Micrel Expands Family of Ultra-Low-Dropout ICs in MLF Package

SAN JOSE, CA /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Micrel Inc., an industry leader in analog, high-bandwidth communications and Ethernet IC solutions, launched a new family of single ultra-low dropout voltage (ULDO) linear regulators housed in a tiny 1.2 mm by 1.6 mm by 0.6 mm MLF package. The MIC5302 and MIC5303 shrink the solution footprint by more than 50 % when compared with 2 mm by 2 mm MLF and SC-70 packages. The devices are targeted at today's most demanding ultra-thin portable applications, including mobile phones, camera modules, imaging sensors for digital still and video cameras, PDAs, portable media players and PC cameras. Both devices are available immediately with pricing starting at $0.36 for the MIC5302 and at $0.42 for the MIC5303 in 1 K quantities.

"The tiny MLF packages in which Micrel has introduced these new products are comparable to chipscale packaging in size, with the added advantage of a 2-fold improvement in thermal performance," noted Ralf Muenster, Micrel's Director of Marketing for Power Products. "Micrel's new family of ULDO regulators has been launched at a time when portable designers are challenged to fit an overwhelming number of features into the sleekest form factors. Our new miniature voltage regulators provide designers with the flexibility to fit their power-supply needs into the smallest crevices left on their boards."

The MIC5302 and the MIC5303 are part of a new family of ultra-small single LDOs offering ultra-low dropout voltage of 50 mV@ 150 mA and 100 mV@ 300 mA, respectively. The devices offer more than 65 db power supply ripple rejection without the need for a bypass capacitor, saving both board space and cost. The MIC5302/03 achieves excellent transient performance with the use of a tiny 1 µF ceramic output capacitor. Additionally, the family of ICs features low-quiescent current (typically 85 µA), fast turn-on time (35 µs), and current limit and thermal shutdown protection, and it operates over a wide temperature range, from –40°C to 125°C.

Data sheets and support documentation can be found on Micrel's Web site.

About Micrel Inc.
Micrel Inc. is a leading global manufacturer of IC solutions for the worldwide analog, Ethernet, and high-bandwidth markets. The company's products include advanced mixed-signal, analog, and power semiconductors and high-performance communication, clock management, Ethernet switch, and physical-layer transceiver ICs. Company customers include leading manufacturers of enterprise, consumer, industrial, mobile, telecommunications, automotive, and computer products. Corporation headquarters and state-of-the-art wafer fabrication facilities are located in San Jose, CA, with regional sales and support offices and advanced technology design centers situated throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In addition, the company maintains an extensive network of distributors and reps worldwide. For additional information, visit the company's Web site. MLF is a registered trademark of Amkor Technology. ULDO a trademark of Micrel Inc.