Motorola to Preview Next-Generation Smart Power Technology at World's Leading Power Conference - Product Development

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, May 29, 2000

Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector (NYSE: MOT), the market leader in smart power, will preview its latest smart power capabilities, as well as its next generation 0.35 micron smart power technology during the International Symposium on Power Semiconductor Devices (ISPSD) this week in Toulouse, France. SMARTMOS(TM) 7, the latest version of Motorola's smart power process, boasts the industry's leading voltage capability at 65 volts, as well as very high integration levels for automotive, wireless power management and imaging system-on-chip solutions.

"Smart power devices have only recently been successfully integrated at the system level," said Hak Yam Tsoi, director of SMARTMOS device development for Motorola's DigitalDNA(TM) Laboratories. "With our latest SMARTMOS technology we have not only integrated the microcontroller and smart power functions on the same chip -- we have also reduced the microcontroller size 90% over previous smart power generations. With more transistors available on a chip, this means greater functionality -- or more 'smart' product features in the consumer's cellular phone, pager, or automobile."

The SMARTMOS 7 technology will be highlighted in two of the eight papers presented by Motorola at the symposium. The industry's best-known Rdson results are reported in Motorola's achievement of a 65 volt 0.56mohm-cm2 resurf LDMOS with a wide safe operating area integrated into a 0.35um CMOS process. The superior performance of the device is achieved by advanced implantation techniques without additional thermal steps and without resorting to high-tilt implants. A second paper describes the 0.35um smart power technology that enables integration of a diverse set of analog and high voltage power components in a 0.35um CMOS logic platform for a broad range of applications from 7 volts to 50 volts.

In addition to industry leading voltage capability within a 0.35um smart power technology, the technology also has an industry leading analog tool box with 40 different design library device types, and leadership process flow simplicity.

Motorola's DigitalDNA Laboratories will showcase eight papers at ISPSD on the latest directions and developments in smart power technology. Several papers include joint development activities with LAAS-CNRS, a leading research institute in France. Additional technology highlights being presented at ISPSD include:

-- Inclusion of "free" low bit count EEPROM in SMARTMOS

-- New device structures such as floating islands MOS transistor(FLIMOST)

-- Inclusion of power copper in technologies to improve power devicesizing

-- Substrate current protection in various smart power technologies

-- Compact modeling improvements for the LDMOS power device

-- New reliability studies of power devices aimed at understanding actual customer specific applications

SMARTMOS is Motorola's smart power technology that already performs the power management function in common products such as cell phones and pagers.

"This SMARTMOS 7 technology has been specifically defined and driven in close collaboration with our power management and audio IC designers worldwide. It allows us to integrate complex audio processing functions with power devices on the same substrate -- a key requirement for achieving the lowest system cost, size, and current drain in today's portable devices," said Behrooz Abdi, general manager of Motorola's RF/IF Division. "Furthermore, the technology is built on the same CMOS platform as our Advanced RF BiCMOS technology, enabling us to maximize our manufacturing efficiencies."

This new SMARTMOS technology will also be used in ink jet printers, as well as a wide range of automotive applications including anti-lock braking systems, engine control, and air bags.

As the world's #1 producer of embedded processors, Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector offers multiple DigitalDNA technologies which enable its customers to create "smart" products and new business opportunities in the networking and computing, wireless communications, transportation, and imaging and entertainment markets. Motorola's worldwide semiconductor sales were $7.4 billion (USD) in 1999. FMI: http://www.motorola.com/semiconductors.>

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