SEMICONDUCTOR EFFICIENCY COMPARISON BETWEEN DISCRETE

DEVICES AND INTEGRATED DEVICES

SUBMITTED BY

Waleed Abrar (2018-EE-061)

Section (B)

SUBMITTED TO: MADAM TEHREEM

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

SIR SYED UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY,
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 KARACHI

TABLE OF CONTENT

Title Page ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1)

Table of Contents --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (2)
Summary (Abstract) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ (3)
Introduction---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (4-5)
Working & Assessment -------------------------------------------------------------------- (5-11)
Scope and Limitations---------------------------------------------------------------------- (12-13)
Conclusion ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (14)
References ------------------------------------------------------------------------ (15)

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 ABSTRACT

Power electronic systems for controlling and converting electrical energy have
become the workhorse of modern society in many applications, both in industry
and in the home. Power electronics plays a very important role in traction and
can be considered as workhorse of robotics and automated manufacturing
systems.
Power semiconductor devices are the key electronic components used in power
electronic systems. Advances in power semiconductor technology have improved
the efficiency, size, weight and cost of power electronic systems. At present,
IGCTs, IGBTs, and MOSFETs represent modern switching devices. Power
integrated circuits (PIC) have been developed for the use of power converters for
portable, automotive and aerospace applications. New materials (SiC and GaN)
have been introduced for advanced applications. This paper reviews the state of
these devices and elaborates on their potentials in terms of higher voltages,
higher power density, and better switching performance.
Many power semiconductor devices
have been developed and produced since the invention of the thyristor in 1956,
which marked the beginning of the modern era of power electronics, which can
be called the solid state power electronics revolution.

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 INTRODUCTION

Power electronic systems for controlling and converting electrical energy have
become the workhorse of modern society in many applications. Put quite simply,
power is everywhere. For example, power electronic systems play a dominant
role in making more efficient use of electric power in many appliances, both in
industry and in the home. The use of power converters for variable speed drives
results in energy savings and recovers the additional converter cost within a
short period of time. Power electronics plays a very important role in traction by
enabling the use of electric cars and trains and can be considered as workhorse
of robotics and automated manufacturing systems. The importance of effective
energy conversion control, including power generation from renewable and
environment-friendly energy sources, has increased due to rising energy
demand.

The first solid-state power semiconductor devices were copper oxide rectifiers,
used in early battery chargers and power supplies for radio equipment,
announced in 1927 by L.O. Grendel and P.H. Geiger.The first germanium power
semiconductor device appeared in 1952 with the introduction of the power
diode by R.N. Hall. It had a reverse voltage blocking capability of 200 V and a
current rating of 35 A.
Germanium bipolar transistors with substantial power handling capabilities (100

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mA collector current) were introduced around 1952; with essentially the same
construction as signal devices, but better heat sinking. Power handling capability
evolved rapidly, and by 1954 germanium alloy junction transistors with 100-watt
dissipation were available. These were all relatively low-frequency devices, used
up to around 100 kHz, and up to 85 degrees Celsius junction temperature. Silicon
power transistors were not made until 1957, but when available had better
frequency response than germanium devices, and could operate up to 150 C
junction temperature.

The thermistor appeared in 1957. It is able to withstand very high reverse

breakdown voltage and is also capable of carrying high current. However, one
disadvantage of the thermistor in switching circuits is that once it becomes
'latched-on' in the conducting state; it cannot be turned off by external control,
as the thermistor turn-off is passive, i.e.,the power must be disconnected from
the device. Thyristors which could be turned off, called gate turn-off thyristors
(GTO), were introduced in 1960.These overcome some limitations of the
ordinary thyristor, because they can be turned on or off with an applied signal.

Semiconductor Efficiency Comparison Between Discrete Devices

and Integrated Devices

Discrete Devices And Intrgrated Circuits Detailed , Working &
Assessment

Integrated Circuit Devices:

An integrated circuit is a microscopic array of the electronic circuits and
electronic component (resister,inductor,capacitor….) that are diffused or
implanted into the surface of semiconductor material  wafer such as silicon.
Integrated Circuit invented by Jack Kilby in the 1950s. A chip is commonly termed

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as Integrated circuits (IC).

Basic structure of an IC

Advantages of IC
 Small in size
IC's are small in size but, practically as equivalent as around 20,000
components that are incorporated in a single chip.

 Simplifies Design
On the end, complex circuits are fabricated with in a single chip. Therefore,
designing of a complex circuit will be simplified into a single chip.

 High Reliability
Complex circuit are incorporated on a single chip making it with lesser
number of connections. Thus, soldering process will be minimize to gain
high reliability.

 Low cost
Production of IC's are done in bulk or mass production. Therefore, the
price of IC per unit will be reduce due to high supply. It will be much
inexpensive rather than creating equivalent discrete circuit of an IC.

