Press Releases
Intersil Ignites Automotive Industry with D-Pak IGBT

— Device delivers electronic control of automotive coil on plug ignition applications
— D-Pak Ignition IGBT conserves board space without sacrificing performance

IRVINE, Calif., June 1, 2000 — Intersil (NASDAQ:ISIL), a leading provider of power management solutions, today announced its fourth generation of ignition insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). These IGBTs have been successfully developed to allow a significant reduction in size without sacrificing performance, translating into substantial space savings in automotive applications. Compared to traditional D2-Pak (TO263) devices, Intersil’s latest automotive IGBTs are integrated into a smaller D-Pak (TO252) package and require two to three times less board space.

The first device in the new D-Pak ignition IGBT family, the HGTD14N41G4VLS, features characteristics similar to its larger predecessors, including an active clamping circuitry that limits the voltage applied to the primary side of the ignition coil to 410 volts. Gate and shunt resistors aid in tuning the device to the end application. A logic level gate enables control of the device directly from the microcontroller, and a 225mJ self clamped inductive switching (SCIS) capability protects the coil from destruction in an open secondary condition by dissipating the excessive energy in the device. Another significant parameter exceeded the expectations even of the development team: the Collector-Emitter saturation voltage Vce(sat) turned out to be very low with <1.2V @ Vg=4V & Ic=6AV. A low Vce(sat) reduces the power dissipation of the circuit.

"Imagine the board space savings potential in the engine control module of an eight cylinder vehicle," said Peter Blumenroether, senior marketing manager for automotive discretes. "Most new vehicles are equipped with a single coil and plug configuration on each cylinder, eliminating the mechanical distribution of the spark energy and the high voltage wires between a central coil and the spark plugs. These ‘coil on plug’ systems require an ignition IGBT to control the primary side of the coil for each cylinder, which dramatically increases the board space required for the ignition function. Eight D2-Pak (TO263) devices would require total board area of about 2.5 square inches. In comparison, deploying Intersil’s D-Pak ignition IGBT reduces the required area by nearly two-thirds, to less than one square inch. This type of innovation is what has made Intersil a world-class automotive power management provider."

"Intersil has invested in improved simulation capabilities over the past few years," said Joe Yedinak, staff engineer for discrete power product development for ignition IGBTs. "This investment greatly aided the development of the HGTD14N41G4VLS and played a large role in making it a first pass success. Computer simulations help Intersil engineers predict how silicon will behave in automotive applications. Intersil has the ability to integrate customers’ ignition system parameters into the simulation to predict how the HGTD14N41G4VLS will operate in their circuit"

This breakthrough in performance signals the end to the lease on life that Darlington transistors still enjoy in some ignition applications. "Ignition was one of the few functions in which these bipolar dinosaurs survived," said Blumenroether. "Taking full advantage of the significantly higher current density capability of IGBT technology, Intersil has moved into an area where the Darlington transistor can not follow"

About Intersil Ignition IGBTs
Intersil released its first ignition IGBT to the market in 1992 and has shipped more than 60 million devices to customers in the US, Europe and Asia. Compared to the same period a year ago, ignition IGBTs have realized strong growth, with orders increasing 64 percent during the first quarter 2000. Intersil continues to invest in discrete power devices for automotive applications with design and manufacturing facilities in Mountaintop, Pennsylvania and Findlay, Ohio.

Availability
A datasheet and samples of Intersil’s initial ignition IGBT offering, the HGTD14N41G4VLS, are currently available. Additional devices – featuring various clamp voltages and gate and shunt resistor configurations are scheduled for introduction later this year. For a data sheet and to order samples, visit Intersil’s ignition IGBT Web site: http://www.intersil.com/ignition_IGBT.

Intersil and the Automotive Market
For over 25 years, Intersil has developed advanced semiconductors to address automotive applications including electronic ignition and engine control, electronic fuel injection, anti-lock braking and airbag systems, general purpose load control and multiplex communications. Intersil offers state-of-the-art automotive power products including standard and logic level gate drive MOSFETs and logic level gate drive IGBTs. The company provides semiconductors to the world's leading automotive suppliers and offers AEC Q101-compliant devices manufactured in QS9000 certified facilities.

About Intersil
Intersil uses its semiconductor expertise to enable highly integrated voice, data and video communications. Intersil's integrated communications portfolio includes PRISM^® Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) chip sets that enable mobile connectivity products for the home and office; analog, mixed-signal and digital integrated circuits for broadband access to wireless and wired Wide Area Networks (WANs); and power management products that enable 24x7 reliability in network servers, next generation PCs and information appliances. For more information about Intersil, visit the company's Internet homepage at www.intersil.com.

PRISM is a registered trademark of Intersil Corporation.

This press release contains information relating to certain projections and business trends, that are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements as a result of certain risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to global and market conditions as well as other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in Intersil's filings with the Securities Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this press release and Intersil undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Specific risk factors can be found in Intersil’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.