Anti-aging architecture for power MOSFET device

1. A circuit, comprising:

a power MOS stage; and

a driver circuit configured to drive the power MOS stage;

wherein the power MOS stage comprises a first power MOS device and a second power MOS device connected in parallel between a first node and a second node, the first power MOS device having a first voltage rating characteristic and the second power MOS device having a second voltage rating characteristic that is lower than the first voltage rating characteristic; and

wherein the driver circuit is configured to drive control nodes of the first and second power MOS devices in a sequential manner when actuating the power MOS stage by actuating the first power MOS device with the first voltage rating characteristic before actuating the second power MOS device with the second voltage rating characteristic.

2. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the driver circuit is configured to drive control nodes of the first and second power MOS devices in a sequential manner when deactuating the power MOS stage by deactuating the second power MOS device with the second voltage rating characteristic before deactuating the first power MOS device with the first voltage rating characteristic.

3. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first and second power MOS devices are n-type devices.

4. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first and second power MOS devices are p-type devices.

5. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the power MOS stage is a switching circuit of a DC-DC converter.

6. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the power MOS stage is a switching circuit of a half-bridge driver.

7. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the power MOS stage is a switching circuit of a full-bridge driver.

8. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first voltage rating characteristic is defined by both a maximum operating voltage (MOV) of V MOV1 and an absolute minimum rating (AMR) of V AMR1 , and wherein the second voltage rating characteristic is defined by both a maximum operating voltage (MOV) of V MOV2 and an absolute minimum rating (AMR) of V AMR2 , where V MOV1 >V MOV2 and V AMR1 >V AMR2 .

9. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first voltage rating characteristic comprises a maximum operating voltage (MOV) of V MOV1 , and wherein the second voltage rating characteristic comprises a maximum operating voltage (MOV) of V MOV2 , where V MOV1 >V MOV2 .

10. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first voltage rating characteristic comprises an absolute minimum rating (AMR) of V AMR1 , and wherein the second voltage rating characteristic comprises an absolute minimum rating (AMR) of V AMR2 , where V AMR1 >V AMR2 .

11. A circuit including a half-bridge driver, comprising:

a high-side power MOS stage;

a low-side power MOS stage coupled in series with the high-side power MOS stage at an intermediate node; and

a driver circuit configured to drive the high-side and low-side power MOS stages;

wherein at least one of the high-side and low-side power MOS stages comprises:

a first power MOS device and a second power MOS device connected in parallel between a first node and the intermediate node, the first power MOS device having a first voltage rating characteristic and the second power MOS device having a second voltage rating characteristic that is lower than the first voltage rating characteristic; and

wherein the driver circuit is configured to drive control nodes of the first and second power MOS devices in a sequential manner when actuating the power MOS stage by actuating the first power MOS device with the first voltage rating characteristic before actuating the second power MOS device with the second voltage rating characteristic.

12. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the driver circuit is configured to drive control nodes of the first and second power MOS devices in a sequential manner when deactuating the power MOS stage by deactuating the second power MOS device with the second voltage rating characteristic before deactuating the first power MOS device with the first voltage rating characteristic.

13. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the first and second power MOS devices are n-type devices.

14. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the first and second power MOS devices are p-type devices.

15. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the first node is coupled to receive a supply voltage and the intermediate node is coupled to drive an output load.

16. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the first node is coupled to an inductor and the intermediate node is coupled to drive an output load.

17. The circuit of claim 16 , wherein the inductor is coupled to a ground voltage.

18. The circuit of claim 16 , wherein the inductor is coupled to receive an input voltage.

19. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the first node is coupled to an inductor and the intermediate node is coupled to a ground voltage.

20. The circuit of claim 19 , wherein the inductor is coupled to receive an input voltage.

21. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the first voltage rating characteristic is defined by both a maximum operating voltage (MOV) of V MOV1 and an absolute minimum rating (AMR) of V AMR1 , and wherein the second voltage rating characteristic is defined by both a maximum operating voltage (MOV) of V MOV2 and an absolute minimum rating (AMR) of V AMR2 , where V MOV1 >V MOV2 and V AMR1 >V AMR2 .

22. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the first voltage rating characteristic comprises a maximum operating voltage (MOV) of V MOV1 , and wherein the second voltage rating characteristic comprises a maximum operating voltage (MOV) of V MOV2 , where V MOV1 >V MOV2 .

23. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the first voltage rating characteristic comprises an absolute minimum rating (AMR) of V AMR1 , and wherein the second voltage rating characteristic comprises an absolute minimum rating (AMR) of V AMR2 , where V AMR1 >V AMR2 .

24. A method for driving a power MOS stage which includes a first power MOS device and a second power MOS device connected in parallel between a first node and a second node, the first power MOS device having a first voltage rating characteristic and the second power MOS device having a second voltage rating characteristic that is lower than the first voltage rating characteristic, the method comprising:

driving control nodes of the first and second power MOS devices in a sequential manner when actuating the power MOS stage by:

actuating the first power MOS device with the first voltage rating characteristic; and

then actuating the second power MOS device with the second voltage rating characteristic.

25. The method of claim 24 , further comprising:

driving control nodes of the first and second power MOS devices in a sequential manner when deactuating the power MOS stage by:

deactuating the second power MOS device with the second voltage rating characteristic; and

then deactuating the first power MOS device with the first voltage rating characteristic.

26. The method of claim 24 , wherein the first voltage rating characteristic is defined by both a maximum operating voltage (MOV) of V MOV1 and an absolute minimum rating (AMR) of V AMR1 , and wherein the second voltage rating characteristic is defined by both a maximum operating voltage (MOV) of V MOV2 and an absolute minimum rating (AMR) of V AMR2 , where V MOV1 >V MOV2 and V AMR1 >V AMR2 .

27. The method of claim 24 , wherein the first voltage rating characteristic comprises a maximum operating voltage (MOV) of V MOV1 , and wherein the second voltage rating characteristic comprises a maximum operating voltage (MOV) of V MOV2 , where V MOV1 >V MOV2 .

28. The method of claim 24 , wherein the first voltage rating characteristic comprises an absolute minimum rating (AMR) of V AMR1 , and wherein the second voltage rating characteristic comprises an absolute minimum rating (AMR) of V AMR2 , where V AMR1 >V AMR2 .