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 Low power consumption
Because IC's are made of semiconductor material wafer, it consumes very
little power or less power. As we know that semiconductors draw lesser
power than other elements.

 Easy to replace component

In integrated circuit, a circuit system will be considered a single element.
So, replacing the entire circuit is easy rather than finding the specific
component and replace it in discrete circuit. Also, there is no need of
repairing. Replacement is economical and reliable than repair.

 Increase operating speed

Integrated circuits can increase the operation speed because parasitic
elements such as capacitors are omitted.

 Small Signal Suitability

IC components are designed with very compact arrangement within the
wafer. So, these components are help close to each other and there is no
chance of stray electrical pick ups.

Disadvantages of Integrated Circuits

 Impossible to modify the parameters

After the IC was fabricated, it is impossible to modify its parameters in
which it will operate.

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  Cannot be repair
When the component of an IC is damaged, the whole IC should be replaced and it is
impossible the repair the component inside.

 Cannot be integrated with high capacitance

With the capacitance value higher than 30pF, it is impossible to fabricate in
the semiconductor chip. To make it possible, should have connected to
discrete component externally.

 Low power production

It is impossible for a IC to produce a high power output. Usually it can not
produce power greater than 10W. So, it is impossible to feed directly the
output from IC to actuators like motors. Discrete component is needed to
drive the actuators.

 Exterior connection of inductor and transformer

Discrete components such as inductors and transformers are impossible to
fabricate in semiconductor chip. If the circuit needs inductor, connecting it
external inductor is the only way.

Discrete Circuits:
A discrete circuit is constructed of components which are manufactured
separately. Later, these components are connected together by using conducted
wires on a circuit board or a printed circuit board.The transistor is one of the
primary components used in discrete circuits, and combinations of these
transistors can be used to create logic gates. These logic gates can be used to
obtain the desired output from an input. Discrete circuits can be designed to
operate at higher voltages.
Some common power devices are the power MOSFET, power diode, thyristor,

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and IGBT. The power diode and power MOSFET operate on similar principles to
their low-power counterparts, but are able to carry a larger amount of current
and are typically able to withstand a larger reverse-bias voltage in the off-state.
Structural changes are often made in a power device in order to accommodate
the higher current density, higher power dissipation, and/or higher
reverse breakdown voltage.
Discrete Circuit Refers to the type of circuit construction in which the components are
manufactured separately. The component are connected using a conducting wires,
breadboard or a printed circuit board (PCB). These components can be resistor, diodes,
transistors and inductors.

Components of this circuit type are combined to performed a particular output.

For example, we can use transistors to create a logic gates. Discrete circuits can
be designed to use in low voltage or high voltage, it depends on the acceptability
and compatibility of components. Nowadays, most of electronics devices are
mixture of discrete component and integrated circuits.

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Advantages of Discrete circuits

 Handles high power input

 Produces high power output

It can produce high power output that can
drive the actuators diectly.
 Achieves low temperature coefficient

 Can change parameters of the circuit

Changing the parameter of the
circuit can be achieved here as same as changing the components and
values of components.

Disdvantages of Discrete circuits

 Assembling and Wiring

Assembling and wiring of separate components will take time and it usually
occupies space that makes the circuitry bulky.

 2. Designing the Circuitry

In case of designing, it takes patience and creativity. Usually discrete
circuits have many component to combining. So, this will test your patience
in designing a circuit in which components and wires will not messed up.

 3. Replacement of failed components

It is complicated to replace failed components in this type of circuit
construction. Some components are connected to each other and the other
components will be affect when removing the other. For the intention of

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 making the circuit as compact as possible, replacing single component is
fragile.

 4. Less Relibility
Wires and components are usually connected with soldering process.
Soldering process by hand affects reliability due to solder joint behavior,
component damage and cleanliness. Solder joint behavior can affect
because it can add resistances on the circuit specially when you had bad
solder joint. Usually, soldering process would reached to 400 degrees
celsius and this high temperature can damage the component.

 Assembling and wiring of all individual discrete components take more

time and occupies a larger space required.
 Replacement of a failed component is complicated in an existed circuit or
system.
 Actually, the elements are connected using soldering process so, that may
have caused less reliability.
 To overcome these problems of reliability and space conservation,
integrated circuits are developed.

Some common power devices are the power MOSFET, power diode, thyristor,
and IGBT. The power diode and power MOSFET operate on similar principles to
their low-power counterparts, but are able to carry a larger amount of current
and are typically able to withstand a larger reverse-bias voltage in the off-state.
Structural changes are often made in a power device in order to accommodate
the higher current density, higher power dissipation, and/or higher reverse
breakdown voltage. The vast majority of the discrete (i.e.,non-integrated) power
devices are built using a vertical structure, whereas small-signal devices employ a
lateral structure. With the vertical structure, the current rating of the device is
proportional to its area, and the voltage blocking capability is achieved in the
height of the die. With this structure, one of the connections of the device is
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located on the bottom of the semiconductor die.

