High-voltage technology offers new solutions for interface integrated circuits

A BIMOS IC technology improving the design of interface circuits that require either high-voltage (up to 120 V) of current (up to a few amperes per output) has been developed. Both bipolar and MOS complementary components are processed together on the same chip for low- and high-voltage applications. Various BIMOS power interface circuits are now in production, e.g., a motor driver, a high-voltage plasma display driver, and a printer head driver. This paper describes the BIMOS technology and the characteristics of its components. As applications, two circuits are presented: the UEB 4732 (plasma display driver) with complementary MOS push-pull output stages (120 V), and the UAA 2081 (stepper motor driver) with power bipolar transistors (1 A per output). Both circuits have a logical part designed with low-voltage CMOS (5-12 V).