MOSFETS FEATURE HIGH THRESHOLD VOLTAGE AND LOW ON-RESISTANCE FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS

Siliconix Inc., a subsidiary of Vishay Intertechnology Inc., has released n-channel MOSFETs that combine a high 3.4 V threshold voltage with on-resistance as low as 2.7 milliOhms. The 10 new MOSFETs, available in 40 V and 60 V versions, are intended for use in high-temperature, high-current applications with inductive loads in the automotive, industrial, and fixed telecom industries, such as high-side switches, motor drives, and 12-V boardnets.

When MOSFETs operate in high-temperature, high-current environments, they can turn on spontaneously if their threshold voltage, impacted by heat, starts to approach 0 V. Until now, this posed a dilemma for designers. One solution was the addition of a negative voltage driver to the circuit, but the drawbacks were increased circuit size, cost and complexity. Another solution would be to use a device with a high threshold voltage, but the effect in this case is an undesirable increase in on-resistance.

This new power MOSFET family provides a way out of this dilemma with high-density silicon technology that allows the same device to deliver both low on-resistance and a high threshold voltage that avoids the problem of spontaneous turn-on in automotive, industrial, and other applications involving high temperatures and high levels of current.

Available in the DPAK, D2PAK, and PowerPAK SO-8 packages, samples and production quantities of the new MOSFETs are available with lead times of 10 to 12 weeks for larger orders. Pricing starts at $1.35 each for U.S. delivery in 100,000-piece quantities.
Siliconix Inc. (619) 336-0860 • www.vishay.com