DALLAS -- The big battle over tiny packages for advanced standard logic devices is expanding. Standard logic allies Texas Instruments Inc., Integrated Devices Inc., and Hitachi Ltd. today introduced quad flat no-lead (QFN) packages with 14, 16 and 20 contacts for gate and octal-bit width devices.

The new surface-mountable QFN packages are up to 62% smaller than thin scale small outline packages (TSSOP) with the same number of contacts and bit widths, according to the three companies.

The introduction comes one day after rival Fairchild Semiconductor International Inc. released 50 standard logic functions in its new MicroPak chip-scale package, which the company said is 65% smaller than widely used SC70 packages (see April 29 story). Fairchild's MicroPak is aimed at six-terminal logic and switch functions, a different group of building blocks than the TI-IDT-Hitachi package, but both sides in the marketplace are battling each other for the smallest, reliable format in standard logic chips.

Dallas-based TI said it will initially introduce QFN packaging in its ABT, LVC, LVTH, and LV-A logic technologies for gate and octal functions. Full production is scheduled to ramp in other advanced BiCMOS and CMOS technologies, including the 1.8V optimized AUC family, later in 2002 andinto 2003, said TI.

"We are continuing our efforts to advance the logic market to meet our customers' needs with reliable and innovative logic and packaging technologies," said David Hoover, worldwide product marketing manager for TI's Standard Linear and Logic Group.

Part of TI's strategy is to also offer second sources for QFN packaged logic. Both IDT and Hitachi are planning to release products in the QFN package later this year.

"Our collaboration with TI gives our mutual customers a highly specialized package option to meet their advanced networking and communications design requirements, while ensuring product availability," said Kevin Walsh, director of strategic marketing for the Timing and Logic Division of Santa Clara, Calif.-based IDT.

The new package and cooperation will "offer the Japanese market an improved alternative for gate and octal logic devices," said Yukiya Kamiya, department manager for standard linear and logic devices at Hitachi

The partners said the QFN package is ideally suited for portable consumer electronics with a smaller footprint and less weight compared to TSSOP packages. TI said the body dimensions of the QFN are JEDEC (MO-220) compliant. The 20-pin QFN has a footprint of 15.75 mm². All three QFN pin-counts have a height of 1.00 mm for the most aggressive thin-profile requirements in portable applications, according to TI.