t2 to t3, when the
freewheeling rectifier goes into reverse recovery.

Finally, at time t3 the freewheeling rectifier starts to support voltage and drain current and voltage start to fall. The rate of fall of
drain voltage is now governed almost exclusively by the Miller effect, and an equilibrium condition is reached, under which the
drain voltage falls at just the rate necessary for the voltage between gate and source terminals to satisfy the level of drain current
estab-lished by the load. This is why the gate-to-source voltage falls as the recovery current of the freewheeling rectifier falls,
then stays constant at a level corresponding to the drain current, while the drain voltage falls. Obviously, the lower the impe-
dance of the gate-drive circuit, the higher the discharge current through the drain-gate self-capacitance, the faster will be the fall
time of the drain voltage and the switching
losses.

Finally, at time t4, the HEXFET®is switched fully

on, and the gate-to-source voltage rises rapidly
towards the applied “open circuit” value.

Similar considerations apply to the turn-off

interval. Figure 5 shows theoretical waveforms
for the HEXFET®in the circuit of Figure 4 during
the turn-off interval. At to the gate drive starts to
fall until, at tl , the gate voltage reaches a level
that just sustains the drain current and the device
enters the linear mode of operation. The drain-to-
source voltage now starts to rise. The Miller
effect governs the rate-of-rise of drain voltage
and holds the gate-to-source voltage at a level
corresponding to the constant drain current.
Once again, the lower the impedance of the drive
circuit, the greater the charging current into the
drain-gate capacitance, and the faster will be the
rise time of the drain voltage. At t3 the rise of A STEP OF VOLTAGE CAUSES
drain voltage is complete, and the gate voltage
and drain current start to fall at a rate determined
by the gate-source circuit impedance. VDS Q1

We have seen how and why a low gate drive

VDS Q2
impedance is important to achieve high
switching performance. However, even when A TRANSIENT
switching performance is of no great concern, it ON THE GATE
is important to minimize the impedance in the
gate drive circuit to clamp unwanted voltage VGS Q1
transients on the gate. With reference to Figure
6, when one HEXFET®is turned on or off, a step VGS Q2
of voltage is applied between drain and source of
the other device on the same leg. This step of
voltage is coupled to the gate through the gate-to- Figure 6. Transients of Voltage Induced on the Gate by Rapid
drain capacitance, and it can be large enough to Changes on the Drain-to-Source Voltage
turn the device on for a short instant (“dv/dt
induced turn-on”). A low gate drive impedance would keep the voltage coupled to the gate below the threshold.
 AN-937 (v.Int)

In summary: MOS-gated transistors should be driven from low impedance (voltage) sources, not only to reduce switching losses,
but to avoid dv/dt induced turn-on and reduce the susceptibility to noise.
4. DRIVING STANDARD HEXFET®S FROM TTL
Table 1 shows the guaranteed sourcing and sinking currents for different TTL families at their respective voltages. From this
table, taking as an example of the 74LS series, it is apparent that, even with a sourcing current as low as 0.4 mA, the guaranteed
logic one voltage is 2.4V (2.7 for 74LS and 74S). This is lower than the possible threshold of a HEXFET ®. The use of a pull-up
resistor in the output, as shown in Figure 7, takes the drive voltage up to 5 V, as necessary to drive the gate of Logic Level
HEXFET®s, but is not sufficient to fully enhance standard HEXFET®s. Section 8 covers the drive characteristics of the logic
level devices in detail.

Logic (54L) / (54LS) /

Conditions 54 / 74 54H / 74H 74L 74LS 74S
Logic Zero
Min. sink current 16mA 20mA 20mA (4) / 8 20mA
for VOL < 0.4V < (0.4V) / < (0.3V) / < (0.4V) /
0.4V 0.5V 0.5V
Logic One
Max. source -0.4mA -0.5mA -0.2mA -0.4mA -1.0mA
current for VOH >2.4V >2.4V >2.4V > (2.5) / >2.7V
2.7V
Typical Gate 10ns 7ns 50ns 12ns 4ns
Propagation Delay
Table 1. Driving HEXFET®s from TTL (Totem Pole Outputs)

Open collector buffers, like the 7406, 7407, etc., possibly with
several drivers connected in parallel as shown in Figure 9, give PULL-UP
enough voltage to drive standard devices into “full RESISTOR VH
enhancement”, i.e. data sheet on-resistance. The impedance of
this drive circuit, however, gives relative long switching times.
Whenever better switching performance is required, interface
circuits should be added to provide fast current sourcing and
TTL LOAD
sinking to the gate capacitances. One simple interface circuit is
(TOTEM POLE)
the complementary source-follower stage shown in Figure 9. To
drive a MOSFET with a gate charge of 60 nC in 60 ns an average
gate current of 1 A has to be supplied by the gate drive circuit, as
indicated in INT-944. The on-resistance of the gate drive
MOSFETs has to be low enough to support the desired switching
times.

With a gate charge of 60 nC and at a switching frequency is

100kHz, the power lost in the gate drive circuit is approximately:

-9 3
P = VGS x QG x f = 12 x 60 x 10 x 100 x 10 = 72mW

The driver devices must be capable of supplying 1A without

significant voltage drop, but hardly any power is dissipated in
them. Figure 7. Direct Drive from TTL Output

5. DRIVING STANDARD HEXFET®S FROM C-MOS

While the same general considerations presented above for TTL would also apply to C-MOS, there are three substantial
differences that should be kept in mind:

1. C-MOS has a more balanced source/sink characteristic that, on a first approximation, can be thought of as a 500 ohm
resistance for operation over 8V and a 1k ohm for operation under 8V (Table 2).
 AN-937 (v.Int)

2. C-MOS can operate from higher supply voltages than 5V so that HEXFET®saturation can be guaranteed.
3. Switching times are longer than those for TTL (Table 2).

VH

12V

680 Ω 680 Ω

IRF320

7407

Figure 8. High Voltage TTL driver and its waveforms

When C-MOS outputs are directly coupled to the gate of

VH
a HEXFET®, the dominant limitation to performance is IRF7307 OR IRF7507
not the switching time, but the internal impedance
(assuming that C-MOS are operated from a 10V or +12V
higher voltage supply). It will certainly not be able to LOAD
turn OFF the HEXFET®as fast as the TTL, while the
turn-ON waveform will be slightly better than what can
be achieved with a 7407 with a 680 ohm pull-up 7 8
1
resistor. Of course, gates can be paralleled in any K
number to lower the impedance and this makes C-MOS 2
a very simple and convenient means of driving 1
HEXFET®s. Drivers can also be used, like the 4049 and INPUT 7407
4050 which have a much higher current sinking 3
capability (Table 2), but they do not yield any significant 4
improvement in current sourcing.

For better switching speeds, buffer circuits, like the one 5 6

shown in Figure 9, should be considered, not only to
provide better current sourcing and sinking capability,
but also to improve over the switching times of the C-
Figure 9. Simple Interface to Drive HEXFETs from TTL
MOS output itself and the dv/dt noise immunity.

6. DRIVING HEXFET®S FROM LINEAR CIRCUITS

The complementary source follower configuration of Figure 9 can also be used in linear applications to improve drive capability
from an opamp or other analog source.

Most operational amplifiers have a very limited slew rate, in the order of few V/microsec. This would limit the bandwidth to less
than 25kHz. A larger bandwidth can be obtained with better operational amplifiers followed by a current booster, like the ones
shown in Figures 10 or 11. For a system bandwidth of 1MHz, the opamp bandwidth must be significantly higher than 1MHz and
its slew rate at least 30V/µs.
 AN-937 (v.Int)

Standard Buffered
Outputs 4049 / 4050 Drivers
Logic Supply Voltage

Logic Conditions 5V 10V 15V 5V 10V 15V

Logic Zero:
Approximate sink current 1.5mA 3.5mA 4mA 20mA 40mA 40mA
for VOL < 1.5V
Logic One: -0.5mA -13mA -3.4mA -1.25mA -1.25mA -3.75mA
Minimum source current for VOH > 4.6V > 9.5V > 13.5V > 2.5V > 9.5V > 13.5V
Typical switching times of logic drive signals:
RISE 100ns 50ns 40ns 100ns 50ns 40ns
FALL 100ns 50ns 40ns 40ns 20ns 15ns
®
Table 2. Driving HEXFET s from C-MOS (Buffered)

When analog signals determine the switching frequency or VH

duty cycle of a HEXFET®, as in PWM applications, a +12V
voltage comparator is normally used to command the
switching. Here, too, the limiting factors are the slew rate of
LOAD
the comparator and its current drive capability. Response IRF7309 OR IRF7509
times under 40ns can be obtained at the price of low output
voltage swing (TTL compatible). Once again, the use of FET 7 8
output buffers like the ones shown in Figures 9, may be INPUT
necessary to improve drive capability and dv/dt immunity. If OP
2
better switching speeds are desired. a fast op-amp should be AMP
1
used. -
INPUTS
® +
In many applications, when the HEXFET is turned on, 4 3
current transfers from a freewheeling diode into the 0.1 µF
HEXFET®. If the switching speed is high and the stray -12V CER
inductances in the diode path are small, this transfer can 5 6
occur in such a short time as to cause a reverse recovery
current in the diode high enough to short out the dc bus. For
this reason, it may be necessary to slow down the turn-on of
the HEXFET®while leaving the turn-off as fast as practical. Figure 10. Dual Supply Op-Amp Drive Circuit
Low impedance pulse shaping circuits can be used for this
purpose, like the ones in Figures 12 and 13.
VH
+12V

7. DRIVE CIRCUITS NOT

LOAD
REFERENCED TO GROUND IRF7307 OR IRF7507

To drive a HEXFET®into saturation, an appropriate voltage 7 8

FET
must be applied between the gate and source. If the load is INPUT
connected between source and ground, and the drive voltage is OP AMP. 2
applied between gate and ground, the effective voltage between 2 1
gate and source decreases as the device turns on. An equilibrium -
CA3103
point is reached in which the amount of current flowing in the +
3 3
load is such that the voltage between gate and source maintains 4
that amount of drain current and no more. Under these 0.1 µF
conditions the voltage drop across the MOSFET is certainly CER
higher than the threshold voltage and the power dissipation can 5 6
be very high. For this reason, the gate drive circuit is normally
referenced to the source rather than to the ground. There are
Figure 11. Single Supply Op-Amp Drive Circuit
(Voltage Follower)
 AN-937 (v.Int)

basically three ways of developing a gate drive signal that is referenced to a floating point:

1. By means of optically coupled isolators.

2. By means of pulse transformers.

By means of DC to DC chopper circuits with transformer isolation.

