Novel Silicon 0.35 µm Low Mask Count 700V CMOS Process Revealed
X-FAB Silicon Foundries has unveiled the XU035, a new CMOS-based process for ultra-high-voltage (UHV) consumer applications.
These include AC LED lighting, chargers with no-load power consumption and other power conversion and control applications.
The new XU035 process provides low specific On-resistance for 700V power devices and is claimed to enable the most cost-effective solutions for consumer applications.
X-FAB says its cost-competitive process architecture and comprehensive
design support enables first-time-right designs, enabling fast time to market.
The new XU035 process includes multiple cost-effective features such as a
single poly and single 5V gate oxide architecture, 8-inch bulk starting
material, optional third routing and power metals and optional MIM capacitors.
It also includes a depletion transistor and a high-resistive poly module. X-FAB says that depending on the process module combination chosen , the total mask count range of 13 to 18 is the foundry industry's lowest.
Besides the 700V N&PMOS, DMOS and depletion transistors with RDSON as low as 15Ω mm2 and 20V and 40V devices with floating high-side capabilities, XU035 process users can select from a wide spectrum of analogue passive devices . These include UHV resistors, MOS and MIM capacitors and protection diodes The XU035 platform comes with comprehensive X-FAB design support including PDKs for all major design environments, precise Spectre and H-Spice models, digital libraries and 2kV ESD support.
Commenting on the XU035 process for mass-market applications, X-FAB's Technical Marketing Manager Volker Herbig says, "Government regulation and increasing energy pricing mean that energy conservation is becoming an important aspect in the daily lives of people around the world."
"Our new XU035 process enables our customers to compete effectively in energy-efficiency applications like LED lighting and phone chargers that require ultra-low standby power. It provides the most cost-effective process for targeting the vast high-volume consumer space, where price and time to market are primary considerations."
The XU035 process will be available for tape-ins of prototypes and risk production in June 2012.
X-FAB is an analogue and mixed-signal foundry group manufacturing silicon wafers for analogue-digital integrated circuits (mixed-signal ICs). The firm has wafer production facilities and uses modular CMOS and BiCMOS processes with technologies ranging from 1.0 to 0.13 µm. These are used in applications primarily in the automotive, communications, consumer and industrial sectors.
