Reduced on resistance in LDMOS devices by integrating trench gates into planar technology

In this letter, we report on the reduction of device resistance by up to 36% in lateral double-diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor (LDMOS) field-effect transistors by incorporating trench gates into conventional planar technology. The process and device simulations of this novel device topology are based on a state-of-the-art LDMOS field-effect transistor with a reduced-surface-field extension (buried p-well) for high-voltage applications used for standard IC and ASIC manufacturing processes. Because the well implants can remain unchanged, only a few additional process steps are required for manufacturing such a device. By a straightforward combination of trench- with planar-gate topology, the device resistance can be reduced from 145 to 94 m Omega . mm(2) for the underlying 50-V LDMOS device while fully maintaining its specified blocking properties. The depth of the trench gates just slightly influences the electrical device properties, demonstrating the robustness of trench- gate integration into an existing planar-gate technology.