INPUT PULSE VH
+12V
T = RC
WITH DIODE
CONNECTED
AS SHOWN LOAD

IRF7307 OR IRF7507
4.7K 7 8
8
INPUT
2 4 2
555 1

6 3
4 3
1 R

5 6

Figure 12. A pulse shaper. The 555 is used as an illustration of a Schmitt Trigger pulse shaper

7.1 MGDs with optocouplers VINPUT VH

Most optocouplers require a separate V +12V

SLOPE OF V/SEC
RC
supply grounded to the source on the
WITH DIODE
receiving end of the optical link and CONNECTED LOAD
a booster stage at the output, as AS SHOWN C
shown in Figure 14a. One of the
major difficulties encountered in the 7 8
use of optocouplers is their
susceptibility to noise. This is of 2
particular relevance in applications R 1
where high currents are being -
CA3103
switched rapidly. Because of the INPUT +
dv/dt seen by the VEE pin, the 4 3

optocoupler needs to be rated for

C
high dv/dt, in the order of 10 V/ns.
5 6
Figure 15a shows an MGD with
under-voltage lockout and negative
gate bias. When powered with a 19
V floating source, the gate drive Figure 13. Pulse shaper implemented with an integrator
voltage swings between +15V and -
3.9V. D1 and R2 offset the emitter voltage by 3.9V. The switching waveforms shown in Figure 15b are similar to those in Figure
14b except for the negative bias. Q3, D2 and R5 form the under voltage lockout circuit.

The LED D2 is used as low voltage, low current reference diode. Q3 turns on when the voltage at the anode of D2 exceeds the
sum of the forward voltage of LED and the base-emitter voltage of Q3. This enables the operation of the optocoupler. The
tripping point of the under voltage lock-out circuit is 17.5V. The start-up wave forms are shown in Figure 16.
 AN-937 (v.Int)

IRF7307 OR IRF7507
BATT1
7 8 15V

2
1
GATE
ISO1
R1 2 8 3
A VCC 4
3.3k + C2
OUT
7
10
6 C1
EN
0.1 5 6
3 C VEE 5
EMITTER
3.9V

Figure 14a. Simple high current optoisolated driver

The auxiliary supply for the optocoupler and its associated circuitry can be developed from the drain voltage of the MOSFET
itself, as shown in Figure 17, 18 and 19. This supply can be used in conjunction with the UV-lockout shown in Figure 15 to
provide a simple high-quality optoisolated drive.

The circuit in Figure 17a can be modified to provide higher

output current. By changing C1 to 680pF and R3 to 5.6k, its
performance changes to what is shown in Figures 20, 21 and
22. Other methods of developing isolated supplies are discussed Input: 5V/div
in Section 9.

7.2 Pulse transformers

A pulse transformer is, in principle, a simple, reliable and

highly noise-immune method of providing isolated gate drive. Output : 5V/div
Unfortunately it has many limitations that must be overcome
with additional components. A transformer can only transfer to
the secondary the AC component of the input signal. Horiz: 500ns/div
Consequently, their output voltage swings from negative to
Figure 14b: Waveforms associated with the
positive by an amount that changes with the duty cycle, as
circuit of Figure 14a when loaded with 100nF
shown in Figure 23. As a stand-alone component they can be
used for duty cycles between 35 and 65%.

IRF7309 OR IRF7509
BATT1
7 8 19V
R3 R5
10k 4.7K
2
1
D2 GATE
ISO1 LED C2
R1 2 8 3 10
IN+ A VCC Q3 4
3.3k R5 EMITTER
7
OUT 1K
R4 D1
6 C1 C3
EN 1K 3.9V
0.1 5 6 10
3 C VEE 5
IN-
HCPL2200 2N2222 3.9V
UNDERVOLTAGE OUTPUT SINGLE TO SPLIT
LOCK-OUT BUFFER POWER SUPPLY

Figure 15a: Optoisolated driver with UV lockout and negative gate bias
 AN-937 (v.Int)

VBATT1 5V/div
Input: 5V/div

Output: 5V/div

Output : 5V/div

Horiz: 500ns/div FILE: 01A-POL.DAT

Figure 15b: Waveforms of the circuit in Figure 21a Horiz: 20ms/div File: 01-UV.dat
when loaded with 100nF Figure 16. Start-up waveforms for the
circuit of Figure 15a.

Gate Voltage: 10V/div

VCC(300V)
D2
Q1 R2 C1 1N4148 R3
IRF840 +15V
100 Q1 drain voltage: 200V/div
R1 D1 C2 D3
DRIVE 1N4148 0.1 15V
10
DRVRTN 15VRTN
Q2
IRF840
R4
G2
R
C2 ripple voltage: 0.5V/div
µs/div
Horiz: 5µ File: GPS-1.plt
Figure 17a. Drive supply developed from the drain voltage Figure 17b. Waveforms of the circuit in Figure
23a.C1 = 100 pF, R3 = 5.6 k, f = 50 kHz

3
Zener Current (mA)

2
C2 voltage: 5V/div.

0
20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Frequency (kHz)
Horiz.: 500µµs/div File: GPS-3.PLT
Figure 18. Zener current (max output current) Figure 19. Start-up voltage at 50 kHz
for the circuit in Figure 23a. for the circuit in Figure 23a.
 AN-937 (v.Int)

They have the additional advantage of providing a negative gate bias. One additional limitation of pulse transformers is the fact
that the gate drive impedance is seriously degraded by the leakage inductance of the transformer. Best results are normally
obtained with a few turns of twisted AWG30 wire-wrap wire on a small ferrite core.

Lower gate drive impedance and a wider duty-cycle range can be obtained with the circuit in Figure 24a. In this circuit, Q1 and
Q2 (a single Micro-8 package) are used to buffer the input and drive the primary of the transformer. The complementary MOS
output stage insures low output impedance and performs wave shaping. The output stage is fed by a dc restorer made by C2 and
D1 that references the signal to the positive rail. D1 and D2 are also used to generate the gate drive voltage.

The input and output wave form with 1nF load capacitance are shown in Figure 24b. The turn-on and turn-off delays are 50ns.
The rise and fall times are determined by the 10 Ohm resistor and the capacitive load. This circuit will operate reliably between
20 and 500 kHz, with on/off times from 0.5 to 15 microsecs.

20

Gate voltage: 10V/div.

Zener Current (mA)

Drain voltage: 200V/div.
10

C2 ripple voltage: 1V/div

0
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
µs/div
Horiz: 2µ File: gps-4.plt Frequency (kHz)
Figure 20. Waveforms of the circuit in Figure 21. Zener current (max output current)
Figure 23a. with C1=680pF, R3=1k, for the circuit in Figure 23a.
f=100kHz. with C1 = 680pF, R3 = 1k

C2 voltage: 5V/div

VGS 0

Figure 23. Volt-seconds across

winding must balance
µs/div.
Horiz: 100µ File: GPS-6.plt
Figure 22. Start-up voltage at 100 kHz for the
circuit in Figure 23a. with C1=680pF, R3=R3=1k

Due to the lack of an under voltage lock-out feature, the power-up and power down behavior of the circuit is important.
Intentionally C1 and C2 are much bigger in value then C3 so that the voltage across C3 rises to an adequate level during the first
incoming pulse. The power-up wave forms at 50kHz switching frequency and 50% duty cycle are shown in Figure 25. During
the first pulse, the output voltage is 10V only, and drops back below 10V at the fifth pulse.
 AN-937 (v.Int)

+12V D1
1
8 Q1 IN4148 2
IR7509

2 3
1 R2
Q3
C1 C2 G
T1 10
IN R3
1 1
4 3 Q4 10
3
1n
C4 R1 LOAD
Q2 D2 1 2 0.1
IR7509 100K
5 6
E
12VRTN
IN4148 IRFL014 OR IRFD014
T1: CORE: 331X1853E2A A1=2600 (PHILIPS, OD=0.625", Ae=0.153CM^2)
PRIMARY: 17T, SEC.: 27T

Figure 24a. Improving the performance of a gate drive transformer

Input: 5V/div.

Output: 5V/div.

Figure 24b. Waveforms associated with the circuit µS/div.

HORIZ: 50µ FILE: X2-START.PLT
of Figure 24a
Figure 25. Waveforms during start-up for the circuit in
Figure 24a.

+12V
7 8
R3 D5
8.2K C
2
11DF6
1 U2
C1 1 VB 8 R2
VCC
INPUT T1 1K
2 7
IN HO G
3 0.47
4 3 6
FAULT CS
C2 4 5
COM VS
C1
R4 C5
0.1 1 IR2127/8 220
5 6 10n
D4
11DQ04
12VRTN E
100K
T1: CORE: 331X185 3E2A, A1=2600 (OD=0.625", Ae=0.153 CM^2)
PRIMARY: 17T, AWG 28 SEC: 27T, AWG 28

Figure 26a. Transformer-coupled MGD with UV lockout and short-circuit protection

 AN-937 (v.Int)

The power down of the circuit is smooth and free from voltage spikes. When the pulse train is interrupted at the input, the C2
capacitor keeps the input of the CMOS inverter high and R1 discharges C3. By the time the input to the CMOS inverter drops
below the threshold voltage of Q4, C3 is completely discharged the output remains low.

The addition of a MOS-Gate Driver IC improves the performance of the circuit in Figure 24a, at the expenses of prop delay. The
circuit shown in Figure 26a has the following features:

- No secondary supply required

- Propagation delay ~500ns (CL= 10nF)
- Duty cycle range 5% to 85%
- Nominal operating frequency 50kHz (20kHz to 100kHz)
- Short circuit protection with Vce sensing. Threshold Vce = 7.5V
- Undervoltage lock-out at Vcc = 9.5V
- Over voltage lock out at Vcc = 20V

Input: 5V/div.

Input: 2V/div.
Output: 5V/div.

Output: 5V/div.
IR2121 ERR pin: 5V/div.

Horiz.: 500ns/div.
µs/div.
Horiz: 1µ FILE: X1-ERR.PLT
Figure 26b. Waveforms associated with the
Figure 27. Shutdown due to high VCEsat
circuit of Figure 26a.

The short circuit protection is implemented with a Vce sensing circuit in combination with the current sense input (CS) of
IR2127/8. When the HO pin if U2 goes high R3 starts charging C5. Meanwhile the IGBT turns on, the collector voltage drops to
the saturation level, D5 goes into conduction and C5 discharges. When the collector voltage is high, D5 is reverse biased and the
voltage on C5 keeps raising. When C5 voltage exceeds 250mV the IR2127/8 shuts down the output. The fault to shut-down
delay is approximately 2 microsecs.

For operation with a large duty cycle, several options are available. The circuits described in AN-950 use a saturating transformer
to transfer the drive charge to the gate. The circuit shown in Figure 28a, on the other hand, achieves operation over a wide range
of duty cycles by using the MGD as a latch. It has the following features:

- Frequency range from DC to 900kHz.

