NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR INTRODUCES WORLD’S SMALLEST INTEGRATED CIRCUIT

March 10, 1998 – National Semiconductor Corporation® today introduced a new microchip, so small that the packaged device is about the size of a flake of coarse-ground pepper. The tiny package houses an integrated circuit called an operational amplifier which is used as a basic building block in a wide variety of electronic systems ranging from cellular phones to full-size computers.



The chip, identified as the LMV321, is the industry's smallest ever operational amplifier and is the first integrated circuit to be packaged in the miniature SC70-5 package. This package is only 2.0 x 2.1 millimeters (about 3/32-inch square) and has previously been used only to house ``discrete'' devices such as single transistors.

The small package size is important for use in portable systems, where the tiny device can be inserted in half the space needed previously. The new chip also operates at voltages from 2.7 to 5 volts, which reduces power consumption and extends battery life. These characteristics make the device ideal for use in cellular phones, cordless phones and pagers.

The LMV321 is in production and is priced at 27 cents each in quantities of 1,000 in the SC70-5 package.

More information on the LMV321 is available at National's web site at: http://www.national.com/pf/LM/LMV321.html

National Semiconductor Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, produces system-on-a-chip silicon solutions for the information highway, based on its leadership in analog and mixed signal technologies. National is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and focuses on the communications, personal systems and consumer markets. National has annual sales of approximately $2.5 billion and 13,000 employees worldwide. Additional company and product information is available on the World Wide Web at www.national.com.

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