ROHM has Developed Ultra-Compact CMOS Op Amp: Delivering Industry-Leading Ultra-Low Circuit Current

ROHM’s ultra-compact CMOS Operational Amplifier (op amp) TLR1901GXZ achieves the industry’s lowest operating circuit current. This IC is optimized to be applied as a measurement sensing amplifier in size-constrained applications such as handheld measurement instruments, wearable devices, and indoor motion detectors.

As the demand continues to grow for more sophisticated control in battery-driven devices, the importance of sensors that detect parameters such as temperature, humidity, vibration, pressure, and flow rate – along with the op amps used to amplify these sensor signals – continues to rise. At the same time, greater miniaturization and energy savings in applications is a necessary step to realizing a sustainable society –placing similar demands on individual devices as well.

In response to these evolving market needs, ROHM has advanced its process, packaging, and proprietary Nano Energy circuit technologies to develop an op amp that addresses three key requirements: lower power consumption, higher accuracy, and compact size. The newly developed TLR1901GXZ achieves an ultra-compact footprint of less than 1mm2 by adopting a WLCSP (Wafer Level Chip Scale Package) with a fine ball pitch of 0.35mm while delivering an industry-leading low operating current of 160nA (typ.). This not only contributes to high-density mounting in space-constrained applications, but also to a significantly extended battery life.

Moreover, the TLR1901GXZ features an exceptionally low input offset voltage of just 0.55mV (max.), one of the best among ultra-low current op amps. This represents an approximate 45% reduction compared to typical products on the market. A maximum input offset voltage temperature drift of 7uV/°C ensures high accuracy operation over the operating temperature range.

Design flexibility can be further enhanced by pairing the op amp with ROHM’s ultra-compact general-purpose resistors, such as the MCR004 (0402 metric / 01005 inch) and MCR006 (0603 metric / 0201 inch), for applications like gain adjustment. The MCR004 series lineup includes the MCR004E –an environmentally friendly, fully lead-free option designed to support sustainable designs.  Adapter boards featuring SSOP5 package ICs are offered as well to support initial evaluation and replacement assessments.

Going forward, ROHM will continue to pursue further power savings in op amps by advancing both miniaturization and original ultra-low power technologies. At the same time, we are committed to improving device performance by reducing noise and offset, expanding power supply voltage ranges, and contributing to solving social issues through more precise application control.

Key Product Characteristics

Application Examples

  • Consumer devices: wearables, smart devices, motion sensors, etc.
  • Industrial equipment: gas detectors, fire alarms, handheld measurement instruments loggers, environmental sensors for IoT, etc.

Terminology

WLCSP (Wafer Level Chip Scale Package)
An ultra-compact package in which terminals and wiring are formed directly on the wafer before separated into individual chips. Unlike general packages where the chips are cut from wafers and then molded with resin to form terminals, WLCSP allows the package size to match the chip itself, making it possible to further reduce size.

Input Offset Voltage
The small voltage difference that must be applied between the inverting and non-inverting inputs of the operational amplifier to make the output voltage exactly zero.

Input Offset Voltage Temperature Drift
Refers to how much an op amp’s input offset voltage changes as the temperature changes.

For more information visit www.rohm.com.