Apex Microtechnology's super-power PA03 advances the state-of-the-art in both brute-force power and self-protection against abnormal operating conditions. Its features start with a copper dip package developed by Apex Microtechnology to extend power capabilities well beyond those attainable with the familiar TO-3 package. The increased pin count provides additional control features, while the superior thermal conductivity of copper allows substantially higher power ratings.

The PA03 incorporates innovative current limiting circuits, limiting internal power dissipation to a curve approximating the safe operating area of the power transistors. The internal current limit of 35 A is supplemented with thermal sensing, which reduces the current limit as the substrate temperature rises. Furthermore, a sub-circuit monitor's actual junction temperature (with a response time of less than ten milliseconds) and reduces the current limit further to keep the junction temperature at 175°C. The PA03 also features a laser-trimmed, high-performance FET input stage providing superior DC accuracies both initially and over the full temperature range.