Progress and Challenges in Semiconductor Mixed Technologies for Smart Power Applications

Claudio Contiero, STMicroelectronics

Abstract

Increasingly attention is paid to the “More-than-Moore” trend where the progresses on “digital” and real “analog world” interfacing do not depend merely on technology node evolution like in the digitally centric “Moore’s Law”. Mixed power technologies like Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS (BCD) represent a good example of this concept. They offer high voltage and current capability, analog and digital functions, large flexibility through a large variety of integrated components on technology nodes moving with years of delay with respect to advanced CMOS. The on-chip coexistence of so different functions faces many challenges: from the existing EDA tools not always adequate to address the peculiar needs, to the robustness and reliability requirements more and more demanding especially for automotive applications. In addition the growing push on price reduction requires a growing efficiency in developing more effective technologies than in the past.

This presentation will provide an overview about the more recent BCD development trends and challenges on technology, design tools aspects, approaches and methodologies for an early, complete but fast reliability characterization.

Curriculum Vitae

Claudio Contiero is Director of Smart Power Technology Competence Center in STM´s R&D Labs of Milano, Italy. He graduated magna cum laude in Physics at the University of Padova in 1976. In 1978 he joined SGS-ATES (now STM), pioneering the introduction of a new integrated silicon technology, called “BCD” in 1983 and contributing to its extension from 20V to 700V and evolution from the 1st (4 µm) to the 8th (0.18 µm) generation. Mr. Contiero is co-holder of many patents and coauthor of many technical papers in the field of semiconductor power technology. He has served several times as technical committee member of various international Symposia and Conferences, reviewing papers and giving many invited talks. In 2006 he has been the “Technical Program Chairman” in the IEEE – Int. Symp. on Power Semiconductor Devices & ICs. He is a member of the IEEE EDS Power Devices and ICs Technical Committee.