Silicon chips are famous for their computing power. The packages that contain them are not so famous. But they play a big role in delivering power where it's needed by connecting chips to the outside world, and helping product designs reach their full potential.

The most critical questions to ask about a semiconductor package are how small is it and how much heat can it get rid of—fast? Freescale Semiconductor's new PQFN (power quad flat pack no-lead) package supplies an elegant solution to both.

Compared to older package types, PQFN packages are tiny and dissipate plenty of heat. This makes them ideal for automotive, industrial, marine and commercial applications.

Most packages still use tiny copper wires, which don't dissipate heat very well, to make the electrical connections. PQFN connects heavy-duty aluminum bond wires to the chip, combined with exposed heat sinks, to carry heat away quicker. The design also replaces external leads by making the connections to the PC board from under the package. This results in a smaller package footprint. Mix in a generous helping of advanced materials science and you have a packaging breakthrough.

That's how we did it. New materials, but even more important, new ideas and new approaches—the kind of innovation to be expected from Freescale, a world leader in embedded processors.