Erfurt, Germany -- X-FAB Silicon Foundries, the leading analog/mixed-signal foundry and expert in "More than Moore" technologies, today announced the industry's first 100V high-voltage 0.35 micrometer foundry process. It enables a new class of reliable, high-performing battery monitoring and protection systems for lithium ion battery management. It also is ideal for power management applications and for ultrasonic imaging and inkjet print head apps using piezoelectric drivers. In addition, X-FAB added new andenhanced N- and P-type double-diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor (DMOS)transistors with 45 percent lower on-resistance for multiple operating voltagesup to 100V, lowering the silicon footprint by up to 40 percent and thus reducingdie costs. X-FAB will thoroughly discuss these new capabilities in a freewebinar, "Addressing High-Voltage Applications with the Industry's First 0.35Micrometer 100V Pure-Play Foundry Process," offered worldwide on July 27 and 28.
Jens Kosch, CTO at X-FAB, said, "The growing popularity of renewable energy sources for hybrid and electric cars, photo-voltaic cells and wind turbines mandates safe, high-performing energy storage management solutions. Using X-FAB's newspecialized high-voltage process, our customers can address these and otheremerging applications that present significant growth potential, at lower costs. We seea lot of interest in power management solutions for lithium ion batteries by major carmanufacturers around the world, for example. With X-FAB's new HV process, they can achieve safer, higher performing battery monitoring and protection systems."
Lower cost per function X-FAB's new and enhanced N- & P-type DMOS transistors with gate oxide thicknesses of 14nm or 40nm offer customers the choice of 5V or 12V drive capabilityfor their applications with operating voltages of 55V, 75V and 100V. By considerably reducing the on-resistance, integrating into the baseline process an EEPROM function for trimming and program storage, and having a thick metal layer available as the third metal layer, X-FAB has lowered the cost per function significantly. In addition,newly added isolated 5V NMOS and PMOS devices can float between groundand the maximum operating voltage of 100V. Other device enhancements include Schottky diodes, 20V and 100V high-voltage capacitors and bipolar transistors. AvailabilityAll of the functions and devices mentioned above are available now as part of X-FAB's0.35 micrometer high-voltage process offering (XH035).
SOURCE: X-FAB
