Our History
PowerTech™ was incorporated in 1968 with a single objective of satisfying the increasing demand for high current, high power silicon transistors for the military and aerospace power supply market. We provide high grade industrial and military type devices with current ratings from 10 to 2400 amperes and voltage rating from 60 to 250 volts. All devices feature ultra-low forward voltage drops.
Now under new management, PowerTech™ will stay true to its heritage by continuing to provide the market with the same high current, high power silicon power transistor products just as we have done for over 50 years.
Fast Forward To Today
Fast forward to today and that same objective still defines PowerTech™. However, today our focus is sustainment of the more than 50 critical military systems that need to be supported and maintained. PowerTech™ has spanned over 50 years supplying the same high current, high power silicon transistors.
The need for our proprietary products is as critical today in the support phase of the weapon systems that use our products as they were more than 50 years ago in the development phase of those same systems.
Our Process
PowerTech™ currently fabricates our own die which are used in our products. All products were designed with and utilize the largest military qualified power transistor chips available. PowerTechTM proprietary metallization techniques enable the products to have superior electrical characteristics critical in power conversion applications. Since PowerTech™ products were originally designed for the demanding needs of the military and aerospace markets, inherent reliability has been designed in, rather than tested in.
Our Technology
There is an old saying that “they just do not make them like they used to,” which usually refers to the quality of a product as compared to when it was first introduced. Here at PowerTech, we can proudly say that we still make them like we used to. It starts with our proprietary single diffused wafer technology. PowerTech’s fabrication process yields the lowest VCE(SAT) rating of any competing product in the market today. The lowest VCE(SAT) means the highest efficiency, which is extremely important for transistor operation above 30 Amps.
Typical Products
| VCE(SAT) Max. | VCE | PowerTech™ P/N |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5V @ 300A | 80V | PT9502 |
| 0.35V @ 200A | 120V | PT9503 |
| 0.75V @ 70A | 120V | 2N5927 |
Guaranteed Safe Operating Area
To achieve this, we use extra-heavy copper metalizing on our die thereby assuring maximum thermal and electrical conductivity yielding us the lowest VCE(SAT).
Compared to our competition, their chips utilize a thin aluminum metallization with fragile, current limiting wires, whereas PowerTech™ product uses solid copper posts to achieve our superior performance rating.
When designing with a power transistor, high voltage and current specs are not enough. If you have ever specified a power transistor above 50 amps, only to find it fail on the job, you know how high current specs may actually be misleading. The truth is, unless you see the SOA and ES/B specifications of the transistor, there is no way of knowing whether a high current device has the guts to withstand a surge, and not blow out.
This is why we publish both our Safe Operating Area and ES/B specifications for all our products. We want you to see the kind of superior performance you can expect from only PowerTech™ high power transistors. Compare our ES/B ratings from 1.5 to 6 joules, against the millijoules or unpublished ratings of other high current/voltage devices to see the difference.
Our extra heavy copper metalizing assures maximum thermal and electrical conductivity and yields the highest resistance to second breakdown with the lowest VCE(SAT). PowerTechTM does not stop there. All die are mounted onto an integral moly-copper heat sink so we can categorize and pre-test our die at high currents to ensure maximum reliability in the final packaged device.
Typical Products
| IC | VCE | ES/B | PowerTech™ P/N |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1200A | 80V | 6.0J | PT9502 |
| 400A | 120V | 6.0J | PT9503 |
| 50A | 200V | 6.0J | 2N5927 |
Guaranteed Safe Operating Area
Anatomy of a Power Transistor
