Editing Power semiconductor device (section)

== Parameters ==

[[image:Thermal stack.svg|thumb|400px|A power device is usually attached to a [[heatsink]] to remove the heat caused by operation losses.]]
[[Image:Power die.svg|thumb|400px|The power semiconductor die of a three-terminal device (IGBT, MOSFET or BJT). Two contacts are on top of the die, the remaining one is on the back.]]
#'''Breakdown voltage''': Often, there is a trade-off between breakdown voltage rating and on-resistance, because increasing the breakdown voltage by incorporating a thicker and lower doped drift region leads to a higher on-resistance.
#'''On-resistance''': A higher current rating lowers the on-resistance due to greater numbers of parallel cells. This increases overall capacitance and slows down the speed.
#'''Rise and fall times''': The amount of time it takes to switch between the on-state and the off-state.
#'''Safe-operating area''': This is a thermal dissipation and "latch-up" consideration.
#'''Thermal resistance''': This is an often ignored but extremely important parameter from the point of view of practical design; a semiconductor does not perform well at elevated temperature, and yet due to large current conduction, a power semiconductor device invariably heats up. Therefore, such a devices needs to be cooled by removing that heat continuously; packaging and heatsink technology provide a means for removing heat from a semiconductor device by conducting it to the external environment. Generally, a large current device has a large die and packaging surface areas and lower thermal resistance.