Step-down DC-DC converter with 220nA quiescent current

Nexperia has developed two families of step-down DC-DC converter with low quiescent current  and operating efficiency of over 90% for long standby times in battery applications.

The NEX30606 DC-Dc converter has 16 resistor-settable output voltages from input voltages ranging from 1.8 V to 5.0 V. It can deliver up to 600 mA of output current and offers the industry’s lowest operating quiescent current (Iq) of 220 nA.

The WLCSP package measuring only 1.09 mm x 0.74 mm with a 0.35-mm pitch, which is almost 50% smaller than similar competing converters.

This combination is suitable for wearable consumer applications like hearing aids, medical sensors, patches and monitors in addition to battery-powered industrial applications like smart meters, asset-tracking and industrial (IIOT) and narrow-band internet-of-things (NBIOT) devices.

The DC-DC converter has over 90% switching efficiency for load currents ranging from 1 mA to 400 mA and has only 10 mV of output voltage ripple when stepping down from 3.6 V Vin to 1.8 Vout. This comes from COT (Constant On Time) control to achieve low power consumption mode and fast transient with a switching frequency of 1.5 MHz. At light load conditions, it seamlessly enters Power Save Mode to reduce switching cycles and maintain high efficiency.

The output voltage can be configured by VSET pin. For 1.8 V output, connects the VSET pin to GND and with input voltage up to 5.0 V, the devices supports multiple sources such as 2S to 3S Alkaline, 1S Li-MnO2, 1S Li-ion/Li-SOCL2 battery packs.

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The NEX40400 synchronous step-down converter combines high efficiency (up to 8 % higher efficiency than close competition at low – mid load condition) with low operating quiescent current (60 μA typ.) and can provide up to 600 mA output from a wide 4.5 V to 40 V input range for applications.

Pulse Frequency Modulation (PFM) provides high efficiency at low to mid loads and Spread Spectrum Technology minimizes EMI, the converter is ideal for industrial distributed power systems and grid infrastructure such as smart e-meters as well as consumer white goods. Low shutdown supply current (0.3 μA) also makes this converter suitable for use in battery-powered home appliances.

Nexperia also plans to release an AEC-Q100 qualified version of the NEX40400 DC-DC converter later in 2025 for use in automotive applications such as body electronics and lighting, in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), as well as instrument clusters, cameras and displays.

Both the NEX30606 and NEX40400 offer traditional IC protection features such as Overcurrent Protection (OCP), short circuit protection, and thermal shutdown, ensuring reliability in demanding environments.

“Nexperia recognized the demand for high-efficiency, wide input-voltage range step-down DC-DC converters with low quiescent current that can serve multiple end-markets,” according to Irene Deng, General Manager of the IC Solutions business group at Nexperia. ”Devices in this new series offer industry-leading Iq and now provide engineers with even greater design flexibility across various industrial, consumer, and automotive applications.”

The NEX40400 DC-Dc converter comes in a cost-effective 6-lead SOT8061-1 (TSOT23-6) plastic, surface-mounted package measuring 2.9 mm x 2.8 mm.