- Turn-on delay: 250ns.
- Turn-off delay 200ns
- Duty cycle range from 1% to 99% at 100kHz.
- Under voltage and over voltage lockout.
- Optional short circuit protection, as shown in Figure 26a

In the circuit of Figure 28a the transformer is small (8 turns), since it transmits only short pulses to the secondary side. The
MGD on the secondary side of the transformer is latched by the feedback resistor R4. Figures 28b and 28c show the performance
of this circuit at the two extremes of 900 kHz and 2.5 Hz
 AN-937 (v.Int)

IRF7509 OR IRF7309
+12V
7 8 R4 18K
+15V
C1
2 U1
1 1 VB 8
VCC
1 R2 R5 18K
C2 2 7
T1 IN HO G
IN
4.7K 3 CS
6
1nF ERR
4 3 4 5
R3 VSS VS C3 E
R1 18K 1 15VRTN
IR2121
560
5 6
12VRTN
TRANSFORMER: CORE: 266CT125-3E2A, (OD=0.325", Ae=0.072cm,^2, A1=2135)
PRIMARY: 8T, AWG 28 SEC: 8T, AWG 28

Figure 28a. Transformer-coupled MGD for operation from DC to 900 kHz

Input: 5V/div.
Input: 2V/div.

Output: 10V/div.

Reference 60Hz: 10V/div.

Output: 25.ns/div.

Horiz.: 25.ns/div. File: XP-900K.PLT

Horiz: 50ms/div. File: XP-2P5HZ.PLT
Figure 28b. Waveforms associated with the Figure 28c. Waveforms associated with the circuit
circuit of Figure 28a operated at 900 kHz of Figure 28a operated at 2.5 Hz

7.2 Chopping gate drives

Chopper circuits can maintain a gate drive signal for an indefinite period of time, have good noise immunity performance and,
with some additional circuitry, the isolated supply can be avoided.

The basic operating principle is shown in Figure 29. To turn on the MOSFET, a burst of high frequency is transmitted to the
secondary side. The MOSFET is turned off by interrupting the high frequency. The diode and the bipolar transistor form a
crowbar that rapidly discharges the gate.

In addition to providing the gate drive signal, the high frequency transformer is frequently used to power auxiliary circuitry, like
short-circuit protection, thus avoiding a dedicated supply.

8. DRIVE REQUIREMENTS AND SWITCHING CHARACTERISTICS OF

LOGIC LEVEL HEXFET®S
Many applications require a power MOSFET to be driven directly from 5 V logic circuitry. The on-resistance of standard power
MOSFETs is specified at 10 V gate drive, and are generally not suitable for direct interfacing to 5V logic unless an oversized
MOSFET is employed.
 AN-937 (v.Int)

Logic level HEXFET®s are specifically designed for operation from 5V logic and have guaranteed on-resistance at 5 or 4.5 V
gate voltage. Some have guaranteed on-resistance at 2.7 V.

Some important considerations for driving logic level HEXFET®s are discussed in this section and typical switching performance
of these is illustrated when driven by some common logic drive circuits.

8.1 Comparison to Standard HEXFET®s

Some devices are available as Logic-level HEXFET®s as well as standard HEXFET®s. The logic-level version uses a thinner gate
oxide and different doping concentrations. This has the following effects on the input characteristics:

• Gate Threshold voltage is lower.

• Transconductance is higher.
• Input capacitance is higher.
• Gate-source breakdown voltage is lower.

While input characteristics are different, reverse transfer capacitance, on-resistance, drain-source breakdown voltage, avalanche
energy rating, and output capacitance are all essentially the same. Table 3 summarizes the essential comparisons between
standard and logic level HEXFET®s.

Characteristics and Ratings Standard HEXFET® Comparable Logic Level HEXFET®

(IRF Series) (IRL Series)
Gate Threshold Voltage VGS(on) 2 - 4V 1 - 2V
®
Logic level HEXFET has same value of RDS(on)
On-Resistance RDS(on) VGS = 5V as standard HEXFET®at VGS = 10V
®
RDS(on) of logic level HEXFET also speed at VGS = 4V
Transconductance gfs Typically 39% larger for logic level HEXFET®
Input Capacitance Crs Typically 33% larger for logic level HEXFET®
Output Capacitance Crss Essentially the same
Reverse Transfer Capacitance Crss Essentially the same
Gate Charge
Gate-Source Qgs Essentially the same
Gate-Drain Qgd Essentially the same
Total Qg Essentially same as Essentially same at
VGS = 10V VGS = 5V
Drain Source Breakdown BVDSS Same
Voltage
Continuous Drain Current ID Same
Single Pulse Avalanche Energy EAS Same
Max. Gate-Source Voltage VGS + 20V +10V
Table 3: Essential Comparisons of Standard and Logic Level HEXFET®s

The gate charge for full enhancement of the logic level HEXFET®is, however, about the same as for a standard
HEXFET®because the higher input capacitance is counteracted by lower threshold voltage and higher transconductance. Since
the logic level HEXFET®needs only one half the gate voltage, the drive energy is only about one half of that needed for the
standard HEXFET®. Since the gate voltage is halved, the gate drive resistance needed to deliver the gate charge in a given time
is also halved, relative to a standard HEXFET®. In other words, for the same switching speed as a standard HEXFET®power
MOSFET, the drive circuit impedance for the logic level HEXFET®must be approximately halved.

The equivalence of switching times at one half the gate resistance for the logic level HEXFET®is illustrated by the typical
switching times for the IRL540 and the IRF540 HEXFET®s shown in Table 4, using data sheet test conditions.
 AN-937 (v.Int)

Gate Resistance Gate Voltage Drain Current Typical Values (ns)

RG VGS ID tD on tr tD on tr
Ω)
(Ω (V) (A)
9 10 28 15 72 40 50
4.5 5 28 15 72 44 56
Table 4: Typical Resistive Switching Times for IRL540 and IRF540

TTL families do not actually deliver 5V in their VOH condition, even into an open circuit. The 5V level can, however, be reached
by the addition of a pull-up resistor from the output pin to the 5V bus, as illustrated in Figure 30. Without the pull-up resistor,
the RDS(on) value at VGS = 5V may not be attained, and the value specified at VGS = 4V should be used for worst case design.

15 V
CONTROL
+5V
INPUT

4 8 LOAD
7 3
555
2 470
8 5 LOAD
LOGIC
INPUTS

RET

Figure 30. Pull-up resistor used

to deliver 5V gate drive
Figure 29.

8.2 Driving Logic Level HEXFET®s

The gate threshold voltage of MOSFETs decreases with temperature. At high temperature it can approach the VOL(max)
specification of the logic driver. Care should be exercised to insure that VTH(min) at the highest operating temperature is greater
than VOL(max) of the various logic families in order to guarantee complete turn off.

+VDD +VDD

RL RL
D D
LD LD

DRIVE
R1 G R1 G

LS LS

S S
LW
LW
SIG. RET. RET. SIG. RET. RET.

Figure 31a. High common mode inductance Figure 31b. Minimum common mode
inductance
 AN-937 (v.Int)

Common source inductance plays a significant role in switching performance. In the circuit of Figure 31a the switching
performance is degraded due to the fact that VGS is reduced by (LS + LW) di/dt, where di/dt is the rate of change of the drain
current. By eliminating LW from the drive circuit, VGS can approach the applied drive voltage because only LS (the internal
source inductance) is common.

This can be done by separately connecting the power return and the drive signal return to the source pin of the switching
HEXFET®, as shown in Figure 31b. Thus, the load current ID does not flow through any of the external wiring of the drive
circuit; consequently, only the internal source inductance LS is common to both load and drive circuits.

In the case of logic level HEXFET®s, for which VGS is 5V and not 10V, the loss of drive voltage due to common mode
inductance has proportionately twice the effect as it would on a 10V drive signal, even though actual values of LS and LW are the
same.

8.3 Resistive Switching Tests

In the following tests of switching performance, the physical layout of the test circuit was carefully executed so to minimize the
common source inductance. The following precautions were also observed:

1. RL was built by paralleling 0.5W resistors to achieve the desired load resistance (see Table 5).
2. To minimize inductance in the load circuit, a 10 µF low-ESR low-ESL capacitor was connected directly from +VDD to the
source of the DUT.
3. To provide a low source impedance for the 5V gate pulse of the DUT, a 0.1 µF low-ESR low-ESL capacitor was connected
directly between pin 14 and pin 7 of the driver IC.
4. To provide minimum common source impedance, the source of the DUT was the common return point of all ac and dc
system grounds.
5. To reduce stray inductances and thus achieve maximum switching speeds, the physical size of the high current loop (RL,
DUT, 10 µF) was reduced to the smallest practical limits.

+5V +VDD = 0.5 BVDSS

RL SCOPE
15
DUT
+5V
0 SIG. GEN. 1
3
VSS 2

0.1pF 0.1pF
50 Ω
7, 4, 5, 9
10, 12, 13

Figure 32. Switching test circuit. Logic level driver is one-quarter of a quad
NAND gate.

Only the 5 volt families have been tested as logic level HEXFET®drives: bipolar and CMOS (and their derivatives), as indicated
below.

TTL GATES

DM7400N: Standard TTL

74F00PC: High Speed TTL
DM74S00N: Schottky TTL
DM74LS00N: Low Power Schottky TTL
DM74AS00N: Advanced Schottky TTL
 AN-937 (v.Int)

CMOS GATES

74AC00PC: Advanced CMOS

74ACT00PC: TTL Compatible CMOS
MM74HC00N: Micro CMOS
MM74HCT00N: TTL Compatible Micro CMOS

BIPOLAR
DS0026: High Speed MOSFET Driver

The test conditions for the resistive switching performance is shown in Table 5. The resistive switching times obtained with the
above TTL and CMOS gates are tabulated in Table 6. In this table ton = Time in microseconds from 90% to 10% VDD and toff =
Time in microseconds from 10% to 90% VDD. Inductive switching gives faster voltage rise times than resistive switching due to
the resonant charging of the output capacitance of the device. Voltage fall times are essentially the same.

