Infineon Chips More Efficiently Fuel Such High-Power Devices as PCs and Servers at Low Voltages

Munich, Germany, and Chicago, IL – October 28, 2002 – At the PowerSystems World Power Electronics Technology Exhibition & Conference in Chicago today, Infineon Technologies AG (FSE/NYSE: IFX) announced a new family of devices that solve a two-pronged problem faced by designers of dc/dc converters for personal computer motherboards, telecommunications equipment, servers and voltage regulator modules (VRMs): supplying higher power while at the same time decreasing voltage.

The evolution of microprocessor chips has been marked by transistors continually getting smaller, which reduces the voltage required by individual transistors. However, each new processor generation packs a greater number of transistors into each chip, so total power consumption has actually increased. This places severe demands on dc/dc converters, which need to supply higher load currents.

The power dissipation of dc/dc converters results in the heating of converter components, which affects their electrical behavior over time and makes efficiency improvement a major requirement. Minimizing losses within dc/dc converters is therefore a key to achieving high system reliability.

The new Infineon OptiMOS® 2 25-volt (V) N-channel MOSFETs (metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors) allow efficient power conversion of a 12 V input into the 1.2 V to 2.0 V levels required by the latest generations of microprocessors. The OptiMOS 2 devices are the next generation of Infineon’s power MOSFETs. They provide exceptionally low gate charge, fast switching times, low thermal resistance, and a high degree of ruggedness, making them ideally suited for applications in which power management and efficiency are critical. Their industry-leading characteristics set a new performance standard for low-voltage MOSFETs, and further strengthen Infineon’s position as a leading technology supplier to the dc/dc converter market.

How OptiMOS 2 Devices Solve the Problem

Infineon’s N-channel OptiMOS 2 process technology achieves the lowest available on-resistance per silicon area, an outstandingly low gate charge, nearly un-measurable reverse recovery charge, low internal gate resistance, and other characteristics that result in exceptional device performance.

For example, the IPD05N03LA OptiMOS 2 Power Transistor, which is intended for low-side applications, provides up to 50 A of continuous current. It has a maximum rated on-resistance of only 5.1 milliOhms, which minimizes conduction losses, and a typical total gate charge (Qg) of 20.1 nC (nanocoloumbs). Its maximum reverse recovery charge (Qrr) is less than 10 nC, contributing to lower switching losses for the high-side FET. Similarly, the IPD13N03LA, which is intended for high-side applications, provides up to 30 A of continuous current. It has an on-resistance of only 13 milliOhms and a typical Qg of only 8.2 nC, which allows high switching frequencies with minimum losses. Its maximum Qrr is less than 10 nC.

Compatible Gate Driver Also Available

An external gate driver chip, the TDA21101, is now also available for providing high- and low-side drive for the OptiMOS 2 and other low-voltage transistors used in synchronous buck converter applications, such as CPU core supplies. The new driver IC incorporates an industry-standard pinout and control configuration with significantly enhanced output current drive capability, making it suitable for the higher switching frequency requirements of new CPU power systems.

Price, Packaging and Availability

The 25 V N-channel OptiMOS 2 devices are available now. Typical prices are $0.52 each for the IPD05N03LA, and $0.26 each for the IPD13N03LA, in 10,000-piece quantities. The series comes in a variety of packages that are designed to fit the full space-conscious application spectrum, including D-Pak (TO252), D2-PAK (TO263), I-Pak (TO251), I2-PAK (TO262) and TO220.

The TDA21101 external gate driver is available now in a standard PDSO-8 package at a price of $0.60 in 10,000-piece quantities.

Additional information on the OptiMOS 2 family is available at www.infineon.com/dc2dc.