A study of on-resistance and switching characteristics of the power MOSFET under cryogenic conditions

The decrease in on-resistance of power MOSFETs operation under cryogenic temperature leads to a considerable reduction in heat generation inside the device. An experimental measurement of on-resistances at 77K, 173K, 243K and 295K was carried out by applying cryogenic cooling techniques. The decrease in on-resistance and capacitance associated with the temperature led to an enhancement of overall time response of the MOSFETs. Another advantage associated with operating MOSFETs under cryogenic temperature is the decrease of the internal thermal resistance. The present work demonstrated that by exposing the device to cryogenic conditions, it is possible to implement high frequency, high power applications with MOSFET devices.