MOSFET Switching Failure

Category: science

A component failure where a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor develops an internal short circuit.

MOSFETs function as high-speed electronic switches inside the CPU power delivery modules (VRMs). If the high-side MOSFET fails short, it will pass the raw, unregulated 12V input voltage directly into the fragile 1.0V CPU core, instantly destroying the main processor silicon chip.

Common Examples

• The computer died with a loud pop due to a catastrophic MOSFET switching failure that melted the internal silicon gate junctions.
• Testing a phase MOSFET for continuity between the source and drain pads is the standard method for isolating a blown power stage element.