LOGIC LEVEL SWITCHING SWITCHING CURRENT RDSON RL

HEXFET® VOLTAGE (A) Ω)
(Ω Ω)
(Ω
(V)
IRLZ14 30 8 0.24 3.25
IRLZ24 30 16 0.12 1.5
IRLZ34 30 24 0.06 1.2
IRLZ44 30 40 0.034 0.7
IRLZ514 50 5 0.60 9.5
IRLZ524 50 8 0.30 5.9
IRLZ524 50 12 0.18 4.0
IRLZ544 50 25 0.085 1.9
Table 5. Resistive Switching Conditions

Logic Family Logic Level HEXFET®,

Quad, Dual Input IRLZ14 IRLZ24 IRLZ34 IRLZ44 IRL514 IRL524 IRL534 IRL544
Nand Gate ton toff ton toff ton toff ton toff ton toff ton toff ton toff ton toff
DM7400N
STANDARD TTL 0.173 0.018 0.663 0.026 0.700 0.076 1.491 0.146 0.151 0.022 0.238 0.041 0.263 0.060 0.616 0.124
7400FDOPC
HIGH SPEED TTL 0.124 0.008 0.490 0.013 0.429 0.068 0.863 0.146 0.104 0.004 0.159 0.034 0.176 0.059 0.372 0.136
DM7400
SCHOTTKY TTL 0.133 0.092 0.549 0.020 0.503 0.032 1.068 0.142 0.116 0.006 0.183 0.041 0.212 0.057 0.441 0.132
DM74LS
LOW POWER SCHOTTKY TTL 0.174 0.038 0.778 0.093 0.706 0.146 1.438 0.342 0.155 0.040 0.240 0.062 0.267 0.090 0.567 0.199
DM4SDON
ADVANCED SCHOTTKY TTL 0.126 0.008 0.567 0.013 0.446 0.023 0.896 0.149 0.111 0.005 0.161 0.127 0.176 0.058 0.336 0.130
74ACOOPC
ADVANCED CMOS 0.012 0.007 0.120 0.012 0.125 0.027 0.251 0.139 0.036 0.004 0.052 0.028 0.066 0.055 0.125 0.125
74ACTOOPC
TTL COMPATIBLE CMOS 0.012 0.006 0.121 0.011 0.125 0.016 0.233 0.127 0.033 0.044 0.052 0.027 0.060 0.055 0.120 0.122
MM74CHCOON
MICRO CMOS 0.066 0.039 0.179 0.091 0.227 0.147 0.508 0.328 0.058 0.044 0.092 0.068 0.111 0.096 0.232 0.213
MM74HCTCO4
TTL COMPATIBLE MICRO CMOS 0.066 0.030 0.179 0.060 0.227 0.123 0.504 0.269 0.068 0.035 0.092 0.051 0.111 0.086 0.232 0.186
DS0026
HIGH SPEED MOSFET DRIVER 0.052 0.005 0.016 0.005 0.014 0.007 0.032 0.016 0.021 0.004 0.036 0.004 0.036 0.005 0.029 0.009

Table 6. Results of the resistive load switching test

Typical Test Oscillograms

IRLZ24: 60V, 0.1 Ohm, N-Channel, TO-220 logic level HEXFET®was driven by each of the logic families listed in Table 4 and
the comparative resistive switching times photographed.
 AN-937 (v.Int)

9. SIMPLE AND INEXPENSIVE METHODS TO GENERATE ISOLATED

GATE DRIVE SUPPLIES
.
In several applications, dc-to-dc converters are used to power the MOS Gate Driver. Although the gate drive requires little
power, the noisy environment, the isolation voltage and creepage distance requirements and the high dv/dt between the primary
and secondary size make the design of the DC-to-DC converter somewhat complicated. Its key parameters are listed below:
OUTPUT VOLTAGE, CURRENT. The output voltage of the DC-to-DC converter is the sum of the positive and negative drive
voltage to the gate. The load current required from the DC-to-DC converter is the sum of the current consumption of the drive
circuit and the average drive current to the gate.

dv/dt CAPABILITY. When the DC-

4X
DC converter powers a high side IN4148 V0
+12V
switch, the secondary side of the T1
12K 1N4148 µF
1µ
converter is connected to the output of
the power circuit. The rapid change of
20K
high voltage at the output of power µF
1µ
IRFD110
circuit stresses the isolation of the RL
5 13 11 100
transformer and injects noise to the 4
6 12
primary side of the transformer.
Switching noise at the primary side 1n CD4093
disturbs the operation of the converter 12V
and the control circuit for the power RTN f = 100kHz
stage, causing false triggering and T1 TRANSFORMER: DORE: PHILIPS 240XT250-3EA2 TOROID
shoot-through. Therefore a (OD = 0.75", Ae=0.148CM^2, AI=3000)
transformer with high voltage PRIMARY: 14 TURNS, AWG 30 TEFLON INSULATED WIRE
isolation, appropriate creepage
SECONDARY: 24 TURNS, AWG 30 TEFLON INSULATED WIRE
distances and low winding-to-
winding capacitance is required in this Figure 33a. 100 kHz Forward converter
application.

SMALL SIZE. To reduce the interwinding capacitances the transformer must be made small. This implies operation at high
frequency. Small size and compact layout help reducing the EMI and RFI generated by the converter. Figure 33a shows a
forward converter made with two CD4093 gates to generate the clock and drive the MOSFET. Energy as transferred to the
secondary when the MOSFET is on, in about 33% of the cycle. When the MOSFET is off, the secondary winding is used to
demagnetize the transformer and transfer the magnetizing energy to the load, thus eliminating the need for a demagnetizing
winding. The switching waveforms are shown in Figure 33b. The ringing in the drain voltage during the fly-back period is due to
the loose coupling between the primary and the secondary windings. The load current vs. output voltage characteristic of the
circuit is shown in Figure 34. When the output current falls below 5 mA, the circuit works as flyback converter because the
demagnetizing current flows through the output. A minimum load of 5mA is required to limit the output voltage at 15V.

35
Drain voltage: 10V/div.

30
Output Voltage (V)

25

20

15

10
Gate voltage: 5V/div. 0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Load current (mA)
µs/div.
Horiz: 2µ

Figure 33b. Waveforms associated with the Figure 34. Load current vs. output voltage at 100 kHz,
circuit in Figure 33a Rout = 27.7 Ohms
 AN-937 (v.Int)

If the converter is loaded with a

constant and predictable load, a zener 4X
+12V IN4148 V0
can provide the necessary regulation.
1 14 T1
Otherwise a three-terminal regulator 1K 1N4148 3 µF
1µ
or a small zener-driven MOSFET may 2
be necessary. 6K 9 IRFD110
10 µF
1µ
The circuit in Figure 35a is similar to 8
100 RL
the previous one, except that the 5 13
4 11
higher switching frequency is higher 6 12
(500 kHz) and the transformer is 220p f = 500kHz
smaller. The remaining three gates in CD4093 7
the package are connected in parallel 12V
RTN
to drive the MOSFET and reduce the
switching losses. The switching T1: CORE: PHILIPS 266CT125-3E2A (od=0.375", Ae=0.072CM^2, AL=2135
waveforms are shown in Figure 35b.
PRIMARY: 4T, AWG 30, SECONDARY: 7T, AWG30
The output resistance (Rout) of this
circuit is higher than the circuit shown Figure 35a. 500 kHz Forward converter
in Figure 33a, mainly because the
stray inductance of the smaller transformer is higher and the effects of the stray inductance are higher. Figure 37a shows a push-
pull operated at 500 kHz. The single gate oscillator produces a 50% duty cycle output, while the remaining gates in the package
are used to drive the push-pull output stage. The primary of the transformer sees half the voltage compared to the previous
circuit, therefore the number of turns at the primary were reduced to half.
30
Drain Voltage: 10V/div.

25
Output voltage (V)

20

15

Gate voltage: 5V/div. 10

Horiz.: 250ns/div. 0 10 20 30 40 50
Figure 35b. Waveforms associated with the Load current (mA)

circuit in Figure 35a Figure 36. Load current vs. output voltage,
Rout = 27.7 Ohms

10. PHOTOVOLTAIC GENERATORS AS GATE DRIVERS

A photovoltaic generator is a solid state power supply powered by light, normally an LED. The combination of the LED and the
photovoltaic generator in one package is called a Photovoltaic Isolator or PVI and is available in a 8-pin DIP package. As a
voltage source, the PVI can function as a “dc transformer” by providing an isolated low current to a load. While an optoisolator
requires a bias supply to transmit a signal across a galvanic barrier, the PVI actually transmits the energy across the barrier.
More information on the PVI can be found in Application Note GBAN-PVI-1 which appears in the Microelectronic Relay
Designer’ s Manual. This data book also contains the data sheet for the photovoltaic isolator, the PVI1050. A circuit is also
provided in the AN to significantly speed up turn off of the switch. As a gate driver the PVI has significant limitations: its short
circuit current is in the order of 30 microA with a very high internal impedance. Its simplicity, however, makes it appealing in
solid-state relay replacements, where switching times are not important and switching transients are not present.

A typical application is the ac switch described below. The IGBT and the power MOSFET are not suited to switching AC
waveforms directly. The IGBT can only conduct current in one direction while the power MOSFET has an anti-parallel diode
that will conduct during every negative half-cycle. Bidirectional blocking capability can be achieved by connecting two power
MOSFETs source to source, or two IGBTs with anti-parallel diodes emitter to emitter, as shown in Figure 39.
 AN-937 (v.Int)

In the case of the MOSFET, there is the possibility that, for low current levels, the current flows through both MOSFET
channels, instead that one MOSFETs and diode, thereby achieving lower overall voltage drop. The MOSFET channel is a
bidirectional switch, that is, it can conduct current in the reverse direction.

If the voltage across the MOSFET

channel is less than the VF of the +12V
7, 8
1N4148 V0
intrinsic diode (which typically has a 1 14
3 µF
1µ
10K
higher VF than discrete diodes), then 2 2 100nF
the majority of the current will flow 9 10
100nF
T1
5 1
through the MOSFET channel 4 8 3 µF
1µ RL
6 100 4 7T
instead of the intrinsic diode. The 13 11
IRF7307 2T
gate drive for both the MOSFETs and CD4093 12
IGBTs must be referenced to the 220p 7 f = 500kHz
12V 5, 6
common sources or emitters of the RTN 1N4148
devices. Since this node will be
swinging with the AC waveform, an T1: CORE: PHILIPS 266CT125-3E2A (od=0.375", Ae=0.072CM^2, AL=2135
isolated drive is necessary. The PVI PRIMARY: 4T, AWG 30, SECONDARY: 7T, AWG30
can be used, as shown in Figure 40. Figure 37a. 500 kHz Forward converter

11. RESONANT GATE DRIVE TECHNIQUES

As indicated in Section 14, gate drive losses in hard switching are
equal to Qgs x Vgs x f. An IRF630 operated at 10 Mhz with a
gate voltage of 12 V would have gate drive losses of 3.6 W,
independent from the value of the gate drive resistor. Clearly, to
Buffer input: 5V/div.
achieve hard switching at this frequency, the resistance of the gate
drive circuit is limited to whatever is associated with the internal
impedance of the driver and with the gate structure of the device
itself. Furthermore, the stray inductance of the gate drive circuit
must be limited to tens of nH. The design and layout of such a Buffer Output: 5V/div.
circuit is not an easy task.

