Marvell Technology Group (MRVL)

Management of Power

        There are a number of trends related to the design and use of electronic equipment that are creating some critical issues in the management of power within such equipment. Semiconductor manufacturers continue to invest heavily in the development of integrated circuits that are manufactured in smaller and smaller geometries. Additionally, these smaller devices are being manufactured with higher levels of functional integration and designed to perform at record speeds. Electronic equipment that utilizes such integrated circuits are faced with an exponential increase in electrical current consumption. Traditional power management solutions are forced to utilize larger passive components to keep up with the increasing electrical current. The use of larger passive components to handle the increase in electrical current is inhibiting the further development of smaller form factor electronic products and also increasing the cost of power management solutions.

        Another challenge faced by portable products today is that battery technology has not scaled as rapidly as semiconductor technology due to limited advancements in chemical technology. This divergence is also placing greater demands on sophisticated power management solutions. Sophisticated power management solutions that are able to drive higher efficiency which can extend battery life and enhance the thermal profile of today's portable electronic devices are in great demand.