October 20, 2009–Beverly, Massachusetts, USA – Clare, Inc., an IXYS company (NASDAQ: IXYS – News), announces the immediate production release of the CPC1590, an optically isolated MOSFET gate-driver integrated circuit which uses a bootstrap biasing technique to eliminate the load-side power supply. An external power MOSFET is controlled by the application of a low-input LED current (2.5 to 10mA) to the CPC1590, which activates the internal load-side driver circuit. The CPC1590 IC connected to the load, together with an external storage capacitor, provides bias to the internal driver circuit, which eliminates the need for a costly power supply. This device is specifically designed for low duty-cycle switching frequencies and offers isolated solid-state control to replace large modules and multi-component discrete solutions.

The CPC1590 MOSFET driver couples an infrared light emitting diode (LED) with proprietary photovoltaic integrated circuits fabricated with Clare’s high-voltage dielectrically isolated BCDMOS technology. The small 8-pin package provides 3750Vrms of input-to-output isolation. The CPC1590 has a blocking voltage rating of 200V, which is paired with a corresponding external MOSFET for a variety of power switching applications. The IC features a typical turn-on time of 40 microseconds (Ton = 40us) and a typical turn-off time of 110 microseconds (Toff = 110us) with a 2.5mA LED input current.

The CPC1590 is an excellent choice for remote switching of DC and low frequency loads where isolated power is unavailable. The device is flexible and allows the user to select a specific MOSFET and external components to satisfy design-switching requirements. Used in conjunction with discrete MOSFETs, the CPC1590 is ideal for programmable control, process control, instrumentation, and power distribution applications while reducing BOM count, board space, and overall design complexity. Additional information on the CPC1590 can be found in Application Note AN-202 on the Clare website including topics such as external MOSFET selection, switching frequency, different load configurations and over-voltage protection.

CPC1590 Data Sheet

AN-202 Application Note

Pricing and Availability
The CPC1590 optical gate driver is in full production with a leadtime of 5 weeks.
For OEM quantities of 10KU, CPC1590 pricing is $0.66.

About Clare and IXYS, Inc.
Clare, Inc., a leader in the design and manufacture of solid-state relays and high voltage integrated circuits, is a wholly owned subsidiary of IXYS Corporation. IXYS Corporation develops and markets primarily high performance power semiconductor devices that are used in controlling and converting electrical power efficiently in power systems for the telecommunication internet infrastructure, motor drives, medical systems, solar energy, wind energy, electrical generators and transportation. IXYS also serves its markets with a combination of digital and analog integrated circuits, RF power products and power subsystems. Additional information about Clare and IXYS may be found at www.clare.com and www.ixys.com, or by sending an email to info@clare.com for quarter ended September 30, 2009. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements.

Safe Harbor Statement
Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact, including the performance, rating, availability, reliability and suitability of products for various applications, may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause the results of IXYS to differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements, including, among others, risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 31, 2008. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements.

Please contact your local sales representative:
http://www.clare.com/home/pages.nsf/locate.rep

For More Information Contact:
info@clare.com