Texas Instruments Reduces Logic

By
iApplianceWeb
(06/19/01, 08:18:42 PM EDT)

Consumer portable electronics will benefit from a 70 percent reduction in size from the SC-70 (DCK) logic package with Texas Instruments' introduction of NanoStar packaging. The first devices available in NanoStar packaging will offer the most popular logic functions for space-constrained systems, such as wireless handsets, pagers, personal digital assistants, portable DVD players, MP3 players, notebook computers, and other portable consumer electronics.

NanoStar packaging will be first introduced in a 5-pin, single-gate, low-voltage CMOS (LVC) technology. LVC dual-gate devices will follow in an 8-pin version. These Little Logic devices operate at 1.8-V, and are optimized at 3.3-V, providing low power consumption and medium current drive capability. These devices allow designers the ability to place more functions in a tighter space, while improving system performance.

With a footprint of 1.40mm x 0.9mm x 0.50mm = 1.26mm2, NanoStar packaging offers a 13 percent reduction in size from any other alternative logic package solution and a 70 percent reduction over TI's previous single-gate package, SC-70. An improved thermal performance will benefit designers concerned with heat dissipation common in small, portable electronics. NanoStar packaging is a leadless package option that makes use of five eutectic solder balls. With a ball pitch of 0.5mm, these self-planarizing balls allow minimal positional tolerance when placing the device on the board, thus enhancing manufacturability.

The first products in NanoStar packaging are sampling now with volume production scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2001. Estimated resale pricing is $0.25 for quantities greater than 50,000 in 3,000 part reels.