Renesas Electronics Announces Highly Efficient Power Semiconductor Device with Approximately 60 Percent Reduced Mounting Area

TOKYO, Japan, January 26, 2011 — Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), a premier provider of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced the development of a power semiconductor device, the R2J20751NP, designed for use as a dedicated power supply for DDR type SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) memory and large-scale logic devices such as FPGAs in PCs, servers, and printers. The R2J20751NP is the industry's first such product (POL converter) with a 25 A maximum rating to integrate in a single package the power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) and power supply controller and enables system designers to realize power supply systems that are more compact and energy efficient.

The R2J20751NP is a POL converter that converts a 5 V power supply to the 1.5 V level required by memory modules. Advances in chip miniaturization and mounting technology make it possible to integrate two power MOSFETs and a pulse width modulation (PWM) control IC with on-chip driver into a single ultra-compact package measuring 6 mm × 6 mm, reducing the mounting area by approximately 60 percent that of Renesas Electronics' existing products. In addition, the 25 A maximum rating version achieves efficiency of 94.5 percent (when operating with an output current of 5 A), the highest in the industry, contributing to reduced power consumption in power supply systems.

The trend in PCs and servers toward use of low-voltage semiconductor devices has increased demand for low-voltage, large-current capabilities in power supply systems for DDR type SDRAM, FPGAs, etc. However, reducing the mounting area becomes essential as the number of components used in power supply systems, such as power MOSFETs and passive elements, increases. By combining the power supply and power supply controller (PWM control IC with on-chip driver) in a single package, it is possible to substantially reduce the mounting area.

Key features of the R2J20751NP device:

(1) Mounting area reduced by approximately 60 percent from Renesas Electronics' existing products

The version of the R2J20751NP with a maximum current rating of 25 A has the compact size of 6 mm × 6 mm, for a mounting area approximately 60 percent that of the company's existing products in which a pair of power MOSFETs is used for power conversion and a power supply controller (PWM control IC with on-chip driver) for drive control. This enables the realization of more compact power supply systems.

(2) Industry-leading power efficiency rate of 94.5 percent

The R2J20751NP has a maximum power conversion efficiency of 94.5% when converting an input voltage of 5 V to an output voltage of 1.5 V, which is the industry's top efficiency in a product that combines a power supply rated at 25 A and a power supply controller (PWM control IC with on-chip driver) in a single package. This contributes to better power efficiency by reducing power conversion loss.

(3) Scalable multi-phase operation

For systems that require currents larger than 25 A, it is necessary to use more than one power semiconductor device (multi-phase operation). The R2J20751NP incorporates a clock transfer system (relay race system, Note 1) unique to Renesas Electronics, that allows multiple devices to be connected in a master-slave configuration. This means that the number of power semiconductor devices used, single or multiple, can be scaled to accommodate the current consumption of electronic devices such as DDR type SDRAM or FPGAs, thereby simplifies power supply design by eliminating the need to select a different power semiconductor device when changes are made to the power supply specifications.

In addition, a built-in auto-phase control function automatically switches to the optimal number of phases to match the power supply output voltage. This makes it possible to maintain high efficiency from the small-current range through the large-current range.

(4) Built-in protection functions

The R2J20751NP device integrates a variety of protection functions needed for DC-DC POL converters, including overcurrent protection and overvoltage protection. This makes it possible to build a reliable power supply system with few external components.

The R2J20751NP employs a 40-pin QFN package with a solid track record and excellent heat dispersion characteristics. The die pad that occupies more than half the area of the package underside ensures effective heat dispersion when mounted.

Please refer to the separate sheet for the main specifications of the R2J20751NP.

Pricing and Availability

Samples of Renesas Electronics' new R2J20751NP device are available starting February 2011 priced at US$3.33. Mass production is scheduled to begin in March 2011 and is expected to reach a production volume of 500,000 units per month. (Pricing and availability are subject to change without notice.)

(Note 1) Relay Race System:
A system in which the operation-start trigger clock is “handed off” to the next stage POL-SiP like the baton in a relay race.

(Remarks)
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About Renesas Electronics Corporation

Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723) delivers trusted embedded design innovation with complete semiconductor solutions that enable billions of connected, intelligent devices to enhance the way people work and live. A global leader in microcontrollers, analog, power and SoC products, Renesas provides comprehensive solutions for a broad range of automotive, industrial, infrastructure, and IoT applications that help shape a limitless future. Learn more at renesas.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

The content in the press release, including, but not limited to, product prices and specifications, is based on the information as of the date indicated on the document, but may be subject to change without prior notice.