Semtech Debuts Smallest, Most Robust Five-Line Transient Voltage Suppression Device for Cellular Phones, PDAs, and Other Portable Electronics

Semtech Corp. (Nasdaq: SMTC), a leading supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors for communications, portable devices, computers, and industrial equipment, today announced its newest addition to the ChipClamp™ family of TVS (transient voltage suppression) products, the SFC05-5. Designed to protect five 5V input/output signal lines from transitory voltage surges, the SFC05-5 combines highly compact flip-chip packaging with Semtech’s advanced voltage protection technology. The device is especially well suited for use in cellular phones, personal digital assistants, pagers, MP3 players, laptop computers, and other portable electronic devices.

Today’s sophisticated handheld electronics may malfunction or undergo catastrophic damage when static electricity and other voltage surges enter the system through plug ports, keyboards, and displays, thus making surge protection a vital strategy in the design of reliable systems. These portable systems often employ up to 10 external 5V data ports, so the five-line capability of the SFC05-5 minimizes the component count and board real estate requirements of devices that handle fewer lines.

The SFC05-5 is fabricated in Semtech’s proprietary solid-state silicon-avalanche semiconductor technology, which provides superior protection and reliability compared to competing technologies. For instance, the SFC05-5 yields very low clamping voltages, which minimizes disruption to protected components during transient events. Other key metrics include low reverse-leakage current and sub-nanosecond transient response times, parameters that also augment the protection potential of the device. The SFC05-5 meets all applicable voltage immunity standards, including IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) specifications for protection from electrostatic discharge (ESD), electrical fast transients (EFT), and secondary lightning events.

The flip-chip design of the SFC05-5 employs a JEDEC standard, six-bump (3 x 2), 0.5 mm pitch design. Overall measurements are 1.5 mm (L) x 1.0 mm (W) x 0.65 mm (H). The small outline of the SFC05-5 enables assembly engineers to specify an overall pick-and-place, grid-courtyard size of only 1.3 x 1.8 mm per device.

"Modern protection technologies not only need to provide robust performance, but also must use very little board space—an extremely limited resource in portable systems," said Semtech Protection Products Group Marketing Director Tom Dugan. "The SFC05-5’s combination of superior performance, small size, and five-line protection capability easily make it one of the most desirable 5V protection solutions for portable electronics."

Key Features of the SFC05-5 ChipClamp Flip Chip TVS Device

• Chip-scale package (1.5 x 1.0 x 0.65 mm) needs only 1.3 x 1.8 mm of board space
• Five-line protection capability reduces the number of required components for 10 I/O port systems
• Solid-state silicon avalanche technology provides superior clamping performance and reliability
• Packaging is compatible with standard pick-and-place assembly equipment and methodologies

Pricing and Availability

The SFC05-5 (in JEDEC MO-211, variation BB, 0.50 mm pitch chip scale packages) is available now in production volumes. Pricing is $0.33 each in 5,000 piece lots. Datasheets are available at www.semtech.com.

About Semtech

Semtech Corporation is a leading supplier of high-quality analog and mixed-signal ICs for power management, over-voltage and transient protection, human interface devices & system management, high-performance applications, and advanced communications. Publicly traded since 1967, Semtech is listed on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol SMTC. For more information, contact Semtech Corporation at 200 Flynn Road, Camarillo, CA. 93012-8790; phone (805) 498-2111; email to info@semtech.com; or visit its Web site at www.semtech.com.