New Technology Spotlight: What is 3DPP?

Our partners at RECOM recently introduced their new technology for power conversion components dubbed 3DPP. To learn more about this new tech we reached out to RECOM and asked them to walk us through their latest innovation.

Introducing 3DPP Technology

Power conversion can often be the bane of product designers, regardless of what they
are designing. In space-constrained applications such as cutting-edge IoT devices or
handheld medical devices, using standard converter modules can be limited by space
and discrete power conversion design can be costly and time-consuming. To help
designers get their designs to market faster, 3DPP technology offers space-conscious,
high-performance turnkey power conversion right out of the box.

What is 3DPP?

3DPP stands for 3D-POWER-PACKAGING which is a new offering of advanced, surface
mount DC/DC converters that offer superior performance in a compact footprint. This
relatively new assembly process allows for a minimal footprint that is significantly
smaller than other power conversion modules while also simultaneously providing
maximum power. In addition to their compact size, 3DPP products enable the
implementation of modern reflow soldering assembly which may reduce supply chain
and manufacturing complexities during production.

How is 3DPP different from other power converter modules?

This 3DPP technology can eliminate the need for an internal PCB by mounting intrinsic
components directly to a leadframe, thereby reducing the amount of space required by
the components within the module. As an order of magnitude example, a newly
available 3DPP switching regulator product is only 3mm x 5mm x 1.6mm making it
nearly as small as an IC. This reduction in size allows engineers and designers to have
more streamlined PCB profiles with integral power conversion without pursuing costly
bespoke conversion design. These 3DPP technology-enabled devices are available in
several package types including LGA, gull-wing, blocks-and-pillars, and solder balls,
which can make a world of difference in space-constrained applications.
And while some applications may require a few passive external components, filtering
components (such as an embedded inductor) are included internally in the 3DPP
products (see Figure 1). Another benefit of their compact size is the tight switching
current loops that inherently reduce EMI, making these products extremely valuable in
EMC-critical environments

Thermal Management

Although the reduction in size is invaluable to the 3DPP product offerings, there are
several other benefits to using a 3DPP product versus a standard potted module that
may make 3DPP products even more appealing. 3DPP technology’s compact form factor
helps reduce the thermal load of a system, which may reduce the need for other
thermal management systems and ultimately reduce design time. The 3DPP technology
removes the bond wires on the converter IC and places it directly on a leadframe (see
Figure 2), thereby reducing the thermal resistance dramatically. This practice reduces
the power paths on the PCB considerably which also allows for higher switching
frequencies while still maintaining EMC requirements.

Power Conversion in 5G

In high heat-density applications such as 5G, minimizing thermal load at every
opportunity is extremely important for maintaining system performance and maximizing
longevity. This 3DPP technology seeks to minimize power conversion heat loss and
reduce overall thermal load on systems such as 5G and other high-performance
applications. Boundary pushing technologies like 5G may not even be possible without
innovative thermal management technology. Therefore, 3DPP technology’s low thermal
load is already being taken advantage of in 5G applications and will likely be critical to
future technologies with similar high-efficiency requirements.

Where can 3DPP technology be used?

This advanced technology can be used in any application that requires a minimal
converter footprint, high switching frequencies, or reduced EMI. Industries such as
medical, mobilities, energy, IoT, communication/5G, and automotive have already
turned to 3DPP technology given its outstanding performance and footprint.

To learn more about 3DPP products and evaluation boards be sure to visit RECOM
Power.