Panasonic Develops High-Efficiency LSI Series DC-DC Converters with a Voltage Step-down Type Hysteretic Control System

Osaka, Japan - The Semiconductor Company of Panasonic Corporation has developed the LSI series DC-DC converters with a voltage step-down type hysteretic control system (part numbers: NN3019 and NN3031 series) to provide high-efficiency and high-speed response. These Panasonic converter LSIs can support a wide-range of output voltages, and they are ideal for the power supplies of personal computers and servers. Panasonic will begin shipping samples in January 2012 (sample unit price: 100 to 200 yen).

The conventional control systems, such as those using voltage mode or current mode, were unable to respond to rapid changes in the output load at high speed. Furthermore, in conventional monolithic ICs, large switching devices were required to cope with a large current output, making it very difficult to miniaturize DC-DC converters. In order to resolve these issues, there has been demand for DC-DC converter LSIs that can achieve high-efficiency, high-speed response for miniaturized power supply circuits.

The new Panasonic LSI series will improve the efficiency of power supplies capable of handling large current capacity (up to 10 A) for personal computers and servers. The series will also help to achieve greater energy conservation in the equipment's operation. The high-performance power supplies in a small package will also permit equipment to be further miniaturized.

Panasonic's high-efficiency and high-speed LSIs offer important advantages:

1. Thanks to the built-in field effect transistors with a low-loss trench-gate metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) structure, the power conversion efficiency has reached 95%. This will contribute to the equipment's energy conservation and low heat generation.
2. The LSIs can respond to rapid changes in the output load at high speed and significantly suppress variations in the output voltage.
   Undershoot: 9 mV Overshoot: 11 mV
   These characteristics ensure a large margin in the operating voltage range of the Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), memories, digital signal processors (DSP), and other components installed in personal computers and servers.
3. The number of components to be mounted on a power supply board can be reduced. The adoption of small packages (4 mm/6 mm square) can reduce the mounting dimension by approximately 25%.

These products have been achieved through key technologies:

1. Trench-gate metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET) control-circuit technologies balance high-speed switching and low loss.
2. Technologies for controlling specified pulse width modulation (PWM) ON/OFF time can speed up the hysteretic control system's operation and respond to rapid changes in the output load at high speed.
3. Multi-chip mounting technologies for trench-gate MOSFET and controller ICs for mounting onto small quad flat non-leaded (QFN) packages help to reduce the number of mounted components.

Panasonic Develops High-Efficiency LSI Series DC-DC Converters
with a Voltage Step-down Type Hysteretic Control System

About Panasonic

Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of 7.42 trillion yen (US$79.4 billion) for the year ended March 31, 2010. The company's shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New York (NYSE:PC) stock exchanges. For more information on the company and the Panasonic brand, visit the company's website at http://panasonic.net/.