An alternative method to drive the gate in such an application is

to design a resonant circuit that makes use of the gate capacitance
and stray inductance as its reactive components, adding whatever
inductance is necessary to achieve resonance at the desired
Horiz.: 500ns/div
frequency. This method can reduce the peak of the gate drive
current and losses in half, while simplifying the design of the gate Figure 37b. Waveforms associated with the circuit in Figure 37a
drive circuit itself. Since the gate charge is not dissipated at every
switching transition, but stored in a reactive component, the gate
drive losses are proportional to the resistance of the gate drive 20
circuit, rather than being independent from it. More information
19
on this gate drive method can be found in an article by El-
Hamamsy: Design of High-Efficiency RF Class-D Power 18
Amplifier and in references at the end of this article (IEEE
Transactions on Power Electronics, May 1994, page 297). 17

16
Related Topics
15
MOS-Gate Driver Ics 14
Transformer drive with wide duty cycle capability
Gate Charge 13
Three-phase MOS-Gate Driver 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Photovoltaic Isolators (PVI)
Figure 38. Load current vs. output voltage,
Rout=27.7 Ohms
 Application Note AN-1012

Mounting Considerations For International Rectifier’s Power

Semiconductor Packages

by Pamela Dugdale and Arthur Woodworth, International Rectifier

Introduction The physical source of the contact resistance is a

result of the fact that surfaces are never perfectly
It is important that power semiconductors are flat. The recommended flatness for the mounting
correctly mounted if full functionality is to be surface is 0.02mm in 10mm. Particular attention
achieved. Incorrect mounting may lead to both should be paid to ensuring that no damage occurs
thermal and mechanical problems. The aim of during the manufacture of mo unting holes. Even
this Application Note is to describe good practise for two well-prepared surfaces contact only
in the mounting of power semiconductors. actually occurs at several points separated by
large air gaps. This is shown in Figure 1. As air
is a very good thermal insulator this is
Making Good Thermal Contact undesirable and increases the thermal resistance.
There are two ways of reducing the volume of air
One of the major considerations when mounting trapped between the surfaces. One is to increase
all power semiconductor packages is the the force holding the two surfaces together and
dissipation of heat. This is because the junction the other is to improve the quality of the contact
temperature of the die and the glass transition area by filling in the gaps. In the case of the
temperature of the plastic limit the performance former this can be done by either applying a
of the device. Indeed there are maximum force above the die with a clip or by increasing
allowable temperatures above which the device the torque on the screw, which mounts the tab to
functionality cannot be guaranteed. The way in the heatsink. The way in which the thermal
which a device is mounted can have a large resistance varies as a function of the torque on
effect on the thermal contact between the header the mounting screw or the clip force is shown in
and the heat sink and hence on the ability of the Figs. 2 and 3. Over tightening the mounting
package to dissipate heat. This is often referred screw may lead to deformation of the
to as the contact thermal resistance and is quoted semiconductor package and hence an increase in
in datasheets. A full discussion of all of the the thermal resistance. This is shown in Fig. 2
components that make up the thermal resistance which gives the thermal resistance as a function
of a power semiconductor package is given in of torque for the PowIRtab™, showing a
International Rectifier Application Note AN-997 minimum at 1.1Nm for dry mounting and 0.8Nm
“Mounting Guidelines for the Super-247”. In the for wet mounting. Other package types behave in
present note we shall concentrate on the thermal a similar way. Details of how to correctly mount
resistance between the case and the heat sink as down a semiconductor to avoid this and other
this is the most dependent on the mounting problems are given in this application note.
technique.

Package Case
Air Gap

Heatsink

Figure 1. Cross section showing the source of

the thermal contact resistance between a
package case and the heat sink.

1
 Application Note AN-1012

as it is slowly torqued or clip mounted to the heat

sink. Excess compound should be carefully

Thermal Resistance C/W

removed.
1.5 Dry Mounting An alternative to grease is the use of thermally
1 conductive pads. These are conformal under
pressure and tend to fill the air voids in the same
0.5 With Heatsink Compound way as grease. The main advantage of this
approach is the ease of handling, however as
0 many of these pads are silicone based the
0 0.5 1 1.5 thermal resistance of this solution tends to be
higher than it would be if grease were used. In
Torque / Nm addition to this, the silicone pads provide
electrical is olation, which can be either an
Figure 2. Contact thermal resistance as a advantage or disadvantage depending on the
function of mounting screw torque for a specific application. An alternative approach is
PowIRtab™ package mounted to a heat sink to use a phase change material. These materials
showing both dry mounting and mounting using are solid until they are heated to temperatures in
heat sink compound. the range 50o C to 60o C at which point they start
to flow, filling the air gaps. Such materials are
available on their own or as coatings on silicone
Thermal Resistance C/W

or other thermally conductive pads. For the case

when electrical isolation is not required, the
1.5
phase change material is available as a thin
Dry Mounting coating on aluminium foil. The relative
1
performance of thermal grease, phase change
0.5 materials and silicone conductive pads and is
With Heatsink Compound given in Table 1. These results were measured by
0 International Rectifier engineers at the Assembly
R&D lab.
0 100 200 300 400

Force / N Interface Electrical Thermal Resistance

Material Properties Junction to Heat
Figure 3. Contact thermal resistance as a Sink
function of clip force for a PowIRtab™ package Heat sink Non - 0.7oC/W
Compound Conducting
mounted to a heat sink showing both dry
Phase Change Non - 1.2oC/W
mounting and mounting using heat sink Thermal Conducting
compound. Compound
Aluminium Foil Conducting 1.2oC/W
The second technique requires the use of a heat Coated in
Phase Change
sinking compound. This is usually a silicone
Compound
grease loaded with electrically insulating, Thermal Isolating 1.6oC/W
thermally conductive material such as alumina. Interface Pad
The purpose of the grease is to fill the gaps Thermal Conducting 1.6oC/W
without increasing the distance between the two Interface Pad
surfaces. If the layer of grease is too thick then
Table 1. Performance of thermal i nterface
the thermal resistance will be increased. To
materials.
determine the correct amount of grease for a
particular application a series of experiments
should be performed. Several power packages
Correct Mounting Procedures
and heat sinks should be assembled using
different amounts of grease applied evenly to one
In this section the correct mounting procedures
side of each mounting surface. This can be
for the TO220 package will be discussed. This
achieved using a small rubber roller. When the
will include advice on clip mounting, screw
amount is correct a very small amount of grease
should appear around the perimeter of the device mounting and the requirements for isolation. By

2
 Application Note AN-1012

using the TO-220 as an example most of the not damage the plastic body of the
common issues relating to the mounting of package during the mounting process.
power packages will be covered. Problems that • The recommended mounting torque is
are specific to the other power packages, 1.1Nm. This should not be exceeded.
including the International Rectifier PowIRtab™ • When electrical isolation is required
and Super packages, will be discussed in the next insulating pads and insulating bushes
section. should be used.

General Rules Figures 4 and 5 show the suggested mounting

hardware for the TO-220.
• The TO-220 package should always be
fastened to the heat sink before
soldering the leads to the PCB.
• When bending the leads they must be M3 SCREW
clamped tightly between the package
and the bending point to avoid strain on
the package. The leads must be bent at a RECTANGULAR WASHER
minimum distance of 2mm from the DEVICE
plastic for standard packages, and 3mm
MICA INSULATOR
from the plastic for the TO-273. The
TO-274 is not normally lead formed HEATSINK
because on the design of the leg.
• The leads should be bent no more than INSULATING BUSH
90o and should never be bent more than PLAIN WASHER
once. SPRING WASHER
• The radius of curvature should not be M3 NUT
less than the thickness of the leads and
ideally should be greater than 2 times
the thickness of the leads. Figure 4. Screw mounting through a heat sink
• Lateral lead forming is not advisable. using a nut.
The pin spacing of the leads should be
adhered to when mounting to a PCB.
• It is recommended that in the case
where a device is rigidly secured to a
PCB and also to a heat sink mounted on M3 SCREW
the PCB, a bend is put in the leads to
allow for differences in thermal
expansion.
• Care should be taken not to cause any RECTANGULAR WASHER
mechanical damage to the package or
any surface finishes. INSULATING BUSH
• Heat sink compound or some other
thermal interface material should be DEVICE
used.
MICA INSULATOR
Screw Mounting

• For the TO-220 a M3 screw should be HEATSINK

used. Self-tapping screws should not be
used.
• It is recommended that a rectangular
Figure 5. Screw mounting into a tapped heat
washer is inserted between the screw sink.
head and the mounting tab. Care must
be taken to ensure that the washer does

3
 Application Note AN-1012

Clip Mounting

This section is applicable to the TO-220 and

Super220™ (TO-273) packages.

• Using clip mounting ensures that the

force is applied above the silicon and
that the thermal contact is good.

Application of force off-centre (i.e. bolting a device to heatsink) leads to Figure 7. Saddle clip mounting of a
uneven themal contact. Using clip mounting ensures that the force is
applied above the silicon and that the thermal contact is good.
Super220™ package.

• For heat sinks greater than 5mm in

thickness, U clips are used. These
produce contact forces of between
15N and 50N.

Interface material

Figure 6. The effect of the position of the applied

force.

• Increasing the force supplied by the clip

will ensure reduced thermal resistance.
This is shown in Figure 3. However the
increased cost of stronger clips is not
always worth the performance Figure 8. U-Clip m ounting of a Super-220™
improvements and a minimum force of package.
20N and typically up to 50N is
recommended. • There are a number of proprietary clip
• Isolation is safely achieved by the use solutions where the clip is anchored in a
of an insulating pad and without the use feature in an extruded heat sink. Forces
of bushes. of between 25N and 50N can be
• Isolation between the bond wires and achieved.
the mounting clip is provided by the
mould compound. The minimum
thickness of plastic between a bond
wire and the clip is greater than the
thickness of the plastic on the header of
a fullpak device. This provides 4kV dc
isolation which is equivalent to 2.5kV
rms ac.
• For heat sinks less than 5mm in
thickness saddle clips should be used.
These produce contact forces of
between 15N and 50N.

