An overview of smart power technology

The evolution of smart power technology and the impact of this technology on electronic systems are reviewed. After providing a definition of smart power technology, the author describes the key technological developments in power semiconductor devices, namely power MOSFETs and IGBTs (insulated-gate bipolar transistors). These developments are the foundation upon which smart power technology rests. Smart power technology requires the marriage of power device technology with CMOS logic and bipolar analog circuits. The technical challenges involved in combining power handling capability with on-chip regulation of overcurrent, overvoltage, and overtemperature conditions are described, together with examples of solutions for telecommunications, motor control, and switch mode power supplies