1. Power integrated circuits

Technological advances have made it possible to integrate power components and analog circuits with complex logic and even memories on the same chip. Thus, the first power integrated circuits for low-voltage applications appeared as early as 1985, fifteen years after the beginnings of signal component integration, in two forms: Smart Power circuits and HVIC circuits. The difference between the technologies used to design these two types of circuit essentially stems from the arrangement of the power element and the current and voltage ranges handled: in Smart Power, the power component, usually alone, can be horizontal or vertical (DMOS), whereas in HVICs, the power component is lateral and optimized to withstand high voltages in the off-state (LDMOS). HVICs are multi-output circuits capable of withstanding voltages of up to a few hundred volts, but with the very low current densities inherent...