IEEE Power Electronics Magazine - June 2020 - 69

technologies. Silanna Semiconductor, for instance, launched
a higher-power and smaller form factor active-clamp flyback controller IC using 0.35 μm CMOS process. Employing the company's OptiMode digital control architecture,
the new controller (SZ1110 and SZ1130) adjusts the device's
mode of operation on a cycle-by-cycle basis to maintain
high efficiency, low electromagnetic interference (EMI),
fast dynamic load regulation and other key power supply
parameters in response to varying line voltage and load.
"Unlike conventional active clamp flyback (ACF) designs,
tight tolerances of the clamp capacitor and leakage inductance values are not required for proper operation of the
circuit in high-volume production," asserted Ahsan Zaman,
director of marketing at Silanna. According to the manufacturer, the ACF ICs are well-suited for high-efficiency and
high-power-density ac-dc power adapters used in laptops
and notebooks. They are designed for up to 33-W (SZ1110)
and 65-W (SZ1130) output power, including USB-PD and
quick charge applications. The silicon-based ACF ICs will
be qualified in June 2020 with volume production in the
third quarter.
According to Silanna's CEO, Mark Drucker, the ACF
controller is technology agnostic, so it is feasible to work
with alternative switching technologies in the future. Currently, the company is using 700-V LDMOS MOSFETs in the
ac-dc power supply package. In addition, the company is
also developing dc-dc converters using its new controller,
targeted to be released shortly.
Combining its expertise in passives and 3D packaging
with unique two-stage architecture, Murata has developed
a whole new generation of power management ICs and modules for notebooks and other similar applications. "This
unique architecture halves the losses and shrinks the size
of inductor required," stated Stephen J. Allen, pSemi's senior
director of strategic marketing. pSemi is a Murata company
focused on semiconductor integration. Consequently, the
maker has released two new series of dc-dc converters.
The MYW series from the MonoBK dc-dc converter family
offers a 50% smaller footprint as compared to competing
solutions and high efficiency, while the 6-A buck regulator delivers high efficiency from a low-profile, compact
package. The MonoBK MYW series are four-channel dc-dc
converters that integrate all passive components, including inductors, into a tiny form factor of 9.3 mm × 9 mm ×
2.9 mm (Figure 6). The products feature an input voltage
range of 2.8-5.5 V and programmable outputs of 0.4-3.58 V
up to 3 A. Most applications will require few external components, said the supplier.
The maker claims that its unique packaging process
allows the module to offer high thermal performance that
can support a wide temperature range of -40 to +105 °C.
Based on a fixed-frequency synchronous buck converter
switching topology, this high-efficiency point-of-load module features on/off control and power-good signal out
as well as protections for overcurrent, overvoltage, undervoltage, and overtemperature. Target power applications

include field-programmable gate arrays, CPUs, and datacom/telecom systems. The buck regulator features an input
voltage range of 6-14.4 V and a programmable output of
0.7-1.8 V at up to 6 A. Housed in a package measuring
9 × 10.5 × 2.1 mm, the module offers a 25% lower profile
than competing products. Other improvements include
5× reduction in input ripple, lower EMI, and a wide temperature range of -40 to +105 °C.
Traditional silicon giants Infineon and TI were also
demonstrating their respective silicon-based power de vices for myriad applications. Infineon, for instance, disclosed a family of integrated point-of-load (POL) regulator
modules, the OptiMOS IPOL, with a fast constant-on time
engine for improved output regulation and higher switching frequency (up to 2 MHz). This multichip all-ceramic
capacitor design offers best-in-class steady-state regulation
without external compensation while providing for a wideinput voltage range of 2.0-17 V and 0.8-V precision output
voltage. Consisting of three members, the 25-A IR3888M,
30-A IR3887M, and 30-A IR3889M, this family is housed in
compact power QFN packages, targeting server, storage,
and data communications/telecommunications applications. Likewise, TI introduced a stackable 40-A dc-dc buck
converter in a 5-mm × 7-mm QFN package. This is a highly
integrated, non-isolated buck converter, and up to four such
devices can be interconnected to provide up to 160 A on a
single output. Labeled TPS546D24A, it features selectable
high switching frequency (up to 1.5 MHz) and PMBus interface and uses an integrated 0.9-mΩ low-side MOSFET for
higher efficiency and wide input and output voltage range.
A two-phase evaluation module is also available.
Newer semiconductor devices and power electronics
components are presenting unusual challenges for assembly on boards and substrates. Toward that goal, materials
supplier Indium Corporation continues to innovate and
advance assembly materials technology. In March, Indium's
senior product manager for solder preform and thermal
technology, Tim Jensen, introduced new products for die
attach applications in power semiconductor assembly and
thermal interface materials (TIMs) for better thermal conductivity in these applications. The first new metallurgical
advancement was QuickSinter, a new pressureless silver
sintering dispense paste that can also be used in pressured

FIG 6 Murata's MonoBK MYW dc-dc converter integrates all
passive components, including inductors, in a tiny form factor
of 9.3 × 9 × 2.9 mm. (Source: Murata; used with permission.)

June 2020

z IEEE POWER ELECTRONICS MAGAZINE

IEEE Power Electronics Magazine - June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Power Electronics Magazine - June 2020