Bench Talk

(Source: sdecoret/Shutterstock.com)

On many weekends, I am running away from home, on some trail in the woods. At the moment, I am about 10 days away from participating in an 80.5km (50 miles) trail race. Although I could use the same running shoes that I use during the week, I have learned that it is best to employ the best tool for the job. Who would use a screwdriver when a hammer is needed? It might work in a real emergency, but it is not ideal. I found that my feet, legs, and knees were taking a pounding when I ran on trails because of the changing terrain. So I bought a well-regarded pair of trail running shoes that provide maximum cushion and minimal weight for trail running (Figure 1). You could say I wear shoes that optimize my performance for the anticipated conditions as I cover new ground.

Figure 1: Closeup of trail running shoes. (Source: Sander van der Werf/Shutterstock.com)

Like runners selecting the correct shoe, design engineers continually attempt to choose the right components and optimize their design based upon set requirements. This blog highlights how Infineon Technologies OptiMOS^™ 6 Power MOSFETs optimize 40V power designs by offering next-generation, cutting-edge innovation, and best-in-class performance.

Engineers want components that allow them to hit the ground running and work in various applications. Infineon’s OptiMOS 6 Power MOSFET is one such component. Its design uses thin wafer technology that enables significant performance benefits for more efficient, more uncomplicated designs. The OptiMOS 6 Power MOSFETs are optimized for synchronous rectification in switched-mode power supplies (SMPS) such as those used in servers, desktop PCs, telecom, wireless chargers, quick chargers, and ORing circuits.

In SMPS applications, OptiMOS 6 is ideal for optimizing efficiency over a wide range of output power, avoiding the trade-off between low- and high-load conditions. At the low-output power range, the switching losses dominate the efficiency curve. The OptiMOS 6 Power MOSFET BSC010N04LS6 achieves greater efficiency in this range compared to the same R_DS(on) OptiMOS^™ 5 because of its superior switching performance. Moreover, at a higher output power, where the R_DS(on) losses are getting more dominant, the OptiMOS 6 can maintain the advantage, leading to better performance throughout the whole operating range (Figure 2).

Figure 2: OptiMOS 6 40V combines the best-in-class R_DS(on) with the superior switching performance. (Source: Infineon Technologies)

OptiMOS 6 can lower R_DS(on) values by 30 percent compared to the previous generation, OptiMOS 5. The family’s improved figure of merits (FOMs)—improved FOM (Q_g x R_DS(on)) by 29 percent; enhanced FOM (Q_gd x R_DS(on)) by 46 percent—enable designers to increase efficiency, allowing for a more straightforward thermal design. Design engineers can also incorporate less paralleling, leading to system cost reduction (Figure 3).

Figure 3: OptiMOS 5 versus OptiMOS 6 comparison for R_DS(on) and FOM. (Source: Infineon Technologies)

The OptiMOS 6 40V Power MOSFETs are available in two separate packages. Both are focused on delivering the highest efficiency and power management in the smallest package. The first package is a SuperSO8—5mm x 6mm (30mm^²) with R_DS(on) ranging from 5.9mΩ to 0.7mΩ (Figure 4). It has a thermal resistance R_thJC of 0.8K/W. The second package is a Power Quad Flat No-Lead (PQFN), a surface-mount semiconductor technology designed primarily for board-mounted power applications. It eliminates unnecessary elements of packaging that contribute to higher inductance and resistance, both thermal and electrical, so that its power capabilities exceed those of comparably sized packages. Infineon’s PQFN 3.3mm x 3.3mm package offers high efficiency and power management in a compact, space-saving package. This package provides R_DS(on) ranging from 6.3mΩ down to 1.8mΩ and has a thermal resistance R_thJC of 3.2K/W (Figure 4).

Figure 4: OptiMOS 6 Super SO8 package delivers 5.9mΩ down to 0.7mΩ.R_DS(on) and R_thJC of 0.8K/W, while the PQFN package delivers 6.3mΩ down to 1.8mΩ.R_DS(on) and R_thJC of 3.2K/W. (Source: Infineon Technologies)

Infineon Technologies’ OptiMOS^™ 6 Power MOSFET 40V family offers class-leading, cutting-edge power MOSFETs for the highest power density and energy-efficient solutions. You have the power to optimize your power designs. Now go out and run with it.