Understanding the impact of split-gate LDMOS transistors: Analysis of performance and hot-carrier-induced degradation

In this paper a split-gate LDMOS transistor is investigated. A dedicated terminal, namely split-gate, is introduced in order to control the field plate region separately with respect to the channel region. The performances of the device, in terms of on-resistance, breakdown voltage and capacitances, are compared with those of a conventional device. The hot-carrier-induced degradation of the device is also investigated, highlighting the influence of the split-gate voltage. This work allows identifying a tradeoff between the performance and reliability of the component, which is controlled by the voltage applied to the split-gate terminal.