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Taiwan Semiconductor – a global supplier of discrete power electronics devices, LED drivers, analog ICs and ESD protection devices – announced a family of 650V silicon carbide Schottky barrier diodes which are suitable for high-efficiency AC-DC, DC-DC and DC-AC conversion applications.
Unlike silicon-based fast-recovery rectifiers, these SiC devices have negligible switching losses due to low capacitive charge (QC). This makes them suitable for high-speed switching applications, benefitting circuit designs with increased power density and can reduce overall solution size.
Key Features
- Max. junction temperature 175°C
- High-speed switching
- High frequency operation
- Positive temperature coefficient on VF
- SPICE Models available
- Thermal Models available
Applications
- AD-DC conversion – PFC Boost
- DC-DC, Solar inverters
- Data center and server power
- Telecom – Datacom power
- UPS systems
Circuit Functions
- PFC boost diode
- Free-wheeling diode
- Full wave bridge
- Vienna bridgeless circuit
Original – Taiwan Semiconductor
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Littelfuse, Inc. announced the launch of the IX4352NE Low-side SiC MOSFET and IGBT Gate Driver. This innovative driver is specifically designed to drive Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs and high-power Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) in industrial applications.
The key differentiator of the IX4352NE lies in its separate 9 A source and sink outputs, which enable tailored turn-on and turn-off timing while minimizing switching losses. An internal negative charge regulator also provides a user-selectable negative gate drive bias for improved dV/dt immunity and faster turn-off. With an operating voltage range (VDD – VSS) of up to 35 V, this driver offers exceptional flexibility and performance.
One of the standout features of the IX4352NE is its internal negative charge pump regulator, which eliminates the need for an external auxiliary power supply or DC/DC converter. This feature is particularly valuable for turning off SiC MOSFETs, saving valuable space typically required for external logic level translator circuitry. The logic input’s compatibility with standard TTL or CMOS logic levels further enhances space-saving capabilities.
The IX4352NE is ideally suited for driving SiC MOSFETs in various industrial applications such as:
- on-board and off-board chargers,
- Power Factor Correction (PFC),
- DC/DC converters,
- motor controllers, and
- industrial power inverters.
It’s superior performance makes it ideal for demanding power electronics applications in the electric vehicle, industrial, alternate energy, smart home, and building automation markets.
With its comprehensive features, the IX4352NE simplifies circuit design and offers a higher level of integration. Built-in protection features such as desaturation detection (DESAT) with soft shutdown sink driver, Under Voltage Lockout (UVLO), and thermal shutdown (TSD) ensure the protection of the power device and the gate driver. The integrated open-drain FAULT output signals a fault condition to the microcontroller, enhancing safety and reliability. Furthermore, the IX4352NE saves valuable PCB space and increases circuit density, contributing to overall system efficiency.
Notable improvements over the existing IX4351NE include:
- A safe DESAT-initiated soft turn-off.
- A thermal shutdown with high threshold accuracy.
- The charge pump’s ability to operate during thermal shutdown.
The new IX4352NE is pin-compatible, allowing for a seamless drop-in replacement in designs that specify the existing Littelfuse IX4351NE, which was released in 2020.
“The IX4352NE extends our broad range of low-side gate drivers with a new 9 A sink/source driver, simplifying the gate drive circuitry needed for SiC MOSFETs,” commented June Zhang, Product Manager, Integrated Circuits Division (SBU) at Littelfuse. “Its various built-in protection features and integrated charge pump provide an adjustable negative gate drive voltage for improved dV/dt immunity and faster turn-off. As a result, it can be used to drive any SiC MOSFET or power IGBT, whether it is a Littelfuse device or any other similar component available on the market.”
Original – Littelfuse
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Infineon Technologies AG will provide silicon carbide (SiC) power modules HybridPACK™ Drive G2 CoolSiC™ and bare die products to Xiaomi EV for its recently announced SU7 until 2027. Infineon’s CoolSiC-based power modules allow for higher operating temperatures, resulting in best-in-class performance, driving dynamics and lifetime.
Traction inverters based on the technology can, for example, further increase electric vehicle range. The HybridPACK Drive is Infineon’s market-leading power module family for electric vehicles, with almost 8.5 million units sold since 2017.
Infineon provides two HybridPACK Drive G2 CoolSiC 1200 V modules for the Xiaomi SU7 Max. In addition, Infineon supplies Xiaomi EV with a broad range of products per car, including, for example, EiceDRIVER TM gate drivers and more than ten microcontrollers in various applications. The two companies also agreed to further cooperate on SiC automotive applications to fully utilize the benefits of Infineon’s SiC portfolio.
