Low voltage MOSFET extends smartphone battery life, says Magnachip
Low voltage MOSFETs (LV MOSFETs) featuring lower Rss(on) have been developed by Magnachip for battery protection circuit modules (PCMs) in smartphones.
Extended battery life and strengthened protection features for batteries in 5G and LTE smartphones are becoming important, said the company. 5G phones, in particular, need long-lasting batteries with high endurance to process the large amount of data for fast download and upload. The LV MOSFETs are equipped with advanced over-voltage and over-current protection to extend battery life and reduce overheating issues. This is the 6.5th generation (6.5G) product is shipping now. Already it is being used in a 2022 flagship model from one of the world’s largest smartphone manufacturers, teased the company.
The Rss(on) of this 6.5G LV MOSFET is 20 per cent lower than the previous version with the same chip size to reduce current loss and improve heat dissipation. The lower Rss(on) controls a high power density above 25W to prevent a battery from overheating and to protect the PCM while the battery is being fast-charged. PCM functionality has been greatly enhanced by an upgraded ESD (electrostatic discharge) protection diode. This mitigates a maximum of 2kV to strengthen circuit protection and prevent damage to other smartphone components. The size of the chip has also “significantly reduced” said the company, for new smartphone models.
In addition smartphone sales, predicted to reach 1.4 billion units sold in 2022, according to market research company, Omdia, the wireless earphone market is also rapidly growing, which will further drive up the demand for LV MOSFETs.
“Despite the current global chip shortage, we are confident that we can maintain a strong supplier capability for our customers as an integrated device manufacturer for these new 6.5G products,” said YJ Kim, CEO of Magnachip. “We will continue to maintain a close rapport with our existing customers and expand our presence in the global market at the same time.”
Magnachip Semiconductor is a designer and manufacturer of analogue and mixed-signal semiconductors for communications, IoT, consumer, industrial and automotive applications. The company has been operating for than 40 years and owns a portfolio of approximately 1,200 registered patents and pending applications. It also has extensive engineering, design and manufacturing process expertise.
