Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, today announced that its single-I/O bus UNI/O® EEPROM devices are now available in miniature, Wafer-Level Chip-Scale and TO-92 packages, in addition to the 3-pin SOT-23 package. Measuring at 0.85 mm x 1.38 mm, the Wafer-Level Chip-Scale Package (WLCSP) is approximately the size of a die, and can support a manufacturing flow using standard pick-and-place machines. The long-leaded, 3-pin TO-92 package is commonly used when the manufacturing flow is a hand-assembly process, or when it is mounted directly on cable assemblies.

The current market trend is to offer consumer products with more features than previous models, but smaller in size and lower in cost. This can be accomplished with higher levels of integration, the selection of smaller components with fewer pins or the utilization of smaller packages. Since the UNI/O devices only need a single I/O port to communicate with the microcontroller (MCU), selecting components in a Chip-Scale package is the next step to take when further reduction in the overall product size is needed. Even though small size is a factor in any design, the lower overall manufacturing costs from a hand-assembly process can also drive package selection. This is where the thru-hole TO-92 package can be utilized.

"Customers continually request smaller, lower-cost EEPROM devices, and the UNI/O EEPROMs in the WLCSP and TO-92 packages are another solution to this ongoing requirement," said Randy Drwinga, vice president of Microchip's Memory Products Division. "Since overall costs include manufacturing, we made sure that these packages were robust enough to support our customers' standard manufacturing process flows."

Development Support
All Microchip memory devices are supported by the MPLAB® Starter Kit for Serial Memory Products (Part # DV243003). The kit is available for $100 today, at microchipDIRECT (http://www.microchip.com/get/9KE2).

Packaging, Pricing & Availability
The 11AA160 (16 Kbit) and 11AA020 (2 Kbit) EEPROMs are available in the WLCSP for $0.47 and $0.39 each, respectively, in 10,000-unit quantities. The 11AA160 (16 Kbit), 11AA020 (2 Kbit) and 11AA010 (1Kbit) EEPROMs are available in the 3-pin TO-92 package, for $0.34, $0.26 and $0.25 each, respectively, in 10,000-unit quantities. Samples of the 11AA160 and 11AA010 in the WLCSP; and the 11AA160, 11AA020 and 11AA010 in the TO-92 package can be ordered today, at http://www.microchip.com/get/23X0. Volume-production quantities of these devices are expected to be available in June, at microchipDIRECT (http://www.microchip.com/get/9KE2).

For further information, contact any Microchip sales representative or authorized worldwide distributor, or visit Microchip's Web site at http://www.microchip.com/get/S92W.