Note that the Trench Gate Field Stop Technology wafer thickness is roughly four times thinner than the older, Planar Punch Through technology. The wafer is thin enough to actually bend as shown in the illustration on this slide. The result is a significant improvement in junction-to-case thermal resistance which will improve the overall system thermal design. Another benefit of the TGFS technology is the low switching loss when compared to PT devices. Also beneficial is the fact that TGFS devices exhibit a “slightly positive Vce saturation” temperature coefficient, enabling excellent current sharing characteristics when paralleling discrete devices or using parallel die in modules. This enables better current sharing than is possible with PT technology devices as they exhibit a negative Vce saturation temperature coefficient that can create a condition for thermal runaway, leading to device failure when paralleling devices for higher power handling capability. This advantage of TGFS technology is also superior to the much higher positive Vce saturation temperature coefficient of some competitors Non-Punch Through (NPT) technology, which incur much greater conduction losses, due to higher Vce saturation values at normal operating temperatures. Also note that in comparison to older technologies ST now allows a maximum junction temperature of 175°C compared with 150°C which makes for more reliable, longer lifetime devices. This may also afford more thermal margin in designs, potentially allowing devices to be used at higher power limits or with a smaller heat sink.