Review of LDMOS time dependent degradation based on low-frequency noise modeling

A review is presented for the physics-based flicker noise model developed to describe the origin of low-frequency fluctuations in LDMOS transistors. The model is based on the Unified 1/f Noise Model, but it considers a more realistic spatial and energy distribution of traps in the dielectric instead of uniform trap distribution. It not only correctly computes the observed noise power spectral density in LDMOS, but it successfully predicts the degradation of noise characteristics with applied high voltage stress. We verified the model for two different technology samples that were fabricated in standard BiCMOS processes. This paper focuses on the analysis and modeling approach for the viability of the correlated carrier number and mobility fluctuation based 1/f noise model for LDMOSFETs. Observations from some recent approaches on LDMOS noise modeling are also highlighted here.