Intersil MOSFET driver IC suits dc-dc converters

Intersil Corp. unveiled an advanced two-channel synchronous-buck MOSFET driver IC that is designed for high-current dc-dc converters used in datacom, telecom, point-of-load and computing applications.

According to Cindy Drapcho, VP of Intersil's Power Products, "The Endura ISL6614 offers exceptional performance and cost savings in a small SOIC or near-chip-scale 4-by-4mm QFN package."

The ISL6614 can sink up to 3A of gate current for synchronous-buck configured n-channel MOSFETs and integrates a wide array of protection features, such as pre-enable overvoltage protection. "Our pre-enable overvoltage protection is the industry's first overvoltage protection function that protects against overvoltage events, such as upper FET shorts, before the power supply is up and running," shared Drapcho. "This protection feature prevents the load voltage from rising to dangerous levels that can potentially cause catastrophic damage."

The ISL6614 drives both upper and lower MOSFET gates over a range of 5V to 12V. The company said that this drive-voltage flexibility provides optimization of applications involving trade-offs between gate charge and conduction losses.

The three-state PWM input feature, working together with Intersil's multiphase PWM controllers, prevents a negative transient on the output voltage when the output is shut down. This feature eliminates the Schottky diode that is used in some systems for protecting the load from reversed output voltage events.

Steve Rivet, senior marketing manager for Intersil's Desktop and Server Power Products, stated "We designed the ISL6614 to provide the highest performance and protection while significantly reducing board space, parts count and costs to implement a multiphase power solution."

An over-temperature protection feature prevents failures resulting from excessive power dissipation by shutting off the outputs when its junction temperature exceeds 150°C (typically). The driver resets once its junction temperature returns to 108°C (typically). The ISL6614 also has a 36V bootstrap pin rating that enables the MOSFET drivers to withstand switching node spikes, typically found in switch-mode dc-dc converters.

The new MOSFET driver IC is available in 14-lead SOIC (ISL6614CB) or QFN (ISL6614CR) packages, with a suggested resale price of $1.53 for ISL6614CB and $1.63 for ISL6614CR in 100- to 999-unit quantities. The products are available on tape and reel and in Pb-free versions (ISL6614CBZ and ISL6614CRZ).