POWER AND LINEAR IC SOLUTIONS
Outstanding ESD Protection for RF and High-Speed Interfaces 
Exceeds IEC61000-4-2 standard without sacrificing signal quality

ElectroStatic Discharge (ESD) is an important consideration when sensitive ICs and circuitry are connected to exposed interfaces or antennas that can be touched by humans. For RF antennas and high-speed data lines, many ESD protection devices are available: the new ESD0P8RFL protection diode from Infineon shows clear advantages compared to multilayer varistors or polymer-based components.


Ultra-Small Leadless Package

The ESD0P8RFL protection diode exhibits a capacitance of only 0.8pF at 1GHz as well as a fast switching time of less than 200ps. In accordance with the IEC 61000-4-2 specification it clamps an 8kV ESD event to only 12V. This makes the device an ideal solution for providing reliable ESD protection for RF antennas and high speed data lines. It is equally applicable in anti-parallel configurations (for example GPS, DVB, DMB, DAB, Remote Keyless Entry) and for rail-to-rail requirements such as HDMI, S-ATA and Gigabit Ethernet.

Furthermore the ESD0P8RFL does not influence the RF performance of the circuit it is protecting. Tests in Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) applications showed safe ESD protection for levels up to ±30kV contact discharge, exceeding the IEC 61000-4-2 specification (please refer to a detailed description in the Infineon application note AN103). In contrast, achieving even the lower levels of performance required by IEC 61000-4-2 level 4 (±8kV contact protection) can be a challenge when using polymer-based ESD protection devices or varistors.

The new Infineon series offers the best combination of features required for antenna and high speed transmission lines. In addition to the highest ESD protection level and a very low clamping voltage, the small leadless package minimises inductance effects and allows great space saving on the board. At the same time, its low inherent capacitance prevents high speed transmission signals from distortion effects.

Features

  • ESD protection up to 20kV (air/contact) according to IEC61000-4-2
  • Low line capacitance: typically 0.8pF at 1GHz
  • Very low series inductance: 0.4nH per diode
  • Very low clamping voltage: 12V (typical)
  • Thin Small Leadless Package (TSLP-4-7)
  • 1.2mm x 0.8mm x 0.39mm high
  • ROHS compliant
  • Automotive qualification according to AEC Q101

Applications

  • Antenna protection (e.g. GPS, DVB, DAB, DMB,Remote Keyless Entry)
  • High-speed data line protection (e.g. HDMI, S-ATA, Gigabit Ethernet)

For further information, including Datasheets, Application Notes and Samples for the ESD0P8RFL, please click here