A regional analytic model for current interruption in high voltage center gated bipolar switches

High voltage (500V) crosspoint arrays have been realized in dielectric isolation technology for telecommunications applications. The crosspoint elements can be lateral bipolar devices with center gates such as the gated diode switch. To explain the transient behavior of these devices during current interruption a semi-analytical model has been developed. In spite of the approximate nature of the model, its results agree favorably with the observed properties of the crosspoint, and perhaps more significantly it provides a more quantitative test of the basic understanding of the device operation.