New power package packs larger dice in standard housing

SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics, the industry leader in power packaging technology, has developed a new power transistor package that has the same footprint and lead spacing as the industry standard TO-220 package but can accommodate much larger dice. Known as MAX220, the new package has a die area capacity comparable to the larger TO-247 package, which is around twice that of the TO-220. and is also available in a fully isolated ,version, IMAX220. with a guaranteed isolation of 1500V RMS.

The larger die capacity allows designers to save PCB space by using the smaller MAX220 package instead of the much larger TO-218 or TO-247 devices or by replacing paralleled TO-220 devices by a single MAX220 device. Alternatively, a power MOSFET with half the on-resistance and hence much greater current handling capability can be placed in the same footprint as a TO-220 device, reducing heatsink requirements and power dissipation.

The MAX220 package also features simple clip mounting, a method that is not only easy, fast and inexpensive but also offers more efficient and reliable thermal performance (due to the more even distribution of mounting force) and eliminates the risk of damage to the die caused by over-tightening mounting screws. The reduced circuit assembly costs make clip mounting particularly attractive for large-volume applications.

Among the devices available in the new package are the 0.36Ohm, 500V STU14NA50 and the 1.0Ohm 800V STU8NA80 power MOSFETs. These RDS(on) values compare well with the industry standard minimum values currently available in TO-220: around 0.85Ohms for 500V devices, and around 2Ohms for 800V devices. The price of devices in this package will be competitive with equivalent devices in other packages.

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