Figure 9. Customized Clip Mounting of a Super-220

4
 Application Note AN-1012

Pop Riveting
Mounting SOT227
• It is recommended that press rivets
made of a soft material are used rather The SOT227 is a power module with some
than pop rivets. special mounting requirements.
• The hole in the heat sink should be
smaller than the device mounting hole,
within acceptable tolerances. This
ensures that the rivet squeezes more
tightly on the heat sink than on the
device,

Soldering

A separate application note covers soldering

down power semiconductor packages “Surface
Mounting of Larger Devices.” In general devices
that are being mounted to aluminium heat sinks • The package has two mounting holes
must be either screw or clip mounted. A new and four connection terminals.
technology, Powersites TM, allows solderable • Fasten the device to the heat sink before
power semiconductor packages to be mounted to connecting the leads.
aluminium heat sinks. • The maximum allowable torque is
1.3Nm on the terminals and on the
mounting base.
Additional Information for Other Package • M4 screws should be used with lock
Types washers. These are included with the
packages.
• Full-Pak devices do not require • The separation of the centre of the
isolation pads or bushes as the package mounting holes is 30mm ± 0.2mm. Full
is isolated by design details of the dimensions are given on
• The Super220™ (TO-273) does not the datasheet.
have a hole for screw mounting and • The first mounting screw should be
should be mounted using clips. The tightened to one third of the maximum
‘hole – free’ design allows the package torque, the second screw should then be
to carry more current. Full instructions tightened to the same torque. Full
for mounting the Super220™ (TO-273) tightening of both of the screws can
package are given in AN-1000 then be completed.
“Mounting Guidelines for the Super- • The case to sink thermal resistance at
220” the recommended mounting torque is
• The Super247™ (TO-274) does not 0.05C/W for a greased surface.
have a hole for screw mounting and
should be mounted using clips. The
‘hole – free’ design allows the package
to carry more current. Full instructions
for mounting the Super247™ (TO-274)
package are given in AN-997
“Mounting Guidelines for the Super-
247”
• Mounting instructions for the PowIRtab
package are given in AN-1010
“PowIRtab™ Mounting Guidelines.”
• This is a high current package suitable
for mounting to bus bars.

5
 Application Note AN-1012

Links to Suppliers of Thermal Management and Mounting Accessories

Company Name Link Suppliers of……

Aavid Thermal www.aavid.com Interface materials,

Technologies clips, heatsinks.
Austerlitz Electronic www.austerlitz- Interface materials,
GmbH electronic.com clips, heatsinks.

Bergquist www.bergquistcompany.com Interface materials

Chomerics www.chomerics.com Interface materials,

PowerSitesTM,
heatspreaders.
Fischerelektronik www.fischerelektronik.de Heatsinks and clips.

Fujipoly www.fujipoly.com Interface materials

Kunze-Folien www.kunze-folien.de Interface materials,

clips and customized
heat sinks.
R-Theta www.r-theta.com Heat sinks

Redpoint Thermalloy www.thermalloy.com Interface materials,

clips and heatsinks.
Thermagon Inc www.thermagon.com Interface materials

Warth International www.warth.co.uk Interface materials and

clips.

6
 AN-997 (v.Int)

Mounting Guidelines for the SUPER-247

by Andrew Sawle and Arthur Woodworth

Introduction
Born from the need to accommodate ever increasing amounts of silicon in smaller, space saving packages,
the SUPER-247 now allows the same die sizes that can be put in a much larger TO-264. The SUPER-247
has the same outer dimensions as the industry standard TO-247 but can dissipate more power than the TO-
247 whilst occupying less space than the TO-264. This package also allows the use of efficient and reliable
clip mounting methods to heatsinks. This allows designers to reduce both the size and the cost of their
systems.

This Application Note will examine the subjects involved with clip mounting the SUPER-247 to heatsinks.

Topics Covered:
A breakdown of system thermal resistance.
The minimum force for a good thermal contact and the maximum force allowable before device
parameter degradation.
Wet and dry contact conditions and the effect on thermal resistance.
The effect on thermal resistance of using an electrical isolator between the device and the
heatsink.
Typical clip types, how they work and the forces that they impart. Conclusion.

1. A Breakdown of System Thermal Resistance

The thermal resistance (Rth(junction-ambient)) of a system (system = package through to heatsink) is made up
from a number of component parts as shown in Figure 1.1 below.
Silicon Die
Package

Rth(junction-case)

Rth(junction-ambient)
Rth(case-sink)

Rth(sink)

Rth(sink-ambient)

Heatsink Block
Figure 1.1 - Build-up of Thermal Resistance in a System

The designer of a system has varying amounts of influence over the component parts of the overall thermal
resistance of his design:

Ø Rth(junction-case) - this has been determined during the design and manufacture of the product.
The system designer has no direct influence.
Ø Rth(case-sink) (or Contact Thermal Resistance) - determined by the size and quality of the
contact areas between the package and the sink, the use of intermediate materials and the
contact pressure. Hence, the system designer can have a large influence over this parameter.
Ø Rth(sink) and Rth(sink-ambient) - determined by heatsink design, i.e. material and shape. System
designer will choose optimum sink matching both performance and cost requirements.

1
 AN-997 (v.Int)

Thermal resistances for packages and heatsinks can be determined from datasheets and although the contact
thermal resistances can also be taken from manufacturer’s data, this figure is generally ‘TYPICAL’ and for
a single set of specified conditions. Hence, it is possible for a designer to gain better or worse contact
thermal resistances depending on parameters that he prescribes. The following sections include some
information to help the designer in improving rather than worsening contact thermal resistances in their
systems.

2. Minimum and Maximum Contact Forces

As previously mentioned, there are a number of factors that affect the contact thermal resistance, one of the
factors being the contact force with which the package is pushed against the heatsink.

Why and How Does Contact Force Affect Thermal Resistance?

Package cases and heatsink surfaces can never be perfectly flat. Hence contact between the two will only
occur at several points allowing an air gap between the surfaces (as illustrated in Figure 1.2). Since air is a
very good thermal insulator this means that the contact thermal resistance is much greater than it would be if
the two surfaces were in perfect contact (no air gap). However, as the contact force (pushing the two
surfaces together) increases then so will the number of points at which the two surfaces contact one another
and the air-gap will be reduced, in turn reducing the contact thermal resistance.

Package Case
Air Gap

Heatsink
Figure 1.2 - Diagram Showing the Effect (Under High Magnification) When Two Non-
Perfect Surfaces Meet.

What is the Minimum Force that Should be Applied to Gain Good Thermal Contact?

As the contact force is increased, the contact thermal resistance decreases. However, this does NOT follow
a linear relationship and shows diminishing returns in thermal resistance reduction for increases in the
contact force (as shown in Figure 1.3). A rapid initial fall-off in contact thermal resistance is replaced by a
more gradual reduction with increased contact force. The minimum contact force should therefore be no
lower than the point at which these rapid reductions in thermal resistance end - this occurs at approximately
20N.

Maximum Contact Force

The minimum contact force of 20N mentioned above is purely that, the MINIMUM force. Any force
applied above that figure will still show gains in reduced contact thermal resistance until the maximum
force that the package can withstand before the device characteristics are altered or the package is
destroyed. This maximum limit figure has been measured to be 200N TYP. However, these gains are not
free, for in general terms a greater contact force means a larger, more expensive clamping system. A contact
force should therefore be chosen that optimises both the thermal and the cost requirements of the system.

2
 AN-997 (v.Int)

Contact Thermal Resistance 2

1.8
1.6 20N = Minimum contact force.
1.4
[°C/W]

1.2
1 'Dry' Contact Condition
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180

Contact Force [N]

Figure 1.3 - Minimum Contact Force

3. Contact Conditions
As mentioned previously, the contact conditions between the package and the heatsink will affect the
contact thermal resistance. Contact conditions encompass a number of areas including: surface roughness,
surface cleanliness, paint finishes and intermediate materials. The surface roughness of the heatsinking
material should be no greater than 0.02mm over the area where the device is to be mounted. Surface
cleanliness during assembly of package and heatsink is imperative, even if a thermal grease or other
material is subsequently added. Unclean surfaces can be held apart by dirt or grease thus increasing the
thermal resistance. However, normal paint finishes (up to 50 µm thick) have been shown to have little effect
on thermal resistance, this therefore leaves intermediate materials as an area for discussion.

Intermediate Materials

Contact between two non-perfect surfaces will result in an air gap between them. The most common method
of overcoming this is to use a thermally conductive heatsinking compound to fill the gaps between the
surfaces and hence lower the contact thermal resistance. This compound also has the advantage that it
prevents moisture from penetrating between the surfaces.

A number of different companies offer heatsinking compound, these usually consist of silicon grease loaded
with some electrically insulating, good thermally conducting material such as alumina. Thinly applied, these
compounds are advantageous as they fill the air gaps and do not further increase the distances between the
surfaces. Thickly applied they can hold the two surfaces apart and increase the contact thermal resistance.
The following graph displayed in Figure 1.4 shows the contact thermal resistance for ‘dry’ conditions (no
compound) and the thermal resistance using compound, both are plotted against contact force.

The metal heatspreader on the back of the SUPER-247 package is non-electrically isolated from the pinouts
of the device within, i.e. in the case of a MOSFET the heatspreader is the drain contact, for an IGBT the
collector. Hence in cases where devices are not electrically paralleled but share the same heatsink, it is
necessary to insert an electrically isolating material between the package and the heatsink block. The
isolator usually takes the form of a pad and many companies offer a range of pad material types and sizes
dependant on requirements.

3
 AN-997 (v.Int)

At the minimum stated contact force of 20 N the following contact resistances can be achieved:

Contact Conditions Rth(c-s) @ 20N Contact Force

‘Dry’ (no compound) 1.2°C/W
Thermal Compound 0.2°C/W

The pad obviously has a direct and detrimental effect on the contact resistance as insertion adds an extra
resistance into the build-up. Again, the contact thermal resistance is dependant on contact pressure. The
following graph, shown in Figure 1.5, illustrates the higher thermal resistance when using an isolator pad,
adding a new line to the thermal resistance curve. The isolator used to plot the line was a typical silicone
loaded pad. Therefore, it should be noted that when electrically isolating a device from a heatsink the
thermal resistance of the system will increase.

4
 AN-997 (v.Int)

3.5

Contact Thermal Resisitance 3

2.5

Isolator Pad
[°C/W]

1.5

1
'Dry' Condition
0.5
Thermal Compound
0
0 50 100 150 200

Contact Force [N]

Figure 1.5 - Contact Thermal Resistance Plotted Against Contact Force

4. Typical Clips and What They Do

Why Clips?

The use of clips for providing the contact pressure is quickly becoming popular. Clip mounting provides a
number of advantages over the more traditional screw mounting techniques:

Ø Clips provide a more uniform pressure over the entirety of the mating surfaces. Although
screw mounting can provide a higher pressure, the force is centred at one end of the package
and there is often a loss of coplanarity between package and heatsink.
Ø Clips are faster to apply than aligning and tightening screws.
Ø Clips regulate the force applied and ensure that the same force is applied to each
package/heatsink pair. Hence there is no danger of over-tightening (deforming the package
and/or heatsink) or under-tightening (increasing the contact thermal resistance).

Clip Types

There are a number of different clip types available on the market that can be used dependant on the
application. Following are some examples of clips and the way in which they are typically used. The ideas
shown by no mean encompass all the solutions available and do not prescribe the only ways in which the
clips can be used.

Saddle Clips

An example of a SUPER-247 mounted to a heatsink using a saddle clip is shown in Figure 1.6.

5
 AN-997 (v.Int)

Figure 1.6 - SUPER-247 Mounted to Heatsink Using Saddle Clip

When using saddle clip type solutions, the heatsink materials are thin in cross-section, typically less than
5mm in thickness. The clips push into holes cut into heatsink material and lock against the back face of the
heatsink. These clips produce contact forces in the range 20-60N.

