The world's smallest transistor "VML0604"

ROHM's well-known Japanese semiconductor manufacturer (headquartered in Kyoto, Japan) has recently developed the world's smallest size* transistor "VML0604" (0.6mm x 0.4mm) for various small and thin electronic devices such as smart phones and wearable devices. Height 0.36mm).

This product was sold in October 2013 (sample price 80 yen/a), and it plans to start mass production at a monthly production capacity of 10 million in June 2014. The production bases for the previous processes were ROHM Co., Ltd. (Kyoto headquarters in Japan) and ROHM Apollo Co., Ltd. (Fukuoka, Japan), and the production process for the later processes was ROHM Integrated Systems (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (Thailand ).

<background>

In recent years, in the electronic equipment market such as smart phones and wearable devices, the miniaturization and high performance of ancillary equipment have been increasingly developed, and the requirements for miniaturization and thinning of mounted electronic components have also become stronger.

On the other hand, transistors not only have technical problems such as the stability of the bonding and the processing accuracy of the package, but also increase the on-resistance due to the limited size of the mounted components. Therefore, the product lineup has been limited to products having a withstand voltage of 20V.

<Features>

1. Achieve the world's smallest size, greatly reduce the installation area

This time, ROHM has successfully developed the world's smallest transistor "VML0604" (0.6mm x 0.4mm, height 0.36mm) through a new process of new packaging and components.

In terms of packaging technology, by optimizing the internal structure and introducing high-precision packaging and processing technology, compared with the previous minimum transistor package VML0806 (0.8mm × 0.6mm, height 0.36mm), the installation area is reduced by 50%. As a transistor package, it has reached the smallest size in the world.

The new package is expected to expand its application to small-signal MOSFETs and will contribute to further space-saving and high-density densification of various complementary products.

2. Ensure pin spacing, good installation

With the increasing development of miniaturization, the installation of products on PCB boards has become increasingly difficult.

This time by ensuring that the pin spacing 0.2mm, maintains a good installation.

3. Achieve the world's highest level of low on-resistance based on miniaturization

Due to the miniaturization of the package, the size of components that can be mounted is limited. When the size of the element is small, the on-resistance is very high, and it is often difficult to maintain the performance of the conventional small-signal transistor.

However, this product uses a new process for its components. As a result, the ultra-small transistor that is a 30V voltage-resistant product achieves the world's highest performance* low on-resistance of 0.25Ω (VGS=4.5V).

4. Add 40 to 60V pressure products to achieve a rich product lineup

Since the product has a higher withstand voltage than previous products, it can also maintain a low on-resistance. Therefore, a new product with a withstand voltage of 40 to 60V is added to complete the product lineup.

<terms commentary>

? MOSFET

A type of transistor that features high-speed switching.

? On resistance

The drain-to-source resistance value when an arbitrary voltage is applied between the gate and the source. The smaller the value is, the easier the current can flow and the smaller the loss.