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LATEST NEWS2 Min Read
Renesas Electronics Corporation announced the appointment of Zaher Baidas as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Power, effective July 1, 2025. Zaher will be responsible for overseeing the company’s power management and discrete product portfolios and for driving the execution of Renesas’ global power strategy.
Zaher, currently Vice President of the Timing Division within the Analog & Connectivity product group, joined Renesas in 2019 through the acquisition of Integrated Device Technology, Inc. He brings a strong engineering background and a proven track record of driving innovative solutions. His global mindset and business acumen will be instrumental in accelerating transformation and enhancing Renesas’ power business performance on a global scale. Zaher will join Renesas’ leadership team and will report directly to CEO Hidetoshi Shibata.
Zaher succeeds Chris Allexandre, who will leave Renesas on June 30, 2025. Chris had led and transformed the Power business since assuming the role, aligning it closely with the company’s strategic priorities and significantly improving operational performance. Prior to this role, he served as Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, where his leadership accelerated the company’s shift toward high-growth segments, restructured the go-to-market strategy, and strengthened the foundation for solutions-led growth. Renesas extends its sincere appreciation to Chris for more than six years of outstanding and dedicated service during a period of transformation, helping position the company for long-term success.
Original – Renesas Electronics
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LATEST NEWS2 Min Read
Ideal Power Inc. announced a partnership with Kaimei Electronic Corp., a leading manufacturer of electrolytic capacitors, resistors and motor fans. Under this agreement, Kaimei Electronic Corp. will distribute Ideal Power’s products throughout Asia.
Kaimei Electronic Corp. and Ideal Power are partnering to promote Ideal Power’s innovative B-TRAN® technology to Kaimei’s existing and prospective customer base alongside their own product portfolio. B-TRAN® will be the first product line for which Kaimei will operate as a third-party distributor.
Kaimei has had decades of success as a manufacturer of high value-added electronic components selling into 60 countries in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Kaimei and Ideal Power share many target markets including industrial, automotive, renewable energy, energy storage, UPS and EV charging. The partnership will leverage Kaimei’s existing sales expertise and customer network as the same customers for Kaimei’s products are also potential customers for B-TRAN®.
“We are excited to enter into this distribution partnership with Kaimei. They already serve customers in B-TRAN® target industrial, utility and automotive markets in Asia. Asia is the world’s largest market for power electronics, and Asian companies typically move faster than their European and U.S. counterparts in adopting new technologies. We look forward to collaborating with Kaimei to secure orders to drive revenue growth and potentially lead to additional B-TRAN® design wins,” said Dan Brdar, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ideal Power.
The distribution agreement with Kaimei aligns with Ideal Power’s asset-light business model. Ideal Power leverages the large investment already made in silicon processing, packaging, distribution, demand creation and support infrastructure. This business model allows the Company to continue focusing on disruptive B-TRAN® technology improvements and commercialization while driving working capital efficiency.
Original – Ideal Power
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LATEST NEWS / PROJECTS3 Min Read
A pan-European consortium dedicated to developing sustainable processes and technologies for the semiconductor-manufacturing industry today announced the launch of the GENESIS project. This integrated, large-scale initiative aims to enable Europe’s chip industry to meet its sustainability goals—from materials development to final waste treatment.
Coordinated by CEA-Leti, the three-year project brings together 58 partners spanning the entire European semiconductor value chain, from large enterprises and SMEs to research institutes, universities, and industry associations. GENESIS will drive innovative solutions in emission control, eco-friendly materials such as alternatives to PFAS-based ones, waste minimization, and raw material reuse, directly aligned with the European Green Deal and European Chips Act.
“GENESIS is designed to address the complex challenges of building a truly sustainable semiconductor ecosystem,” said Laurent Pain, Sustainable Electronics Program director at CEA-Leti. “Its structure reflects both the urgency and the opportunity of Europe’s green transition, powered by the complementary expertise and close collaboration of its partners.”
