This is the second in a series of application notes that define
the fundamental behavior of MOSFETs, both as standalone
devices and as switching devices implemented in a
switchmode power supply (SMPS). The first application note1
provided a basic description of the MOSFET and the
terminology behind the device, including definitions and
physical structure. This application note goes into more detail
on the switching behavior of the MOSFET when used in a
practical application circuit and attempts to enable the
reader/designer to choose the right device for the application
using the minimum available information from the datasheet.
The note goes through several methods of assessing the
switching performance of the MOSFET and compares these
methods against practical results. Several definitions used
within the text are drawn from application note AN605.