STMicroelectronics (ST), a global semiconductor company, is launching a full-scale attack on the space market with radiation-resistant products that reflect the needs of satellite developers.

ST announced on the 18th that it is accelerating its conquest of the New Space market by launching the 'LEOPOL1', a radiation-tolerant POL (Point-of-Load) step-down converter optimized for low Earth Orbit (LEO) operating environments.

This new product has been designed to reflect the needs of developers of low-orbit satellites that provide a variety of services, including communications and Earth observation, and demand is expected to expand, centering around the private space industry in North America, Asia, and Europe.

LEOPOL1 is the latest product in ST's LEO series of power, analog, and logic ICs, and applies statistical process control and high-quality manufacturing technologies accumulated in the automotive industry to provide stable performance even in space environments.

In particular, it effectively responds to various radiation hazards occurring at low orbit altitudes through a radiation-hardening design based on BCD6-SOI (Silicon-On-Insulator) technology.

The main radiation resistance specifications of the product are: △Total ionizing dose (TID) 50 krad (Si) △Total non-ionizing dose (TNID) 3.10¹¹ proton/cm² △Single event effect (SEE) up to 62 MeV·cm²/mg, etc.

LEOPOL1 supplies up to 7A of current and supports input voltages up to 12V relative to ground.

In particular, it has been proven that it can stably supply 5A of current even when 6V input is used, and the phase difference current sharing function makes it easy to amplify the load current when driving in parallel.

Additionally, the synchronization function allows for easy configuration of power sequencing for equipment using multiple voltage rails, providing excellent design flexibility.

ST's LEO series comprises a wide range of products including logic gates, LVDS transceivers, 8-channel 12-bit ADCs, and LDO regulators, including the LEOPOL1, and all devices meet ST's proprietary quality standards for low-orbit applications.

The product also comes with a Certificate of Conformance (CoC) to enhance reliability.

LEOPOL1 is currently in production and is available in 31-count tubes, 250-count tape and reel, and 7-count tape sticks for sampling. Pricing is available upon request.