Zhenyu Huang, Vice President of Xiaomi EV and General Manager of the Supply Chain Department, said: “Infineon is an important partner with leading technologies and resilient manufacturing capabilities in power semiconductors as well as a highly scalable microcontroller product portfolio. The cooperation between the two companies will not only help stabilize the supply of silicon carbide for Xiaomi EV, but also help us build a high-performance, safe and reliable luxury car with leading-edge features for our customers.”
Peter Schiefer, President of Infineon’s Automotive division, said: “We are very pleased to work with dynamic players such as Xiaomi EV and provide them with silicon carbide products designed to enhance the performance of electric cars even further. As the leading partner to the automotive industry, we are well positioned with our broad product portfolio, system understanding and multi-site manufacturing base to shape the mobility of the future.”
This collaboration contributes to Infineon’s position as the number one partner of the global automotive industry. According to the latest data from TechInsights, Infineon is the largest semiconductor supplier to the automotive industry. In addition to its number one position in automotive power semiconductors, Infineon also took the lead in the field of automotive microcontrollers last year.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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The U of A celebrated a milestone with the topping-out of the Multi-User Silicon Carbide Research and Fabrication Facility.
More than 100 students, faculty, state leaders and citizens were on hand to sign the steel topping-out beam and hear remarks from Kim Needy, dean of the College of Engineering, and Alan Mantooth, Distinguished Professor of electrical engineering.
The new semiconductor research and fabrication facility will produce microelectronic chips made with silicon carbide, a powerful semiconductor that outperforms basic silicon in several critical ways. The facility will enable the federal government – via national laboratories – businesses of all sizes and other universities to prototype with silicon carbide, a capability that does not presently exist elsewhere in the United States.
Work at the research and fabrication facility will bridge the gap between traditional university research and the needs of private industry and will accelerate technological advancement by providing a single location where chips can go from developmental research to prototyping, testing and fabrication.
The 21,760-square-foot facility, located next to the National Center for Reliable Electrical Power Transmission at the Arkansas Research and Technology Park, will address obstacles to U.S. competitiveness in the development of silicon-carbide electronics used in a wide range of electronic devices, circuits and other consumer applications. The building will feature approximately 8,000 square feet of clean rooms for fabrication and testing.
Education and training within the facility will also accelerate workforce development, helping supply the next generation of engineers and technicians in semiconductor manufacturing.
Original – University of Arkansas
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SemiQ has begun a known-good-die (KGD) screening program that delivers high-quality, electrically sorted and optically inspected advanced SiC MOSFET technology ready for back-end processing and direct die attachment.
Known-good-die from SemiQ ensures consistent electrical parameters, enabling customers to rely on repeatable performance for high end-of-line yield when building equipment such as high-voltage supplies, traction inverters, and power conditioning systems. Uniform die parameters also simplify the connection of multiple devices in high-power modules.
“SiC is a powerful technology aiding the global drive for sustainability and our known-good-die SiC MOSFETs from SemiQ provide important performance advantages, such as near-constant junction capacitance, low insertion loss, and high isolation needed for high-frequency applications,” says Michael Tsang, VP, Product Engineering and Operations at SemiQ. “Thanks to this program, customers can receive quality-assured dies that will streamline and improve productivity and deliver predictable and repeatable performance in high-efficiency applications.”
The KGD program is active now and applies to the complete portfolio of SemiQ’s QSiC™ 1200V SiC MOSFETs, ranging from 20mΩ to 80mΩ. This portfolio supports robust and efficient electrification across automotive, eMobility, renewable energy, industrial power, and other applications.
KGD devices are supplied post-singulation on a choice of carrier media including blue tape, pre-cured UV tape, and tape and reel to ease integration with customers’ processes. For more information, please visit SemiQ’s KGD page.
Original – SemiQ
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ROHM and STMicroelectronics announced the expansion of the existing multi-year, long-term 150mm silicon carbide (SiC) substrate wafers supply agreement with SiCrystal, a ROHM group company. The new multi-year agreement governs the supply of larger volumes of SiC substrate wafers manufactured in Nuremberg, Germany, for a minimum expected value of $230 million.
Geoff West, EVP and Chief Procurement Officer, STMicroelectronics, commented “This expanded agreement with SiCrystal will bring additional volumes of 150mm SiC substrate wafers to support our devices manufacturing capacity ramp-up for automotive and industrial customers worldwide. It helps strengthen our supply chain resilience for future growth, with a balanced mix of in-house and commercial supply across regions”.
