Analysis and comparison of low-voltage MOSFET devices with planar and trench-gate layouts

The paper deals with the comparison of the on-state resistances of low-voltage power MOSFETs belonging to different technologies. The main structural characteristics of two families of MOSFETs (strip-based layout and trench-gate) are compared and discussed in order to understand the advantages, drawbacks, and the impact on converter applications. First of all the main aspects regarding the composition of the whole on-state resistance in both the types of devices are faced. An experimental evaluation of the on-state resistance in several devices belonging to the two families is carried out. Finally the figure of merit obtained as the product of the gate charge versus the on-state resistance of the devices is discussed in order to evaluate the impact on both the switching performances and the efficiency in the case of converter applications.