Characterization of an integrated High-Voltage capacitance in Silicon-On-Insulator technology

In recent years, the topic of motor inverterization has become increasingly popular as it offers numerous benefits in terms of energy efficiency and control. Central to this topic is the development of gate drivers, which are critical components in controlling the switching of power devices in the inverter-leg. The introduction of high voltage integrated circuits (HVICs) has greatly simplified the inverter system, but has also brought in new challenges in terms of communication between different voltage domains, each isolated from each other up to several hundreds volts. In this paper, the characterization of an integrated high voltage capacitance in silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology placed between two voltage domains is presented, allowing for a bilateral form of communication at the cost of withstanding high voltage at its terminals. The measurement of this element required a dedicated circuital structure, and the value of the capacitance was measured to be around 127 fF and its breakdown voltage at around 1800 V.