“SiCrystal is a group company of ROHM, a leading company of SiC, and has been manufacturing SiC substrate wafers for many years. We are very pleased to extend this supply agreement with our longstanding customer ST. We will continue to support our partner to expand SiC business by ramping up 150mm SiC substrate wafer quantities continuously and by always providing reliable quality”.said Dr. Robert Eckstein, President and CEO of SiCrystal, a ROHM group company.
Energy-efficient SiC power semiconductors enable electrification in the automotive and industrial sectors in a more sustainable way. By facilitating more efficient energy generation, distribution and storage, SiC supports the transition to cleaner mobility solutions, lower emissions industrial processes and a greener energy future, as well as more reliable power supplies for resource-intensive infrastructure like data centers dedicated to AI applications.
Original – STMicroelectronics
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Infineon Technologies AG supplies its power semiconductor devices to FOXESS, a fast-growing leader in the green energy industry and a manufacturer of inverters and energy storage systems. The two sides aim at promoting the development of green energy.
Infineon will provide FOXESS with its CoolSiC™ MOSFETs 1200 V, which will be used with EiceDRIVER™ gate drivers for industrial energy storage applications. At the same time, FOXESS’ string PV inverters will use Infineon’s IGBT7 H7 1200 V power semiconductor devices.
The global market for photovoltaic energy storage systems (PV-ES) has grown at a high speed in the last years. As competition in the PV-ES market accelerates, improving power density has become key to success, and how to improve efficiency and power density for energy storage applications has attracted much attention. Infineon’s CoolSiC MOSFET 1200 V and IGBT7 H7 1200 V series power semiconductor devices adopt the latest semiconductor technologies and design concepts that are tailored to industrial applications.
Mr. Yu Daihui, Senior Vice President and Head of Industrial & Infrastructure of Infineon Technologies Greater China said, “As an industry leader in power semiconductors, we are proud to work closely with FOXESS. We will continue to drive decarbonization by enabling higher power density and more reliable systems for PV-ES applications.”
Mr. Zhu Jingcheng, Chairman of FOXESS, said, “Thanks to the support of Infineon’s advanced components, FOXESS’ products have been significantly improved in terms of reliability and efficiency. This has been an important driving force for FOXESS’ growth. Infineon’s technical support and product quality have not only strengthened our competitiveness, but also expanded our presence in the market. We are confident about the future and look forward to further cooperation with Infineon to jointly promote the development of the industry and create greater value for our customers.”
With a high power density, Infineon’s CoolSiC MOSFETs 1200 V can reduce losses by 50 percent and provide ~2 percent additional energy without increasing the battery size, which is especially beneficial for high-performance, lightweight, and compact energy storage solutions. FOXESS’ H3PRO 15 kW-30 kW energy storage series uses Infineon’s CoolSiC MOSFETs 1200 V for all models. Thanks to Infineon’s excellent performance, the H3PRO series has achieved an efficiency of up to 98.1 percent and excellent EMC performance; with superior performance and reliability, the H3PRO series has seen rapid sales growth in the global market.
Infineon’s TRENCHSTOP IGBT7 H7 650 V / 1200 V series has lower losses and helps improve the overall efficiency and power density of inverters. In high-power inverter projects, high-current mold packaged discrete devices with current handling capability above 100 A can reduce the number of IGBTs in parallel and replace the IGBT module solution, further improving system reliability and reducing costs; in addition, the H7 series has become an industry benchmark for its high-quality performance and greater resistance to humidity.
At present, FOXESS’ main industrial and commercial model, the R Series 75-110 kW, redefines the overall design of the 100 kW model by using IGBT7 H7 series discretes, and the efficiency of the whole machine can reach up to 98.6 percent. Thanks to the low power loss and high power density of the IGBT7 H7 series in discrete packages, technical problems such as current sharing in the paralleling process can be simplified and optimized.
Every power device needs a driver, and the right driver can make the design a lot easier. Infineon offers more than 500 EiceDRIVER gate drivers with typical output currents of 0.1 A~18 A and comprehensive protection functions including fast short-circuit protection (DESAT), active Miller clamp, shoot-through protection, fault reporting, shutdown, and overcurrent protection, suitable for all power devices including CoolSiC and IGBTs.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Axcelis Technologies, Inc. arranged multiple shipments of the Purion Power Series™ ion implanter systems to leading silicon carbide (SiC) power device chipmakers worldwide. The shipments, all shipped in the first quarter, included the Purion H200™ SiC high current, the Purion XE™ SiC high energy and the Purion M™ SiC medium current implanters.
The 150mm and 200mm systems will be used in high volume production of power devices supporting automotive, industrial, energy, and other power intensive applications.
President and CEO Russell Low commented, “We continue to win new customers and expand our footprint at existing customers globally. The Purion Power Series is the market leader due to its highly differentiated features and process control capabilities that are enabling for power device applications. Axcelis is the only ion implant company that can deliver complete recipe coverage for all power device applications.”
Original – Axcelis Technologies
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The aviation industry’s requirements for the latest, most efficient and lowest-emission aircraft is propelled by an overarching goal towards sustainability and decarbonization. To satisfy these goals, aviation power systems developers are transitioning to electric actuation systems as the trend towards More Electric Aircraft (MEA) continues to grow.
To provide the aviation industry with a comprehensive electric actuation solution, Microchip Technology announced a new integrated actuation power solution that combines companion gate driver boards with the expansive Hybrid Power Drive (HPD) modules in silicon carbide or silicon technology with a power range of 5 kVA to 20 kVA.
The new integrated actuation power solution maintains the same footprint regardless of the power output. The companion gate driver boards are designed to be integrated with Microchip’s HPD modules to provide an all-in-one motor drive solution for the electrification of systems such as flight controls, braking and landing gear. Microchip’s power solutions are designed to scale based on the requirements of the end application, from smaller actuation systems for drones to high-power actuation systems for Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, MEA and all-electric aircraft.
“We developed the companion gate driver boards to be used with our existing HPD modules to bring to market a plug-and-play power solution for MEA,” said Leon Gross, vice president of Microchip’s discrete product group. “With this solution, customers no longer need to design and develop their own drive circuitry, which can reduce design time, resources and cost.”
These high-reliability devices are tested to conditions outlined in DO-160, “Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment.” There are multiple protection features including shoot-through detection, short circuit protection, desaturation protection, Under Voltage Lock Out (UVLO) and active miller clamping.
The gate driver boards are designed to be driven with external PWM signals based on Low Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS) compliant with TIA/EIA-644 for low Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and good noise immunity. The gate driver board provides differential outputs for telemetry signals like DC bus current, phase current and solenoid current by taking feedback from shunts present in the HPD module and DC bus voltage. It also provides direct output of two PT1000 temperature sensors available in the HPD power module.
The companion gate driver boards are low-weight, low-profile and compact solutions to optimize size and power efficiency of actuation systems. The gate drivers are designed to operate throughout the temperature range of −55°C to +110°C, which is critical for aviation applications that are often exposed to harsh environments.
The isolated companion gate driver boards only require a single 15V DC input for the control and drive circuit; additional voltages needed can be generated on the card. This significantly reduces the number of system components and simplifies system cabling.
Microchip provides comprehensive solutions for MEA by integrating power products with FPGAs, microcontrollers, security, memory and timing. Microchip’s solutions are designed to help customers speed up their development, reduce costs and get to market faster.
Original – Microchip Technology
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SemiQ has opened its newest office in Taiwan. This strategic move underscores SemiQ’s commitment to providing enhanced ground support to its valued customers in the region while further solidifying its presence in the Asia-Pacific market.
As a Product Engineering and Global Sourcing Center, the new office, located near the Taiwan High Speed Rail Hsinchu Station, will serve as a vital hub, facilitating seamless interfacing with key stakeholders including Hsinchu Foundry, Miaoli Test Facility, Far East OSATs, and Taiwan Sales Office.
“Expanding our presence in Taiwan represents a significant milestone for SemiQ as we continue to strengthen our global operations and better serve our customers,” said Michael Tsang, VP, Product Engineering and Operations at SemiQ. “The opening of this office underscores our dedication to providing unparalleled support and resources to our customer base in the region.”
Mr. Tsang, a seasoned professional with extensive experience in semiconductor industry dynamics, will lead the Taiwan office. His expertise will be instrumental in managing demand, fostering partnerships, and ensuring the highest level of service delivery to SemiQ’s customers.
The strategic location of the new office near key industry players and transportation hubs will enhance SemiQ’s ability to collaborate effectively with its partners, streamline operations and expedite response times to customer needs.
“We are excited about the opportunities that the Taiwan office brings in terms of strengthening relationships with our partners and better understanding the evolving needs of the market,” added Mr. Tsang. “This expansion aligns with our vision of driving innovation and delivering value-added solutions to our customers.”
Establishing the Taiwan office complements SemiQ’s existing wafer processing facilities in the region. It underscores its commitment to providing superior SiC solutions for ultra-efficient, high-performance, and high-voltage applications.
Original – SemiQ
