X-FAB announces first 200V SOI foundry technology

GERMANY: X-FAB Silicon Foundries announced its XT018, the world’s first trench dielectric isolated SOI foundry technology offering for 200V MOS capability at 180nm.

Using the full dielectric isolation of this modular process allows blocks at different voltage levels to be integrated on a single chip instead of placed on different chips. It significantly reduces the number of required additional components on printed circuit boards, eliminates latch-up and provides built-in robustness against electromagnetic interference.

The XT018 SOI technology is the only available foundry process at 180nm for applications requiring the 100V to 200V voltage range. It is ideal for consumer, medical, telecommunication infrastructure and industrial applications that need bidirectional isolation, such as PoE applications, ultrasound transmitter drivers, piezo actuators and capacitive-driven micromechanics.

The new technology combines fully isolated MOS transistors for the high-voltage drain with a 180nm technology for 1.8V / 5.0V I/O and up to 6 metal layers. Its unique process architecture, utilizing a super-junction architecture with patented dielectric HV termination for the MOS transistors, allows compact design with a Ron as low as 0.3 Wmm² for 100V and 1.1Wmm² for 200V nMOS transistors. The HV MOS transistors are designed to have identical electrical parameters for both low- and high-side operation.

The modular approach of the XT018 process includes a 5V-only module for analog-focused applications, and HVnmos and Hvpmos modules that can be selected separately. The technology is fully characterized for a temperature range of -40°C to 175°C.

In addition to the HV transistors, the new XT018 technology offering provides a thick metal option to support high-current routing, isolated 10V MOS, basic  junction diodes and bipolar transistors, medium- and high-ohmic poly resistors, and an area-efficient high-capacity MIM (2.2 to 6.6 fF/µm²), as well as a high-voltage capacitor. The super-junction technology allows rectifying diodes with 20ns reverse recovery time, enabling rectifiers and bootstrap circuitry to be integrated efficiently on the chip rather than off-chip.

Sebastian Schmidt, product marketing manager for X-FAB’s High Voltage product line, said, “Our XT018 technology provides exceptional dielectrically isolated high-voltage support. Such isolation makes it easier to design for short innovation cycles, is straightforward, and results in a faster time to market.”

The XT018 PDK is available now, so designers can start designing right away.