Pain, manager of the project, noted that the team expects to deliver approximately 45 sustainability-driven innovations covering the semiconductor lifecycle, guided by four strategic pillars that form the technological foundation of GENESIS’s vision for a green European semiconductor industry:
- Pillar 1 – Monitoring & Sensing: Real-time emissions tracking, traceability, and process feedback systems,
- Pillar 2 – New Materials: PFAS-free chemistries and low-GWP alternatives for advanced semiconductor processes,
- Pillar 3 – Waste Minimization: Innovations in recycling (solvent, gas, slurries), reuse, and sustainable replacements, and
- Pillar 4 – Critical Raw Materials Mitigation: Strategies to reduce dependency on CRM and strengthen resource security.
Complimenting these pillars, the project’s objectives establish an overall framework that includes deploying sensor-integrated abatement systems to reduce PFAS and GHG emissions. It also aims to position Europe as a leader in green semiconductor innovation by aligning supply-chain practices with environmental regulations.
“The launch of the GENESIS project marks a critical step toward aligning Europe’s semiconductor ambitions with its climate commitments,” said Anton Chichkov, head of programs at Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU), a public-private partnership created to bolster Europe’s semiconductor industry by fostering collaboration between the EU, member states, and the private sector.
“As chips become the backbone of everything from AI to energy systems, their environmental footprint is rapidly growing,” he said. “GENESIS responds to this urgent challenge by pioneering sustainable alternatives in materials, waste reduction, and resource efficiency. Through this initiative, Europe is not only investing in cleaner technologies—it’s positioning itself as a global leader in green semiconductor manufacturing.”
With a budget of close to €55 million, the GENESIS project is co-funded through the Chips Joint Undertaking by the European Commission, participating EU member states, and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).
Original – CEA-Leti
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LATEST NEWS2 Min Read
Reflex Drive, a deep tech startup from India has selected power devices from Infineon Technologies AG for its next-generation motor control solutions for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). By integrating Infineon’s OptiMOS™ 80 V and 100 V , Reflex Drive’s electric speed controllers (ESCs) achieve improved thermal management and higher efficiency, enabling high power density in a compact footprint.
Additionally, the use of Infineon’s MOTIX™ IMD701 controller solution – which combines the XMC1404 microcontroller with the MOTIX 6EDL7141 3-phase gate driver IC – delivers compact, precise, and reliable motor control. This enables improved performance, greater reliability, and longer flight times for UAVs.
“Our partnership with Reflex Drive is an important contribution to our market launch strategy and presence in India,” says Nenad Belancic, Global Application Manager Robotics and Drones at Infineon. “Our partner has proven its expertise with numerous customers who have obtained aviation certifications. In addition, the company has presented its innovative technologies enabled by Infineon systems at important international industry events.”
“Our collaboration with Infineon has led to significant advances in UAV electronics,” says Amrit Singh, Founder of Reflex Drive. “We believe drones have the potential to transform industries, from agriculture to logistics, and with Infineon’s devices, we can help drive this transformation at the forefront.”
Reflex Drives’s ESCs with field-oriented control (FOC) offer improved motor efficiency and precise control, while its high-performance BLDC motors are designed for optimized flight control and enable predictive maintenance of drive systems. Weighing only 180 g and with a compact volume of 120 cm³, the ESCs can deliver continuous power output of 3.8 kW (12S/48 V, 80 A continuous).
Due to their lightweight design, robust power output, and consistent FOC control – even under demanding weather conditions – make them ideal for motors in the thrust range from 15 to 20 kg. Therefore, they are particularly suitable for drone applications in the fields of agricultural spraying technology, seed dispersal, small-scale logistics, and goods transport.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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LATEST NEWS2 Min Read
Magnachip Semiconductor Corporation announced that the Board of Directors of the Company has approved an initiative intended to enhance independent Board oversight and feedback to management in conjunction with the Company’s previously announced transition to a pure-play Power business, implementation of management’s 3-3-3 strategy, and launch of new-generation Power discrete products.
