International Rectifier DirectFET MOSFETs Set Industry Standard for Intel Itanium 2 Processor Power

Business Wire, July 25, 2002

Technology Editors

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 25, 2002

International Rectifier (NYSE: IRF) today announced that its breakthrough power packaging technology called DirectFET(TM) enables power systems to meet the requirements of the latest 64-bit processor, the Intel(R) Itanium(TM) 2. The IRF6601 and IRF6602 HEXFET(R) power MOSFETs using the DirectFET package can meet Itanium 2 power specifications with the smallest number of devices in the most compact footprint.

The DirectFET package is unique, dissipating heat through the top of the package rather than through a heat-saturated PCB. This proprietary development dramatically increases the current-carrying capacity of power MOSFETs and provides the industry's most efficient way to meet the power requirements of Itanium processors.

"The Intel Itanium 2 chip offers a tremendous challenge for power system designers," said Carl Blake, Marketing Manager for Computing. "Because of the low output voltage and high power levels, currents are reaching levels never found before in this type of application. IR DirectFET MOSFETs offer a unique solution to tackle the heat management and complexity challenges of the power supplies for Itanium processors."

With an output voltage as low as 1.3 volts, the currents can reach peaks as high as 100 amperes, resulting in high transients, particularly when the processor wakes up from the energy-saving sleep mode. Higher current levels create more heat. The challenge is finding the most effective way to remove heat. The new DirectFET package eliminates the lead-frame and plastic molding in traditional surface-mount packages such as the SO-8. In addition, a metal housing on top of the silicon MOSFET die serves as a heatsink to remove the heat through the top of the device, away from the circuit board and the heat of the processor itself.

In a multiphase synchronous buck converter, a pair of IRF6601 and IRF6602 DirectFET MOSFETs can deliver up to 30A per phase at 1.3 volts, running at 500kHz at 92% efficiency in a footprint as small as 3.8in. x 1.25in. DirectFET MOSFETs reduce traditional SO-8 MOSFET component count by as much as 60% compared to circuits using traditional SO-8 devices, simplifying layout and reducing circuit parasitics. Furthermore, DirectFET MOSFETs streamline thermal management by significantly reducing the amount of design required to cool traditional circuits.

The Intel Itanium 2 devices are enterprise-class processors designed to address the most data-intensive, business-critical and technical computing applications such as business intelligence, databases, enterprise resource planning, supply chain management, high-performance computing, computer-aided engineering and secure transactions. Data sheets are posted on the International Rectifier Web site:

IRF6601:

http://www.irf.com/product-info/datasheets/data/irf6601.pdf

IRF6602:

http://www.irf.com/product-info/datasheets/data/irf6602.pdf

Pricing and Availability

The devices are available immediately. Pricing starts at US $1.07 each in 10,000-unit quantity.

About International Rectifier

International Rectifier is recognized as a leading supplier of power semiconductors and systems solutions. IR's patented HEXFET(R) power MOSFETs, IGBTs and high-voltage ICs make electricity work smarter in industrial automation and controls, automotive electrical systems, consumer electronics, computers and peripherals, telecommunications, lighting and satellite/launch vehicle applications. Visit the International Rectifier Web site at www.irf.com.

Trademark Notice

IR(R) and HEXFET(R) are registered trademarks of International Rectifier Corporation. All other product names noted herein may be trademarks of their respective holders.