National Semiconductor Corporation

Joseph A De Santis

Yun Liu

Jonggook Kim

Peter B Johnson

Richard Wendell Foote, Jr

A thin film resistor is formed to have very accurately defined dimensions which, in turn, allow the resistive value of the resistor to be very accurately defined. The resistor is formed on spaced-apart conductive pads which, in turn, are electrically connected to conductive plugs that are spaced apart from the resistor.

Thin film resistor and method of forming the resistor on spaced-apart conductive pads

A current mirror method is provided that can be utilized to evaluate thermal issues is silicon-on-insulator (SOI) bipolar junction transistors (BJTs). The method significantly improves safe operating area (SOA) measurement sensitivity. Unlike conventional methods, the current mirror method can provide quantitative analysis of the BJTs thermal instability over a wide power range, even in the apparent SOA of the device. This method can also predict and evaluate SOA with respect to emitter ballast resistance and current crowding.

Current mirror methodology quantifying time dependent thermal instability accurately in SOI BJT circuitry

A method for quantifying safe operating regions within a safe operating area (SOA) for a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) by driving the device under test (DUT) as part of a current mirror circuit and monitoring variances in the current mirror ratio for various biasing conditions.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Joseph A De Santis