Epson S1X8H000 and S1K8H000 series single-chip DMOS-ASIC1

Seiko Epson Corporation (TSE: 6724, “Epson”) is now selling single-chip DMOS-ASIC1 products that

integrate IP cores2 for specific applications and a logic circuit on a DMOS (double-diffused MOSFET)3

that supports high voltage and high current. Epson has begun by accepting domestic orders for DMOSASICs in the S1X8H000 and S1K8H000 series.

Meanwhile, with the world increasingly turning its attention to efforts to address global warming

and other environmental problems in order to achieve sustainability, the semiconductor market

is looking to address the problem of power loss. Demand is rising for semiconductor

components that use electrical power efficiently even if they are compatible with high voltage

and high current. Furthermore, demand for low-power semiconductor components that

mitigate power loss is accelerating due to the continued expansion of the home appliances and

electronics markets in emerging countries and the growth of electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles,

and other next-generation vehicles.

To meet this demand and address environmental problems, Epson decided to enter the market

for DMOS-ASICs that support high voltage and high current. This is an area where the company

can capitalize on the low-power CMOS process and the DMOS process technology that it

accumulated during internal development and production of chips for internal use.Epson has accumulated a lineup of IP cores based on intellectual property that the company developed for its own finished products. Epson will commercialize products using ASIC development methods based on four decades’ worth of experience supporting industry with long-term stable supply and flexible designs.

Epson will start by offering products in the S1X8H000 and S1K8H000 series, low-power ASICs

(embedded arrays and standard cells) that combine 0.15-micron CMOS and DMOS technology

to support high voltage and high current and that can also integrate control logic circuits to

achieve low power consumption.

Epson uses its unique circuit engineering technology to tackle the previously difficult problem

of integrating analog control elements. Power semiconductor elements, dedicated ICs, and high

voltage and high-current components that occupy board space are provided in advance as IP

cores, and even logic circuits designed by customers are integrated to create single-chip DMOS ASICs. This alleviates the need to procure multiple parts, reduces the number of parts, and saves power by optimally controlling current consumption, which helps customers make their products smaller, reduce their power consumption, and lower their development costs.These products are ideal for a wide range of applications in, among other things, bi-directional communications network circuits such as IO-Link, high-voltage switches, switching power supplies, motor drivers with built-in control functions, and H-bridges for driving motors.

Product Features

- DMOS transistors reduce on-resistance by 50% or more compared to the conventional highvoltage MOS process, reduce power loss, and achieve high efficiency while maintaining high voltage.

- A 0.15-micron CMOS logic circuit, DMOS process, non-volatile memory, and more can be

integrated on a chip.

- A host of functions can be provided as IP cores.

Examples of IP cores*: DMOS transistor with overcurrent detection function, H-bridge circuit, LDO,

EEPROM, SRAM, safety function-undervoltage detection, overvoltage detection, heating detection

* Epson plans to develop a succession of additional IP cores.

1 ASIC: An application-specific integrated circuit. A type of electronic component, an ASIC is any integrated circuit that combines the circuits for multiple functions for a specific application into a single package. Epsonʼs lineup of ASICs includes multiple series of gate arrays, embedded arrays, and standard cells, depending on the extent of customization.

2 IP core (intellectual property core): A block of circuit information for configuring an LSI, especially one that provides a particular function.

3 DMOS (double-diffused MOSFET): A transistor that uses a large amount of electric power from the surface to the bottom of the wafer and has a structure that achieves high withstand voltage by passing a large current in the vertical direction of the wafer. DMOS are commonly used in the withstand voltage range between several 10s and several 100s of volts.

4 CMOS (complementary MOS): A logic circuit that uses complementary pairs of n-type MOS transistors and p-type MOS transistors, which can be created by changing the impurities added to the semiconductor. The power consumption of CMOS semiconductors can be made far lower than that of semiconductors composed of only n-type or only p-type MOS transistors.