The 3-3-3 strategy aims for Magnachip to achieve $300 million in annual revenue and a 30% gross margin over a three-year horizon to align Magnachip’s product roadmap, R&D investments, and operational priorities to drive structural improvements and sustainable profitability.
The Company’s Chairman, Camillo Martino, has agreed, on behalf of the Board to spend additional time on-site at the Company’s headquarters in Korea to meet with management and report back to the full Board during the implementation phase of its 3-3-3 strategy to achieve profitable growth and to maximize shareholder value. The Board expects Mr. Martino to spend several days each month in Korea for at least the remainder of 2025 in order to more closely oversee and report regularly to the Board’s other independent directors on the Company’s progress in its important strategy milestones, as well as to provide more timely feedback to management on behalf of the Board.
Camillo Martino, Chairman of Magnachip, said, “I look forward to spending more time on the ground with our management team in Korea to assist the full Board in its oversight responsibilities during the Company’s implementation of its 3-3-3 strategy as a pure-play Power business. Spending additional time on-site with the management team will allow more streamlined and timely communication with the rest of the independent Board members as Magnachip management implements its strategy to deliver new-generation Power discrete and Power IC products while also achieving its financial targets.”
YJ Kim, Magnachip’s CEO, said, “We welcome the additional support from Camillo on behalf of the Board, and look forward to continuing to provide timely feedback to the rest of the Board as we pursue these new exciting opportunities for Magnachip.”
Original – Magnachip Semiconductor
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LATEST NEWS / SiC / WBG2 Min Read
Navitas Semiconductor announced its partnership with BrightLoop supporting their latest series of hydrogen fuel-cell chargers with automotive qualified Gen 3 ‘Fast’ SiC (G3F) MOSFETs for heavy-duty agricultural transportation equipment.
BrightLoop offers leading-edge, top-performance solutions with power conversion efficiencies over 98% and extreme power densities up to 35 kW/kg and 60 kW/L. Their high-voltage, high-power multiverters paired to BrightLoop’s Power Flow Processor technology are designed to deliver exceptional performance in both AC and DC applications, such as energy management scenarios for fuel cells and heavy-duty applications, as well as HV network adaptation.
Navitas’ auto-qualified G3F SiC MOSFETs are incorporated into BrightLoop’s 250 kW HV-DC/DC converter, with an output of 950VDC at 480A, and can be paralleled to achieve megawatt power capability.
Enabled by 20 years of SiC innovation leadership, GeneSiC proprietary ‘trench-assisted planar’ technology provides world-leading performance over temperature, delivering high-speed, cool-running operation for high-power, high-reliability applications. G3F SiC MOSFETs deliver high-efficiency with high-speed performance, enabling up to 25°C lower case temperature, and up to 3x longer life than SiC products from other vendors.
Trench-assisted planar technology enables an extremely low RDS(ON) increase versus temperature, which results in the lowest power losses across the complete operating range and offers up to 20% lower RDS(ON) under real-life operation at high temperatures compared to competition. All GeneSiC MOSFETs have the highest-published 100%-tested avalanche capability, 30% longer short-circuit withstand time, and tight threshold voltage distributions for easy paralleling.
“We are proud to partner with BrightLoop, the established leaders in leading-edge high-power density and efficiency converters,” said Gene Sheridan, CEO and co-founder of Navitas. “Both companies provide the technology and system leadership to enable the roadmap for next generation, high-power density, high-reliability converter solutions”.
“Navitas offers leading-edge SiC technology where efficiency, ruggedness, and reliability are paramount. Our high power-density, smart, efficient, and scalable multiverters lead the industry by enhancing the quantity and quality of energy delivered to our customers”, said Florent Liffran, CEO and founder of BrightLoop.
Original – Navitas Semiconductor