Digital Semiconductors

Small-Signal Bipolar Transistors Come In VMT3 Packages A line of small-signal bipolar transistors consists of 37 devices, including both conventional bipolar transistors and digital transistors that incorporate one or two resistors for additional space savings. These devices come in VMT3 packages that are 44% smaller in mounting area and 30% smaller in height than the company's previous transistors.

According to the company, the small size of these discrete devices makes them ideal for use in portable devices such as cellular phones, Internet appliances, PDAs, and pagers. This line features npn and pnp bipolar and digital transistors in a package that consumes approximately the same space as a bare die accompanied by wire bonding. The VMT3 package has a mounting area of 1.2 by 1.2 mm and a height of 0.5 mm. Typical applications of the digital transistors include driving external circuits with on-off signals. Some have a single resistor in series with a base while others have that resistor plus another between the base and the emitter. Resistor values range from 4.7 to 100 kΩ>.

In 1000-unit quantities, the devices cost between $0.03 and $0.05 each.

Rohm Electronics USA LLC, 10145 Pacific Heights Blvd., Ste. 1000, San Diego, CA 92121; (888) 775-ROHM; Internet: www.rohmelectronics.com.