‘U’ Clips

An example of a ‘U’ Clip assembly is shown in Figure 1.7.

This clip type clamps the device and the heatsink material
together. Variations on this clip type allow devices to be
clamped to the front and back of the heatsink block using the
same clip. ‘U’ clips typically impart forces in the 20N-40N
range. This force is partly dependent of the thickness of the
heatsink material, i.e. thicker the material, the greater the
force.

Figure 1.7 - ‘U’ Clip Assembly

Extrusion Mounted Clips

There are a number of proprietary clip solutions

offered where the clip is anchored in a feature in
the extruded heatsink. Figure 1.8 shows one
solution type where the clip fits into a shaped slot
in the heatsink material.

Figure 1.8 - Extrusion Mounted Clip (Slot

Anchorage)

6
 AN-997 (v.Int)

This solution can produce contact forces in the

range 15 - 25N. However the shaped slot is an
expensive addition to the heatsink and this
solution type is being replaced in favour of clips
mounted between shortened heatsink fins or clip
rails (as shown in Figure 1.9 below). The extruded
heatsinks are less costly and the forces that can be
applied are higher, typically in the range 25 - 50N

Figure 1.9 - Extrusion Mounted Clip (Rail

Anchorage)

Other Solutions

Heatsink manufacturers offer a wide range of heatsink types, usually extrusions or formed metal and at a
cost are willing to produce customised solutions. Some manufacturers will supply the heatsink with
integrated clip both in extruded and formed metal varieties or a combination of the two. It is also possible to
have heatsink solutions supplied with thermal compound or isolator materials already applied in the correct
places to aid assembly.

Sources for Clip Solutions

The following are companies who can supply the types of clips/solutions discussed in this Application Note:

Redpoint Thermalloy, Avvid Thermal Technologies,

Cheney Manor, Corporate Headquarters,
Swindown, One Kool Path,
Wiltshire. Laconia,
SN2 2QN New Hampshire
USA

Austerlitz Electronic gmbh,

Ludwig Feuerbach -Straβe 38,
90961 Nüenburg, Postfach 1048,
GERMANY

7
 AN-997 (v.Int)

Relevance to TO-247 Heatsink Mounting

The clipping/mounting concepts covered in this application note for the SUPER-247 can also be applied to
the standard TO-247 package. However, it should be noted that due to the screw mounting capability of the
standard TO-247 the package to heatsink contact area is reduced and hence the contact thermal resistance is
INCREASED from 0.2°C/W(SUPER-247) to 0.24°C/W(TO-247). Therefore, whilst the minimum
clamping force of 20N still applies, the contact thermal resistance graph for the SUPER-247 will not.

Conclusion

The SUPER-247 package can now dissipate more power and encapsulate more silicon than the industry
standard TO-247, a package with the same footprint. It also allows for faster and less costly clip mounting
to heatsinks. However, the way in which the device is mounted to the heatsink will affect the thermal
performance of the system (silicon, package and heatsink). The designer can have a direct affect on the
contact thermal resistance and the design parameters that he sets can have either a positive or adverse effect
on system performance. This Application Note has discussed the need for an adequate force (20N) for good
thermal contact and the fact that intermediate materials also affect the thermal resistance. Thinly applied
thermal compound will improve the contact thermal resistance whilst electrical isolators are likely to cause
deterioration in this parameter.

There are many clip/heatsink solutions available and some have been indicated in this Application Note.
The chosen solution will depend on the application in which it is used and should be chosen to optimise
both cost and thermal performance characteristics.

8
 Application Note AN-1033

CALCULATING TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS IN POWER

 ” PROGRAM
MOSFETS WITH THE “HEXRISE

by Doug Butchers, International Rectifier GB Ltd.

(HEXRISE may be downloaded from: www.irgb.co.uk)

INTRODUCTION
This note is intended to assist with the application of the Program “HEXRISE” in practical real life cases.

To use this Program effectively it is important to appreciate its scope and to be able to apply it to thermal calculations for
heat sinking arrangements that extend beyond just the immediate boundaries of the power semiconductor itself.

Semiconductor cooling
A typical cooling arrangement for a power semiconductor device will involve the transfer of heat from its source (the
junction) through many different materials and interfaces to the final cooling medium - usually air. Along the way, the
generation of the temperature gradient of the junction above the ambient temperature, is a function of both the power
flow and the thermal response to the different materials encountered in its course.
Figure 1 shows a typical mechanical arrangement for a plastic package on a heat sink. In many cases it would be usual to
have an additional isolation layer between the base of the power semiconductor and the heat sink –especially for
connections requiring multiple devices.

Die TJ

Die attach
"Plastic"

Rth J-B Header

T base
T ht-sk
Rth Htsk-amb.

Figure 1: Typical heatsink arrangement

T amb

Figure 1: Typical heat sink arrangement

Equivalent thermal circuit

Figure 2 shows an equivalent thermal circuit for the previous mechanical example with the power semiconductor having
two significant thermal components-the die and the package header.
There are two parameters associated with each different material section in the thermal path:

1. A thermal resistive element, Rth in K/W

2. A thermal capacity element, Cth in Ws/g.K

-1-
 Application Note AN-1033

TJunction
Power semiconductor

C th die

Rth die

C th header

T header

Rth header

C th heatsink

T ht-sk

Rth ht-sk

Figure 2: Equivalent thermal circuit

T amb

Figure 2: Equivalent thermal circuit

The thermal resistance element is responsible for the steady-state temperature difference across the section in question
while the thermal capacity element is responsible for storing heat energy at a given rate, thereby introducing a time
function which delays the establishing thermal gradient.
The combination of these two elements has a direct analogy to an electrical circuit containing resistance and capacitance.
The Rth x Cth product is the thermal time constant with similar properties to the electrical time constant.

Alternative thermal approach

With HEXRISE, the thermal response characteristics of the semiconductor is modelled in a more easily accessible way
than above. The device thermal parameters (steady–state and transient) are derived from the data sheet transient
resistance characteristic - readily available from every device data sheet. (more in the following section.)
Also, unlike the equivalent thermal circuit, the use of the data sheet thermal resistance characteristics makes a knowledge
of the separate die and header thermal performance parameters unnecessary since the curve reflects the true transient
and steady-state performance of the composite packaged part.

Basic Program principles

The temperature rise for a given thermal path in response to a power step such as that shown in figure 3, is given by:

Temp rise @ t1 = P1 x Rth1

Where: P1 the power

Rth1 is the thermal resistance @ time t1

The temperature rise @ t2 = P1 x Rth2 – P1 x Rth1

-2-
 Application Note AN-1033

P1

Time

t1

P1

Time

t2

Figure 3: Basic temperature rise calculation

Any current waveform may be approximated by subdividing it up into small sections of time and specifying each
subdivision with a power value and a thermal resistance value appropriate to the time at which it occurs. Refer to
figure 4.
In this way, the temperature rise at any time may be calculated by applying this principle of positive and negative power
pulse contributions to describe the complete wave shape.

P3
I3 P3
Defined Current
Waveform

P2
I2 P2

P1
I1 P1

t1 t2 Rth1 Rth2 Rth3

t3
Rth1

Rth2
T3 =

P1 x Rth3 -P1 x Rth2

Rth3

+ P2 x Rth2 - P2 x Rth1

+ P3 x Rth1

Figure 4: Waveform subdivision

-3-
 Application Note AN-1033

General temperature rise expression

The temperature rise for the complete waveform can consequently be defined by a mathematical series such as that
shown in figure 5. Note it is necessary to be able define the current waveform in terms of time for the purpose of
calculating the instantaneous power.

P(N)

I(N)

Defined Current
Waveform

T(N)
"Nth" Interval
Rth(N)

TN = P1 (RN - RN-1 ) + P2 (RN-1 - R N-2 ) + P3 (RN-2 - R N-3 )........ + P N R 1

T(N)
(N) is the temperature rise of the junction at the Nth interval
P (N)
(N) is the instantaneous power in the device at the Nth interval
using the mid-
mid-point current value
R (N)
(N) is the transient thermal resistance (Junction-
(Junction- case) for the
time T (N)
(N)

Figure 5: General series expression

Thermal resistance relationship

HEXRISE uses the transient thermal resistance characteristic from the device data sheet and relates it to time with the
expression:

YT
R (t) = XT x T

Where: YT = log (R1/R2) / (log (T1/T2)

YT
XT = R / T

Note that this calculation will only be valid for calculation times up to the “transient” characteristic limit indicated by the
end of the “straight line” (Tlim) section of the published thermal resistance curve. Figure 6.

-4-
 Application Note AN-1033

T lim

Thermal
Resistance
R1,T1

T lim is limit time of Rj-b for HEXRISE

R2,T2

Time

Figure 6: Data book thermal resistance curve (Log/Log scale)

Therefore for a defined current wave shape the temperature rise at a given time may be computed.

Program procedures
The Program computes as follows:

Calculates constants to express thermal resistance as a function of time

(XT and YT)

Creates an array of thermal resistance values for each waveform

subdivision ( R1 to RN) and one of thermal resistance difference terms, (RN - RN-1 ) for the number of time
intervals chosen.

Calculates instantaneous power values at each current / time subdivision of the waveform using the current
expression as defined by the user. (P 1 to PN)

Creates an array of Power x Thermal resistance difference terms for “N” time intervals (P 1 x (RN –RN-1)) to
(P N x R1 )

Sums all of the terms for temperature rise for each time interval. Refer to general expression in figure 5.

Using HEXRISE  beyond the transient thermal resistance “limit”

The calculation is only accurate for calculation times up to the “transient” characteristic limit indicated by the end of the
“straight line” (Tlim) section of the published thermal resistance curve. This can be the key area for accurate calculation
as the junction-to-case thermal response is short compared with most heat sink response times and damage can occur to
the silicon in these short times.

-5-
 Application Note AN-1033

The HEXRISE program provides a means of accurately predicting the short-term temperature rise profile of the
MOSFET (Junction-base) during this phase and can provide significant confidence in the long term reliability and
integrity of the part in application.

In many applications the complete profile of the semiconductor’s absolute temperature depends upon the performance of
the other heatsinking. Here it can be important to fully utilise both the steady-state and the transient thermal resistances
of these coolers.
For example HEXRISE can also be usefully applied to longer-term high frequency application cases. Here the junction
heating and cooling times are shorter in duration and the junction temperature excursions are smaller but the average
power may well be relatively large. A significant temperature gradient may be developed across the cooling heatsink.

For continuous waveforms use the approach detailed in Application “profile 4” (next section) and run a 10-cycle
calculation extrapolating it to a final settled value. This will provide an estimate for the maximum junction temperature
excursion.
For a continuous high frequency waveform it will also be necessary to include switching losses and by adding these
averaged power losses to the total losses and applying them to the heatsink gradient, the effect on the peak junction
temperature may be included.

