ROHM to highlight Power Management, Optoelectronics and Wireless LE at electronica 2012

Based on the most recent developments in the company’s R/D centres, co-developments with partners and manufactured in its fully integrated production sites, the devices feature beneficial characteristics resulting from latest material research, proprietary packaging and process expertise. Meeting the increasing demand for highly efficient functionality, ultra-low power consumption, miniaturization, reduced component count and durability, they facilitate easier – and green - designs and provide optimum performance at the same time.

A few highlights:
1) High-power hydrogen fuel cells
ROHM, together with Kyoto-based Aquafairy and Kyoto University, has co-developed compact, lightweight, high-power hydrogen fuel cells ideally suited to power smartphones and other portable devices. These fuel cells overcome the drawbacks of dry cells, lithium-ion cells, and direct methanol fuel cells, significantly reducing weight and increasing output power while providing a higher level of safety, providing power in places where AC power has to be replaced.

2) SiC Technology –MOSFETs, SBDs, gate drivers, full SiC power modules
ROHM has advanced the development of next-generation SiC Schottky barrier diodes and MOSFETs backed by the manufacturing capability of SiCrystal as part of the company. The combination of low loss and high voltage capability as well as fast recovery time makes these devices ideal for many applications, including PFC (power factor correction) circuits, converters and inverters as used in EV/HEV and industrial units. ROHM’s new high voltage isolated SiC gate drivers facilitate low-power consumption and small designs. Together with ROHM’s SiC devices the new series guarantees a stable, high speed operation even in high power regions. In addition, ROHM’s full SiC power module – the first in the industry integrating SiC MOSFETs and SBDs enables high frequency operation above 100kHz - more than 10 times greater - and reduces loss during power conversion by 85% compared with conventional Si IGBT modules.

3) LED Drivers and RGB LEDs
ROHM’s large choice of LED drivers include drivers with dimmers for lower power consumption, compact units with integrated LDO regulator, RGB drivers that reduce the software load, and models with built-in Flash that contribute to set miniaturization. Its new BD18377 LED drivers include programmable constant output, optimized accuracy and diagnostic features. Along with the industry’s thinnest high-brightness RGB LEDs delivering optimum colour uniformity and mixing, they provide a complete design solution for indicator lights in automotive cluster solutions.

4) Bluetooth LE
The new compact ML7105 controller for Bluetooth LE enables short range wireless communication with ultra low-power consumption and low-latency. This allows for smaller form factor devices in many applications such as healthcare, fitness, security and home entertainment industries.

5) 40V Power MOSFETs
Adopting a new structure through improved proprietary design technology ROHM’s new 40V power MOSFETs for DC/DC converters enable ultra-low ON resistance with ultra-low gate capacitance for ultra-low loss and unmatched efficiency supporting high speed operation.