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Which part of a MOSFET can be damaged by ESD?
Gate oxide damage
The electrical signature of the failure is often a resistive short across the drain and source terminals. Gate oxide damage is the major category of ESD damage.
Can ESD damage electronics?
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) occurs when a non-conducting surface is rubbed against another and the contacted surfaces are then parted. ESD can damage or destroy sensitive electronic components, erase or alter magnetic media, or set off explosions or fires in flammable environments.
Are mosfets static sensitive?
Most power MOSFET users are very familiar with the “static sensitive devices” warning. The problem is that familiarity may breed contempt, especially if one has never destroyed a power MOSFET by improper handling. Statistically, it is unlikely that a particular MOSFET will be destroyed by Electrostatic-Discharge (ESD).
What is ESD in MOSFET?
ESD damage is thermal in nature resulting in melted material or dielectric rupture due to excess electric field. [1] ESD damage of the MOSFET occurs when the gate-to-source voltage is high enough to damage the gate dielectric. A leakage path through the gate oxide can result in a catastrophic failure.
Can a power MOSFET failure be an ESD failure?
In both of these cases (ESD and application evaluation), failures can be generated which involve similar structures as actual field failures, but the damage level seen in the in-house overstressing is higher than that generated from the field. Power MOSFET Failures in Automotive Applications
How does electrostatic discharge affect a power MOSFET?
Depending on the energy of the pulse, electrostatic discharge (ESD) may cause either catastrophic failure (gate-oxide breakdown) or non-catastrophic damage (degradation) of power MOSFETs. Non-catastrophic damage is manifested in the form of positive charge trapping in the gate oxide and increased drain-to-source leakage current.
What causes a power MOSFET to fail after an operation?
Device failure after this operation could be a result of handling or an actual application issue. ESD testing to evaluate handling problems, followed by failure analysis, has not produced identical failure signatures.
Why are Ti MOSFETs good for standby power?
Because of their low gate leakage, TI MOSFETs are a good fit for battery-powered applications where standby power and runtime are critical. You must carefully evaluate operating conditions to ensure that the ESD diode is not forward-biased, as it will conduct current.