The section following shows how to combine the results from HEXRISE to those calculations where external heat
sinking plays an important role.

Typical Application Profiles

Most applications where this Program will be helpful will have load duty cycles, which are characterised by one of the
four following formats:

1. Single pulse of power within semiconductor

transient Rth range (Tlim)

Current Waveshape as selected from

HEXRISE menu
t

Tjn(1)
Junction-base gradien

Temperature

Tjr

T lim

Key features

• On-time + off-time must be ≤ T lim

• Heatsink (if any) thermal performance is not significant here.
• Maximum absolute junction temperature will be Tjn(1) + starting base / ambient temperature

-6-
 2. Multiple pulses of power within semiconductor
transient Rth range (Tlim)

Current Waveshape as selected from

HEXRISE menu
t

Tjn(2)
Tjn(1)
Junction-base gradien

Temperature

Tjr(2)
Tjr(1)

T lim

Key features

• Total pulse train time must be T lim

• Each successive peak temperature Tjn(n) and residual cycle temperature Tjr(n) is higher
than the one before.

• Heatsink (if any) thermal performance is not significant here.

• Maximum absolute junction temperature will be Tjn(n) + starting base / ambient

temperature

3. Multiple pulses of power for time greater than semiconductor

transient Rth range (Tlim)
Current Waveshape as selected from
HEXRISE menu

Tjn(n)
t

Tjn(2)
Tjn(1) Temperature
Junction-base gradien

Tjr(n)
Tjr(2)
Tjr(1)

T lim

-7-
Key features

• Total pulse train time will be ≥ T lim

• Each successive peak temperature Tjn(n) and residual cycle temperature Tjr(n) is higher
than the one before. A stable (equal) cycle temperature increase and cycle temperature
decrease is not achieved.

• Heatsink thermal performance (transient thermal resistance ) may be significant here.

• The maximum absolute junction temperature may be estimated for the nth pulse as:-
≅ (Tjn(n) – Tjr(n) ) + W x Rthsk(t) + ambient temperature

W is the average power dissipated in the heatsink over transient time.

Rthsk(t) is the heatsink transient thermal resistance for time (t) to the nth
pulse.

4. Multiple pulses of power for time which achieves steady-state

thermal resistance for the heat sink and stable semiconductor temperature cycle
increases and decreases.

Current Waveshape as selected from

HEXRISE menu

Tjn(1) Tjn(2) Tjn(n)

Junction-base gradien t

Tjr(n)
Tjr(1) Tjr(2)

t lim

Key features

• Stable condition exists where Tjn(1)= Tjn(n)

• The maximum absolute junction temperature may be estimated as:

(Tjn(n) – Tjr(n) )** + W x Rthsk(s/s) + ambient temperature

Rthsk(s/s) is the heat sink steady-state thermal resistance.

W is the average power dissipated in the heat sink

** Run HEXRISE for sufficient time to be able to identify stability

-8-
In all cases considered, the thermal time constant of the heat sink is assumed to be long
compared with that of the semiconductor device.

Summary
The junction temperature profile of a power MOSFET for a variety of applied current waveforms may be
predicted using the HEXRISEProgram.
Short-term temperature effects are calculated directly, while for the longer and continuous events, transient
and steady-state temperature rises (determined by relatively large external heatsinks) may be combined
with these short-term profiles to arrive at an accurate assessment of the instantaneous junction temperature.
The approach taken in HEXRISE very specifically uses data sheet information and thereby deliberately
avoids the need for the inclusion of constructional-related details of die and package - not always readily
available to the user.
The benefits of being able to assess peak temperature excursions for a variety of applied current waveforms
are that reliability and even survivability judgements may be made with some degree of accuracy.
In many applications, such are the economic pressures upon designs, that occasional, severe short-time
overloads may have to be accommodated with components whose size or number cannot be increased. A
confidence in the maximum temperature peaks and their duration is essential in accurate risk assessment.
HEXRISE provides a screen driven format, which enables the user to view the chosen defined current
waveform and immediately appreciate the resulting graphical temperature profile.

-9-
 AN819
Vishay Siliconix

MOSFET Thermal Characterization in the Application

Wharton McDaniel

INTRODUCTION accurate only for the PCB where it is mounted. When trying to
optimize the thermal performance, this is not good enough.
The use of surface-mount packages for power MOSFETs has
progressed dramatically over the past 10 years. Today, power The most practical method of optimizing thermal performance
MOSFETs are widely available in packages that continue to is to characterize the MOSFET on the PCB where it will be
get smaller. Now the question is how to choose best device in used, or on a board that is very similar. This characterization
the smallest package and make a space-critical design as can be performed using the same techniques used for the
effective as possible. A major part of the problem is datasheet characterization, although the datasheet
determining the thermal performance of the device on the characterization is performed by a dedicated thermal analyzer.
printed circuit board (PCB) where it is mounted. Fortunately, The basis of this method is to dissipate a known amount of
a simple test method can be used to establish thermal power in the MOSFET, and to measure the amount of
performance of a MOSFET in a particular application. temperature rise this causes in the junction, giving the data
required to calculate the junction to ambient thermal
resistance in _C/W. The following procedure provides a simple
THERMAL CHARACTERIZATION DATA
method of determining the steady-state thermal resistance of
The main piece of thermal data provided by MOSFET a MOSFET on the PC board where it will be used.
suppliers is typically RQJA, or junction-to-ambient thermal
resistance. The basic thermal circuit (Figure 1) for this THERMAL CHARACTERIZATION
parameter consists of two components: the thermal resistance PROCEDURE
of the package and the thermal resistance of the PCB it is
The procedure has two main steps. First is the
mounted on. The problem with the PCB component in RQJA is
characterization of the body diode. Second is the temperature
that the characterization board used to create data sheet
rise measurements and calculation of the thermal resistance.
specifications does not accurately represent the boards used
in actual applications. The PCB area is different, the copper Diode Characterization
patterns are different, many applications use multilayer board,
and actual applications have many different components Characterization of the body diode is important because the
mounted on the board along with the MOSFET. All these things body diode is used to measure the junction temperature of the
create thermal performance that tends to be different, and in MOSFET. As an inherent part of the MOSFET structure, the
most cases better than the performance of the body diode makes the ideal sensor for this purpose. The
characterization board. More recently, suppliers have added forward voltage, VF, of the diode varies with temperature,
RQJF to the characterization data, which defines the thermal therefore the diode’s temperature coefficient is needed to get
performance of the package itself. This is an excellent an accurate representation of the junction temperature. The
parameter to use to compare package performance and to use forward voltage is measured with a low level current flowing
in determining actual device performance. through it to insure there is no self heating, which would make
the junction temperature measurement inaccurate. If it is not
RQJF RQFA possible to perform the measurements of VF, the generic VF
temperature coefficient of –2mV/_C for a diode can be used at
the cost of accuracy.
For characterization of the diode, the MOSFET can be
FIGURE 1. Basic Thermal Circuit mounted on a PCB or just connected with wires. Electrically,
the gate should be connected to the source to insure the
MOSFET cannot turn on.
THERMAL PERFORMANCE IN THE
APPLICATION The characterization is performed as follows:
D Measure room temperature Troom
For any given application, the ideal MOSFET is the smallest D Measure VF of body diode with IF of 10 mA at room
device that provides the electrical and thermal performance temperature
that is required. The thermal performance is the most difficult D Measure VF of body diode with IF of 10 mA at 100_C
to predict since, as previously described, the thermal D Calculate the diode temperature coefficient using
characteristics of each PCB are different. Although there is
data published showing the relationship between thermal T C + V F @ 100_C – V F @ room
resistance and the copper area used to spread heat, it is 100 – T room ǒmVń_CǓ

Document Number: 71619 www.vishay.com

14-May-01 1
AN819
Vishay Siliconix

IF (Heating Current) 10 mA

Device
Power Supply Under 9-V Supply
Test Digital
un Scope for
Constant Current Mode Sense Current

820 W

FIGURE 2. Connection Diagram

Temperature Rise Measurement and Calculation of T C + 0.394 V – 0.586 V + –2.4 mV

Thermal Resistance 100_C – 21.3_C _C

With the device connected according to Figure 2, 0.94 W was

The MOSFET being characterized is mounted on the dissipated in the body diode. The starting value was measured
application PCB and has the gate shorted to the source, with to be 0.582 V. A digital oscilloscope was used to measure VF
the drain and source connected to two power supplies immediately after the heating current was turned off. This gave
(Figure 2). The first power supply is configured as a constant a VF of 0.402 mV. ∆VF is –180 mV. Therefore,
current source, which forces current through the body diode to
heat the junction when the switch is closed. The second power DV F
DT J + + –180 mV
supply provides the sensing current for measuring the junction TC –2.4 mV
_C
temperature. This supply is connected to the drain and source, DT J + 75_C
forcing 10 mA though the body diode, with the VF of the body and
diode indicating the junction temperature. Also, it stays DT J
connected throughout the test in order that the sensing current R QJA + + 75_C
PD 0.94 W
will flow immediately upon removal of the heating current.
R QJA + 79.8 _C
W
The measurement procedure is as follows: This value compares well with the measured value of
75.7_C/W, measured using an AnaTech Phase 10 analyzer.
D Close the switch.
D Source current through the body diode such that
approximately 1 W is dissipated after reaching With RQJA calculated, junction temperature can be predicted
equilibrium. Equilibrium has been reached when VF for any given power dissipation level using the equation as
stabilizes. previously mentioned.
D Power is defined as PD = VF IF.
D Open the switch, dropping IF to 10 mA. Measure VF TJ + PD R QJA ) T A
immediately using a digital scope triggered on the
negative slope of VF. It should be noted that if other components on the PCB
generate heat, the effective RQJA will be higher since the
Calculation of RQJA temperature of the PCB will be raised by those components.
If those components can be made to dissipate their typical
D Calculate DVF, result will be negative
power while performing the characterization above, the value
D Calculate DTJ using DTJ = DVF/TC
of RQJA will reflect this additional heating.
D RQJA = DTJ/PD

CONCLUSION
Verification of the Method
The process of selecting a power MOSFET on the basis of
This method was verified using an Si4410DY mounted on the electrical parameters must be done with care. Close attention
standard thermal characterization board. The forward voltage must be paid to the thermal performance of the MOSFET as
of the body diode, VF, was measured to be 0.586 V at a room part of the PCB assembly. Characterization of the MOSFET
temperature of 21.3_C. The device was placed in an oven, the being used on the PCB being used can help insure that the
oven temperature raised to 100_C, and VF measured to be correct device is chosen on the basis of both electrical and
0.394 V. This yields thermal performance.

www.vishay.com Document Number: 71619

2 14-May-01