High-Speed Photocouplers With Dramatically Reduced Footprints

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NEC Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723) today announced a new series of high-performance photocouplers for inverter control applications that deliver speeds up to 10 megabits per second (Mbps) in packages that reduce their on-board footprint to 1/2 that of previous 8-pin Dual Inline Package (DIP).

The new devices are an Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) gate drive coupler with 0.6 ampere output PS9301, and four high-speed couplers, PS8302, PS9303, PS9313 and PS9317. New devices are supplied in 6-pin Shrink Dual Inline Package (SDIP) that is roughly half the size of the 8-pin DIP. All devices are comply with international safety standards.
The high-speed PS8302 and PS9313 couplers mark an industry first by offering 1 Mbps communication speeds combined with guaranteed operating temperatures ranging up to 110. The PS9317 is even faster, with a rating of 10 Mbps.

Photocouplers are electronic components that are capable of electrically insulating an input signal from an output signal. In the same package, they contain an electrically insulated light-emitting diode (LED) that converts an electrical signal into light, and an electrically insulated photo-detect device that converts the light back into an electrical signal. They are used in applications such as power supplies and high-speed communications.
The size of the global photocoupler market was estimated at 80 billion yen in 2006. NEC Electronics views it as one of the primary markets for NEC Electronics' compound semiconductor business. NEC Electronics has moved aggressively to leverage its strengths, applying circuit design for high-frequency microwave semiconductors, high-speed bipolar analog MOS devices, high-voltage BiCMOS devices, original optical silicon technology, and high-density packages. NEC Electronics products in this field have won a 13% market share, making the company one of the world's leading suppliers.

The demand for compact and high-performance photocouplers is growing steadily, spurred by their use in factory automation equipment and in energy-saving inverter controlled motors for home appliances. Observers expect the market to grow at an annual rate of about 8% until 2010. Demand for photocoupler is especially strong in the field of factory automation, where equipment is used in high-voltage conditions, ranging from 200 to 600 volts, to comply with international safety standards and to improve electrical isolation characteristics. NEC Electronics plans to aggressively expand its offerings in this market, with the aim of achieving a 17% global market share and a ranking as the world's top supplier by 2010. The new photocoupler series is an indication of its commitment to meeting the needs of users in every segment of the market.

The principal features of the new photocouplers are as follows.

(1) Compact package, footprint reduced to 1/2 of previous 8-pin DIP package
A new package configuration and the use of materials with higher heat resistance enabled the development of a 6-pin SDIP package that is roughly half the size of the previous 8-pin DIP and offers comparable stability under high-temperature soldering.

(2) Compliance with international safety standards
Despite the smaller package size, innovations of the package design have made it possible to maintain an outer creepage distance of 8 millimeters (mm) along the package surface and an insulation thickness of 0.4 millimeters between the LED and light-receiving element. These dimensions, the same as those of 8-pin DIP products, allow the new devices to satisfy the requirements of international safety standards.

(3) Industry first guaranteed maximum operating temperature of 110 (PS8302 and PS9313)
Exhaustive tests of highly heat-resistant resin materials in addition to an optimized device configuration have made it possible for two of the new photocouplers to deliver communications speeds of 1 Mbps while guaranteeing operating temperatures of 110, compared to 100 of previous products.

(4) Expanded lineup
NEC Electronics believes that the new photocouplers represent a revolutionary advance that will enable safer and more compact factory automation equipment and remains committed to expanding its compound semiconductor business and meet the requirements of an ever wider range of users.

See the annex for the specifications of the new photocouplers.

Pricing and Availability
Sample of the new photocouplers are available now. The IGBT gate-drive PS9301 coupler is priced at 160 yen per unit, and the high-speed PS8302 coupler is priced at 80 yen per unit. Volume production will start in May 2008, and is expected to reach 5 million units per month for all five photocoupler by December 2008.

About NEC Electronics

NEC Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723) specializes in semiconductor products encompassing advanced technology solutions for the high-end computing and broadband networking markets, system solutions for the mobile handset, PC peripherals, automotive and digital consumer markets, and platform solutions for a wide range of customer applications. NEC Electronics Corporation has subsidiaries worldwide including NEC Electronics America, Inc. (www.am.necel.com) and NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH (www.eu.necel.com). For additional information about NEC Electronics worldwide, visit www.necel.com.