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

INTEGRATED DEVICES:
The semiconductors of the periodic table of the chemical elements were
identified as the most likely materials for a solid-state vacuum tube. Starting with
copper oxide, proceeding to germanium, then silicon, the materials were
systematically studied in the 1940s and 1950s. Today, monocrystalline silicon is
the main substrate used for ICs although some III- V compounds of the periodic
table such as gallium arsenide are used for specialized applications like LEDs,
lasers, solar cells and the highest-speed integrated circuits. It took decades to
perfect methods of creating crystals with minimal defects in semiconducting
materials' crystal structure.
Semiconductor ICs are fabricated in a planar process which includes three key
process steps – photolithography, deposition (such as chemical vapor
deposition), and etching. The main process steps are supplemented by doping
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and cleaning. More recent or high- performance ICs may instead use multi-gate
FinFET or GAAFET transistors instead of planar ones.

 Integrated circuits are composed of many overlapping layers, each defined

by photolithography, and normally shown in different colors. Some layer’s
mark where various dopants are diffused into the substrate (called
diffusion layers), some define where additional ions are implanted
(implant layers), some define the conductors (doped polysilicon or metal
layers), and some define the connections between the conducting layers
(via or contact layers). All components are constructed from a specific
combination of these layers.
 In a self-aligned CMOS process, a transistor is formed wherever the gate
layer (polysilicon or metal) crosses a diffusion layer.
 Capacitive structures, in form very much like the parallel conducting plates
of a traditional electrical capacitor, are formed according to the area of the
"plates", with insulating material between the plates. Capacitors of a wide
range of sizes are common on ICs.

 Meandering stripes of varying lengths are sometimes used to form on-chip

resistors, though most logic circuits do not need any resistors. The ratio of
the length of the resistive structure to its width, combined with its sheet
resistivity, determines the resistance.
 More rarely, inductive structures can be built as tiny on-chip coils, or
simulated by gyrators.
 Since a CMOS device only draws current on the transition between logic
states, CMOS devices consume much less current than bipolar junction
transistor devices.

DISCRETE DEVICES:

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A breakthrough in power electronics came with the invention of the MOSFET (metal-oxide-
semiconductor field-effect transistor) by Mohamed Atalla and Dawson King at Bell Labs in
1959. Generations of MOSFET transistors enabled power designers to achieve performance
and density levels not possible with bipolar transistors.

A power device may be classified as one of the following main categories.

 A three-terminal device (e.g., a triode), whose state is dependent on not
only its external power circuit, but also the signal on its driving terminal
(this terminal is known as the gate or base).

 A four terminal device (e.g. Silicon Controlled Switch -SCS). SCS is a type of
thyristor having four layers and four terminals called anode, anode gate,
cathode gate and cathode. the terminals are connected to the first,
second, third and fourth layer respectively.
Another classification is less obvious, but has a strong influence on device
performance:
 A majority carrier device (e.g.,a Schottky diode, a MOSFET, etc.); this uses
only one type of charge carriers.
 A minority carrier device (e.g.,a thyristor, a bipolar transistor, an IGBT,
etc.); this uses both majority and minority carriers (i.e., electrons and
electron holes).
Conclusion
This report has presented and discussed the basic physical limits and the
present state-of-the-art of the most important types of power
semiconductor devices. For the near future, high-power electronics will
continue to utilize the Si devices, especially silicon switching devices. IGBTs
and IGCTs will compete on an equal level for high-voltage high-power
applications. In medium voltage applications (1 – 3 kV) IGBTs remain the
most important switching devices, especially in combination with SiC or
GaN Schottky or JBS diodes. For voltages below 1000 V, superjunction

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 MOSFETs will provide high frequency fast switching in competition with
IGBTs. The voltage range below 300 V will be the domain of power
MOSFETs (mostly trench MOSFETs). The SiC and GaN Schottky and JBS
diodes have become very important for increasing the quality of IGBT
modules. The SiC and GaN switches have to wait for a breakthrough in
higher power applications till improvements in quality of basic materials
can be reached. The development trends of power device technologies will
continue to provide power electronic systems with exceptional
performance, increased comfort, energy savings and growing accent on
the sustainable use of natural resources.

References

In this Formal Report Semiconductor Efficiency Comparison Between Discrete

Devices and Integrated Devices describe the detail of given topic.I get help
through Google,lecture Notes and the lectures that I covered is class and also
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getting help through friends to write this Formal Report.

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