SupIR-SMD package is space-ready for rad-hard MOSFETS

By Gina Roos, editor-in-chief

IR HiRel, an Infineon Technologies AG company, solves the issue of reliably attaching surface-mount hermetic power packages to PCBs faced by space system designers with the introduction of 14 QPL-qualified radiation-hardened (rad-hard) MOSFETs housed in a direct-to-PCB mounting package. Capable of attaching directly to the PCB, the SupIR-SMD  package design is optimized for surface-mount attach and can be used in applications such as satellite bus power distribution systems, payload power supplies, space-grade DC/DC converters, and other high-switching designs.

Traditionally, designers use a “dead bug” and lead configuration, wherein the packages are flipped upside down and soldered to the PCB via leads; however, dead-bug soldering dissipates heat sub-optimally and decreases MOSFET power capacity, explained the company. With the SupIR-SMD package, it delivers a 37% smaller footprint, 34% lighter mass, and 33% higher current density while offering a more direct thermal path for heat transfer without compromising system reliability.

The SupIR-SMD package is JANS-qualified to MIL-PRF-19500. JANS is the most rigorous level of screening and acceptance requirements available to ensure the performance, quality, and reliability of discrete semiconductors intended for space flight. The new rad-hard MOSFETs are also QPL-qualified in accordance with the Qualified Products List (QPL) for space applications. (Details about reliability testing for the SupIR-SMD can be found in IR HiRel’s application note #1222 .)

The SupIR-SMD QPL-qualified rad-hard MOSFETs can be ordered now with the MIL-PRF-19500 package identifier “U2A.”