Düsseldorf, 26th August, 2010 — Renesas Electronics, a premier provider of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced the availability of its new 12th-generation power MOSFET products, the RJK0210DPA, RJK0211DPA, and RJK0212DPA, as power semiconductor devices for DC/DC converters used in applications such as general point-of-load, base stations, computer servers and notebook PCs.
The new products are used to control the voltage-conversion circuits of the CPU and the memory. For example, the new power MOSFETs can be used as a step-down circuit for converting the 12-volt (V) voltage supplied by a battery to 1.05 V for use by the CPU. Further refinements to the manufacturing process allow Renesas Electronics’ new MOSFETs to achieve approximately 40 percent lower FOM (figure of merit; on-state resistance times gate charge, Note 1) compared to the company’s existing products, which contribute to reduction of the power loss during voltage conversion and thereby enable highly efficient DC/DC converter performance.
As the performance of applications such as servers, notebook PCs, and graphics cards increases, their power consumption grows. At the same time the trend toward lower operating voltages for components such as CPUs, graphics processing units (GPUs), memory, devices and ASICs results in increased current flow. This creates a need for DC/DC converters capable of handling low voltages and large currents. In addition, there is strong demand for reduced power loss during voltage conversion and higher efficiency to help conserve energy and reduce environmental impact. Renesas Electronics is addressing these demands by expanding its lineup of low-FOM power MOSFET product offerings with its new products that achieve the leading level of performance in the industry today.
With a voltage tolerance (VDSS) of 25 V, the new products achieve maximum current (ID) of 40 amps (A) for the RJK0210DPA MOSFET, 30 A for the RJK0211DPA device, and 25 A for the RJK0212DPA device, and their FOM (typical values at VGS = 4.5 V) are 6.84 mΩ?nC, 7.83 mΩ?nC, and 7.2 mΩ?nC, respectively, which is an improvement of approximately 40 percent compared to Renesas Electronics’MOSFETs.
In addition, the new products’ gate-drain charge capacitance (Qgd), a key characteristic of control power MOSFETs, is 1.2 nC, 0.9 nC, and 0.6 nC, respectively, which also is approximately 40 percent less than Renesas Electronics’ generation power MOSFETs (when measured using the same on-resistance). Lower figures indicate less switching loss, contributing significantly to more efficient DC/DC converter performance and improved energy efficiency.
A DC/DC converter operates by having two power MOSFETs, one for control and the other for synchronous rectification, switching on and off alternately to convert the voltage. When the new RJK0210DPA MOSFET is used for control and the Renesas Electronics 11th generation RJK0208DPA device for synchronous rectification, the maximum power conversion efficiency is 90.6 percent at an output current level of 18 A and 86.6 percent at an output current level of 40 A, when converting from 12 V to 1.05 V. (Both figures are based on a switching frequency of 300 kHz and a two-phase configuration).
These new MOSFETs use the Renesas Electronics WPAK package, which measures 5.1 × 6.1 millimeters (mm) and 0.8 mm (maximum) thick. The underside of the device has a die pad that allows heat to pass to the printed wiring board while the power MOSFET is operating and enables the power MOSFET to handle large currents.
Renesas Electronics will continue to develop semiconductor products suitable for DC/DC converters of various types, aiming for low loss and high efficiency, in order to contribute to the development of more compact systems that use less energy.
Availability
Samples of Renesas Electronics’ new RJK0210DPA, RJK0211DPA, and RJK0212DPA power MOSFETs are currently available. Mass production ramp up is scheduled to begin in December 2010. (availability is subject to change without notice.
Note 1: FOM (figure of merit)
FOM is a generally accepted performance and efficiency indicator for power MOSFETs. The on-resistance (Ron) is the resistance when the power MOSFET is operating. A lower value indicates less conduction loss. The gate-drain charge capacitance is the electric charge needed to make the power MOSFET operate. A lower value indicates faster switching performance.
Please refer to the separate sheet for the main specifications of Renesas Electronics’ new Power MOSFETs.
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About Renesas Electronics Europe
Renesas Electronics Europe with its Business Operations Centre located in Duesseldorf, Germany, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), the world’s number one supplier of microcontrollers and a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions including microcontrollers, SoC solutions and a broad-range of analog and power devices. Renesas Electronics’European structure is comprised of five dedicated business groups serving the region’s key markets: automotive, communications & consumer, industrial, secure MCU applications, and mobile platforms. The business groups are supported by the Engineering Group, which itself includes the Engineering Design Centre; the European Quality Centre that provides technical support to local customers in Europe; and the European Technology Centre to design leading-edge products specifically for the European market. Further information about Renesas Electronics Europe can be found at:www.renesas.eu.
