STMicroelectronics helps save power with MDmesh V

By Saheer Karimbayil   |   Wednesday, 25 February 2009, 21:57 IST
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Singapore: Emboldening its commitment to create green power for electronics, STMicroelectronics, a global player in power semiconductors, has introduced a new 650V technology called MDmesh V that saves energy normally lost in the power-supply section of PCs, televisions, domestic appliances, and similar products. MDmesh V is the latest evolution of ST's high-quality process for manufacturing high-voltage power MOSFET transistors, an important part of any power-supply circuit. Normally used as a switch, the best power transistors have a very low resistance when turned on; this parameter is called 'on-resistance.' By achieving the best on-resistance per chip size of any comparable device on the market, MDmesh V reduces losses in the power supply to help designers create products that use less energy. The small chip size also enables high power density, which is an important parameter for power-supply designers and shrinks the size of the resulting product. Maurizio Giudice, Marketing Director, Power MOSFET Division, STMicroelectronics, said, "MDmesh V will enable new generations of electronic products offering better energy ratings and smaller dimensions. Other application areas will include renewable energy, where we can save vital Watts normally lost in power-control modules for generators such as solar panels." The first of ST's new devices achieves around 20 percent lower on-resistance than the previous MOSFET generation. Simply inserting the new part into a standard 2kW power-supply circuit can reduce the amount of energy wasted by 3.6W. Additional products scheduled for release during early 2009 will reduce on-resistance even further, unlocking greater savings for designers. MOSFET transistors have a market size of $1.3 billion. Out of this, STMicroelectronics is targeting 20 percent of the market share globally through the new technology, though it is facing stiff competition from players like Infineon. Prices for available devices start at $10 in quantities of 1000 units. ST has also introduced a companion series of devices starting from $6. STMicroelectronics, the world's leading supplier of power conversion semiconductors, according to independent analyst iSuppli, has a design center in India in Greater Noida with 1800 employees.