Ultra-High Cell Density Cuts Power MOSFET ON-Resistance

SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics has introduced a range of low voltage (30 to 60V) power MOSFETs built with a new ultra-high cell density (UHD) process that dramatically reduces the ON-resistance for a given chip area. This allows the devices to offer extremely low values of RDS(on) - and therefore extremely low switching losses - yet be housed in small packages, resulting in optimum efficiency for power-sensitive applications such as portable computers.

Typical members of the UHD range include the STD20N06 with a Vdss rating of 60V, a maximum continuous drain current of 20A and a typical ON-resistance of 0.026W and the STD20N03L, which offers 30V/20A ratings and a typical ON-resistance of just 0.016W. These are both available in the highly compact DPAK surface mounting package, with versions of the first device also being available in the IPAK (such as the STD20N06-1) and the TO-220 (such as the STP38N06) packages for through-hole mounting. The combination of excellent switching performance and small package dimensions increases circuit efficiency in applications such as portable computers where board space is limited and can also allow the use of efficient circuit topologies such as synchronous rectification to be used where this was not previously possible.

The much lower power dissipation of UHD devices allows heatsink sizes to be reduced or, more importantly, a surface mounting device can often be used where a through-hole packaged device was formerly required. This can be very beneficial in applications where surface mounting is already used for all the rest of the system. For example, the maximum ON-resistance of the 60V STD20N06 mounted in the DPAK package is only 30mW, compared to 85mW for the conventional technology 60V STD17N06.

The low ON-resistances also lead to excellent current handling capability; the 60V STP80N06-10, for example can handle a continuous current of 80A in the TO-220 package.

Ideal for synchronous rectification in portable computers, Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS), motor controls and similar high performance switching applications, the UHD devices also feature excellent dv/dt capability, ensuring robust body-to-drain diode operation for good circuit reliability. Devices are available in the IPAK and TO-220 through-hole packages, and the DPAK (and shortly also the D2PAK) surface-mount packages.

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