A brand new process was the first step in National Semiconductor's development of six new precision op amps that offer as much as 90% power savings over comparable devices. The VIP50 silicon-on-insulator (SOI) BiCMOS process combines highly-efficient bipolar transistors, analog-grade MOS transistors, highly matched, low-temperature-coefficient thin-film resistors, and laser-trim capability. The process dramatically improves the performance of the company's next-generation precision and low-power, low-voltage op amps. Six new op amps built on the new process feature significant improvements in accuracy as well as reduced power consumption and voltage noise for industrial, medical and automotive applications. The products' small size also suits them to portable applications.
Highlights of the new process include high-speed vertical NPN and PNP transistors. The addition of vertical PNPs enables the implementation of well-balanced amplifier output stages with superior speed-power characteristics. Moreover, the SOI technology minimizes the inherent parasitic capacitance, thereby improving performance. Finally, the highly accurate, trim-capable, low-temperature-coefficient thin-film resistors offer matching accuracy that surpasses many nonintegrated precision resistor pairs. The accuracy of these circuits can be further enhanced through the use of wafer-level or post-package trim.
