ROHM targets 48V automotive power systems

ROHM has introduced the AG16xFNxx series of 80V power MOSFETs for 48V automotive power supply systems.

The new N-channel MOSFET family is designed for vehicle subsystems where 48V architectures are being adopted to support higher electrical loads without moving every function into high-voltage traction territory. The devices are AEC-Q101 compliant and are available in compact HPLF5060 and DFN3333 package options.

ROHM is using an 80V rating rather than a more conventional 100V class device for these 48V applications. Lower voltage ratings can support reduced on-resistance and switching losses where the application voltage margin is well understood, giving designers a route to improve efficiency and thermal behaviour without over-specifying the device.

The HPLF5060 package uses gull-wing leads to support mounting reliability, while the DFN3333 option uses wettable flank technology to improve solder-joint inspection after assembly. Both package formats reflect the same automotive electronics demand: higher currents, smaller boards, predictable solder quality, and stronger thermal paths.

Vehicle electrical architecture is becoming more layered as 12V systems continue to serve established loads, high-voltage batteries support traction and major electrified functions, and 48V subsystems fill the space between them. That intermediate layer is being used for electric compressors, pumps, active chassis systems, mild hybrid functions, auxiliary drives, and equipment that becomes inefficient or bulky at 12V.

The 48V domain creates a distinct semiconductor design space. Voltage is high enough to require careful transient handling, EMC control, protection coordination, and thermal design, yet low enough that very high-voltage device trade-offs can impose unnecessary losses. A well-matched MOSFET family can reduce conduction and switching losses while helping control board size.

Packaging is doing more of the engineering work. The same pressure appears in ROHM’s top-side cooling SiC package development, which addressed a higher-voltage part of the power-density problem. The AG16xFNxx series sits in a lower-voltage automotive domain, but package design remains central to efficiency, manufacturability, and heat flow.

ROHM’s wider power semiconductor activity, including its work with AIXTRON to scale GaN production, shows the company operating across several power-device technologies. Silicon MOSFETs remain deeply relevant in 48V systems because cost, robustness, switching behaviour, and automotive manufacturing maturity still carry heavy weight.

Wettable flank packaging may appear a small production detail, but inspection confidence matters in automotive electronics. High-volume manufacturing depends on automated optical inspection, traceability, and consistent solder quality. Package features that improve joint visibility can reduce uncertainty after assembly and help keep production flows aligned with quality requirements.

Thermal design is equally unforgiving. As current rises, losses that were manageable in older subsystems can become a limiting factor. A MOSFET with low on-resistance still has to transfer heat through the package, board copper, heatsink, or surrounding structure, and the final result depends on layout discipline as much as data-sheet performance.

48V architectures are likely to expand as vehicles carry more electric loads and manufacturers replace belt-driven, hydraulic, or engine-dependent functions with electrical alternatives. The shift will add a growing middle layer of switching and conversion functions rather than remove 12V electronics or high-voltage traction systems.

The AG16xFNxx series is aimed at that middle layer, combining a tailored voltage class, automotive qualification, compact packaging, and production-friendly inspection features. It gives designers another route to lower-loss 48V switching where space, heat, and assembly discipline are all competing constraints.