10.4 Power Dissipation

The ability to remove heat from the die is different for each package type, presenting different considerations in the printed-circuit-board (PCB) layout. The PCB area around the device that is free of other components moves the heat from the device to the ambient air. Performance data for JEDEC low- and high-K boards are given in the Thermal Information table. Using heavier copper increases the effectiveness in removing heat from the device. The addition of plated through-holes to heat-dissipating layers also improves the heatsink effectiveness.

Power dissipation depends on input voltage and load conditions. Power dissipation (P_D) is equal to the product of the output current times the voltage drop across the output pass element (V_IN to V_OUT), as shown in Equation 2: