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Texas Instruments announced the expansion of its low-power gallium nitride (GaN) portfolio, designed to help improve power density, maximize system efficiency, and shrink the size of AC/DC consumer power electronics and industrial systems. TI’s overall portfolio of GaN field-effect transistors (FETs) with integrated gate drivers addresses common thermal design challenges, keeping adapters cooler while pushing more power in a smaller footprint.
“Today’s consumers want smaller, lighter and more portable power adapters that also provide fast, energy-efficient charging,” said Kannan Soundarapandian, general manager of High Voltage Power at TI.
“With the expansion of our portfolio, designers can bring the power-density benefits of low-power GaN technology to more applications that consumers use every day, such as mobile phone and laptop adapters, TV power-supply units, and USB wall outlets. Additionally, TI’s portfolio also addresses the growing demand for high efficiency and compact designs in industrial systems such as power tools and server auxiliary power supplies.”
The new portfolio of GaN FETs with integrated gate drivers, which includes the LMG3622, LMG3624 and LMG3626, offers the industry’s most accurate integrated current sensing. This functionality helps designers achieve maximum efficiency by eliminating the need for an external shunt resistor and reducing associated power losses by as much as 94% when compared to traditional current-sensing circuits used with discrete GaN and silicon FETs.
TI’s GaN FETs with integrated gate drivers enable faster switching speeds, which helps keep adapters from overheating. Designers can reach up to 94% system efficiency for <75-W AC/DC applications or above 95% system efficiency for >75-W AC/DC applications. The new devices help designers reduce the solution size of a typical 67-W power adapter by as much as 50% compared to silicon-based solutions.
The portfolio is also optimized for the most common topologies in AC/DC power conversion, such as quasi-resonant flyback, asymmetrical half bridge flyback, inductor-inductor-converter, totem-pole power factor correction and active clamp flyback.
To learn more about the benefits of TI GaN for the most common AC/DC topologies, read the technical article, “The benefits of low-power GaN in common AC/DC power topologies.”
TI has a long history of globally owned, regionally diverse internal manufacturing operations, including wafer fabs, assembly and test factories, and bump and probe facilities across 15 worldwide sites. TI has been investing in manufacturing GaN technology for more than 10 years.
With plans to manufacture more than 90% of its products internally by 2030, TI has the ability to provide customers with dependable capacity for decades to come.
Original – Texas Instruments
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The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) announced Texas Instruments Chairman of the Board Rich Templeton has been elected Chair of the SIA Board of Directors and Western Digital CEO David Goeckeler has been elected SIA Vice Chair. SIA represents 99% of the U.S. semiconductor industry by revenue and nearly two-thirds of non-U.S. chip firms.
“It is a great pleasure to welcome our new leadership team for the year ahead, Rich Templeton of Texas Instruments and David Goeckeler of Western Digital,” said John Neuffer, SIA President and CEO. “Rich is extremely knowledgeable about the challenges we face as an industry and how we can overcome them, and David is a seasoned industry veteran and a highly effective champion for SIA’s priorities. Together, they will make an outstanding team as leaders of the SIA Board of Directors in 2024.
Templeton became Chairman of Texas Instruments in April 2008 and was President and CEO from May 2004 through March 2023. From April 2000 through April 2004, Templeton was Chief Operating Officer of TI. He was Executive Vice President of the company and President of TI’s semiconductor business from June 1996 through April 2004.
As CEO, Templeton maintained the company’s strategic investments in R&D and manufacturing, while expanding the size of the sales and applications engineering team to better serve TI customers. Under his leadership, TI emerged stronger, with better technological and product positions in both its core businesses. Templeton joined the company in 1980 after earning a B.S. in electrical engineering from Union College in New York.
“Semiconductor technology is making the world smarter, greener, more efficient, and better connected, and effective government policies are needed to help the industry continue to grow and innovate,” said Templeton. “I look forward to working alongside my colleagues on the SIA Board to advocate for industry priorities in Washington and capitals around the world.”
Since joining Western Digital in March 2020, Goeckeler has focused on the company’s transformation as the leading data storage producer in the industry. Before becoming CEO, he was Executive Vice President and General Manager of Cisco’s Networking and Security Business, with responsibility for more than $34 billion of the company’s global technology franchise.
He led a worldwide team of more than 25,000 engineers and oversaw Cisco’s networking and security strategy and market acceleration, including development operations for the company’s expansive technology portfolio and strategic acquisitions.
Original – Semiconductor Industry Association
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Texas Instruments (TI) broke ground on its new 300-mm semiconductor wafer fabrication plant (or “fab”) in Lehi, Utah. Joined by Utah Governor Spencer Cox, state and local elected officials, as well as community leaders, TI President and Chief Executive Officer Haviv Ilan celebrated the first steps toward construction of the new fab, LFAB2, which will connect to the company’s existing 300-mm wafer fab in Lehi. Once completed, TI’s two Utah fabs will manufacture tens of millions of analog and embedded processing chips every day at full production.
“Today we take an important step in our company’s journey to expand our manufacturing footprint in Utah. This new fab is part of our long-term, 300-mm manufacturing roadmap to build the capacity our customers will need for decades to come,” said Ilan. “At TI, our passion is to create a better world by making electronics more affordable through semiconductors. We are proud to be a growing member of the Utah community, and to manufacture analog and embedded processing semiconductors that are vital for nearly every type of electronic system today.”
In February, TI announced its $11 billion investment in Utah, marking the largest economic investment in state history. LFAB2 will create approximately 800 additional TI jobs as well as thousands of indirect jobs, with first production available as early as 2026.
“TI’s growing manufacturing presence in Utah will be transformative for our state, creating hundreds of good-paying jobs for Utahns to manufacture critically important technology,” said Utah Governor Spencer Cox. “We are proud that semiconductors – made in Utah by Utahns – will power the innovation that is foundational to our country’s economic and national security.”
As part of TI’s commitment to education, the company will invest $9 million dollars in the Alpine School District to develop the state’s first Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) learning community for all students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The multiyear program will embed STEM concepts more deeply into coursework for the district’s 85,000 students and provide STEM-oriented professional development for its teachers and administrators. The district-wide program will equip students with essential STEM skills, such as critical thinking, collaboration and creative problem-solving to succeed after graduation.
“We are excited this partnership will help our students develop essential knowledge and skills, preparing them for success in life and possible careers in the technology sector,” said Alpine School District Superintendent, Dr. Shane Farnsworth. “Working together with the city of Lehi, Texas Instruments, and our schools, this collaborative investment will impact students and their families for many generations to come.”
TI has a long-standing commitment to responsible, sustainable manufacturing. LFAB2 will be one of the company’s most environmentally efficient wafer fabs, designed to meet one of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building rating system’s highest levels of structural efficiency and sustainability: LEED Gold version 4.
LFAB2 has a goal to be powered by 100% renewable electricity, and advanced 300-mm equipment and processes in Lehi will further reduce waste, water and energy consumption. In fact, LFAB2 is expected to recycle water at nearly twice the rate of TI’s existing fab in Lehi.
LFAB2 will complement TI’s existing 300-mm wafer fabs, which include LFAB1 (Lehi, Utah), DMOS6 (Dallas), and RFAB1 and RFAB2 (both in Richardson, Texas). TI is also building four new 300-mm wafer fabs in Sherman, Texas (SM1, SM2, SM3 and SM4), with production from the first fab as early as 2025.
TI’s manufacturing expansions, with anticipated support from the CHIPS and Science Act, will provide reliable supply of analog and embedded processing products. These investments in manufacturing and technology illustrate the company’s commitment to long-term capacity planning.
Original – Texas Instruments
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Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) reported third quarter revenue of $4.53 billion, net income of $1.71 billion and earnings per share of $1.85. Earnings per share included a 5-cent benefit for items that were not in the company’s original guidance.
Regarding the company’s performance and returns to shareholders, Haviv Ilan, TI’s president and CEO, made the following comments:
- “Revenue was flat sequentially and decreased 14% from the same quarter a year ago. During the quarter, automotive growth continued and industrial weakness broadened.
- “Our cash flow from operations of $6.5 billion for the trailing 12 months again underscored the strength of our business model, the quality of our product portfolio and the benefit of 300-mm production. Free cash flow for the same period was $1.6 billion.
- “Over the past 12 months we invested $3.7 billion in R&D and SG&A, invested $4.9 billion in capital expenditures and returned $5.6 billion to owners.
- “TI’s fourth quarter outlook is for revenue in the range of $3.93 billion to $4.27 billion and earnings per share between $1.35 and $1.57. We continue to expect our 2023 effective tax rate to be about 13% to 14%.”
Original – Texas Instruments
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Texas Instruments announced its new 300-mm semiconductor wafer fabrication plant in Richardson, Texas, RFAB2, achieved LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification under version 4 (v4). This designation makes RFAB2 the first wafer fab in the United States and the fourth in the world to achieve this more stringent certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for the sustainable design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.
“One of TI’s ambitions is to be a company that our employees are personally proud to be a part of and would want as our neighbor,” said Brian Dunlap, vice president, 300-mm Wafer Fab Manufacturing Operations at Texas Instruments. “We are proud that RFAB2 has achieved LEED Gold v4 certification, underscoring TI’s long-standing commitment to operate in a socially thoughtful and environmentally responsible manner.”
RFAB2, which is TI’s fourth LEED-certified manufacturing plant, was designed to reduce water and electricity usage. In fact, the new fab’s design, construction and operation are expected to achieve significant efficiencies, including saving 750 million gallons of potable water and almost 80,000 megawatt-hours of energy annually. The factory was also constructed using responsibly sourced materials and was designed and built in a way that fosters a healthy work environment.
“What makes this LEED Gold designation impressive is that Texas Instruments achieved this high standard developed for office buildings in a semiconductor manufacturing plant,” said Jill Kurtz, director of Building Sciences at Page, who consulted TI in the certification process. “By prioritizing sustainability and transparency, TI is delivering real impact in water and energy savings, leading the way in their industry and helping USGBC continue toward its goal of green buildings for everyone within this generation.”
The LEED Gold v4 certification solidifies TI’s dedication to responsible, sustainable manufacturing, including multi-year goals and programs focused on conserving natural resources, reducing energy consumption and mitigating environmental impact. To learn more about TI’s commitment to sustainability, download the company’s latest Corporate Citizenship Report.
Original – Texas Instruments
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Texas Instruments (TI), a leader in high-voltage technology, debuted a highly integrated, functional safety-compliant, isolated gate driver that enables engineers to design more efficient traction inverters and maximize electric vehicle (EV) driving range. The new UCC5880-Q1 reinforced isolated gate driver offers features that enable EV powertrain engineers to increase power density and reduce system design complexity and cost while achieving their safety and performance goals.
As EVs continue to grow in popularity, semiconductor innovations in traction inverter systems are helping overcome critical barriers to widespread adoption. Automakers can build safer, more efficient and more reliable silicon carbide (SiC)- and insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT)-based traction inverters by designing with UCC5880-Q1, featuring real-time variable gate-drive strength, Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), advanced SiC monitoring and protection, and diagnostics for functional safety.
“Designers of high-voltage applications like traction inverters face a unique set of challenges to optimize system efficiency and reliability in a small space,” said Wenjia Liu, product line manager for high-power drivers at TI. “Not only does this new isolated gate driver help enable engineers to maximize driving range, but it also integrates safety features to reduce external components and design complexity. And it can be easily paired with other high-voltage power-conversion products such as our UCC14141-Q1 isolated bias supply module to improve power density and help engineers reach the highest levels of traction inverter performance.”
The need for higher reliability and power performance for EVs is continuously growing, as efficiency gains have a direct impact on operating range improvement per charge. But achieving any increase in efficiency is difficult for designers, given that the majority of traction inverters already operate at 90% efficiency or higher.
By varying the gate-drive strength in real time, in steps between 20 A and 5 A, designers can improve system efficiency with the UCC5880-Q1 gate driver as much as 2% by minimizing SiC switching power losses, resulting in up to 7 more miles of EV driving range per battery charge. For an EV user who charges their vehicle three times per week, that could mean more than 1,000 additional miles per year. To learn more, read the technical article, “How to Maximize SiC Traction Inverter Efficiency with Real-Time Variable Gate Drive Strength.”
In addition, the UCC5880-Q1’s SPI programmability and integrated monitoring and protection features can reduce design complexity as well as external component costs. Engineers can further reduce components and quickly prototype a more efficient traction inverter system using the SiC EV Traction Inverter Reference Design. This customizable, tested design includes the UCC5880-Q1, a bias-supply power module, real-time control MCUs and high-precision sensing.
Original – Texas Instruments
