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Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation has developed 2200 V silicon carbide (SiC) metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) for photovoltaic (PV) inverters. A two-level inverter with the new devices realized higher frequency operation and lower power loss than a conventional three-level silicon (Si) insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) inverter. The new MOSFETs also contribute to simplification of inverter systems and reductions in their size and weight.
Three-level inverters enjoy the advantage of low switching losses because the voltage applied to switching devices in the inverters during off-state is half the line voltage. Against this, two-level inverters have fewer switching modules than three-level inverters, realizing a simpler, smaller, and lighter system. However, they require semiconductors with higher breakdown voltage, as the applied voltage is equal to the line voltage. Also, demand for semiconductors with both low loss and high breakdown voltage is growing as 1500 V DC line voltage systems are introduced in photovoltaic and other renewable energy markets.
Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation has developed 2200 V Schottky barrier diode (SBD)-embedded SiC MOSFETs for two-level inverters in 1500 V DC voltage systems. The impurity concentration and thickness of the drift layer has been optimized to maintain the same relationship between the on-resistance and the breakdown voltage as our existing products, and also to achieve high resistance to cosmic rays, a requirement for PV systems. It has also been confirmed that embedding SBDs clamped parasitic PN junctions between the p-base regions and the n-drift layer secure high reliability in reverse conduction.
Switching energy loss for the developed all-SiC module is far lower than for the Si module (Si IGBTs + Si fast recovery diodes) with the same 2000 V rated voltage class. Estimates of inverter power dissipation found that the developed SiC module achieves higher frequency operation twice that of a conventional Si IGBT, as well as a 37% lower loss for the two-level SiC inverter against the three-level Si inverter. The higher frequency operation enables downsizing and weight reduction of other system components, such as heat sinks and filters.
Original – Toshiba
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The University of Arkansas has taken the next step to becoming a national leader in the United States’ semiconductor economy. Semiconductors, such as silicon, are essential materials in most electronic devices and advance performance in fields such as healthcare, national defense, computing and transportation.
This August, the university began construction on the national Multi-User Silicon Carbide Research and Fabrication Facility, or MUSiC. Capable of silicon or silicon carbide chip fabrication, this new semiconductor research and fabrication facility will enable the government, businesses of all sizes, and universities to prototype in silicon carbide, introducing a capability that does not presently exist in the U.S.
This unique facility will offer low-volume prototyping for high-volume manufacturing, bridging the gap between traditional university research and the needs of private industry. This will accelerate both workforce development and technological advancement in semiconductors by providing a single location where chips can be go from developmental research to prototyping, testing and fabrication.
Alan Mantooth, Distinguished Professor of electrical engineering at the U of A, is principal investigator for MUSiC. He stated that with MUSiC, the university could “begin training the next generation at a variety of degree levels to provide well-trained and educated talent for onshoring semiconductor manufacturing that domestic suppliers offshored in the late 90s and early 2000s. Our training will be equally applicable to silicon and silicon carbide and other materials.”
Construction coincides with the CHIPS America Summit on Aug. 17, an invitation-only event for research, industry and governmental leaders from across the nation to discuss CHIPS and Science Act semiconductor-related opportunities and the ways in which the U of A and the State of Arkansas are uniquely positioned to lead.
The summit will feature Director of External and Government Affairs for the U.S Department of Commerce’s CHIPS Program Office, Adrienne Elrod. U.S. Representative Steve Womack and Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Hugh McDonald will also participate.
In addition to the MUSiC facility, the U of A is also home to the first Energy Frontier Research Center in Arkansas, as part of a team of researchers who received $10.35 million from the U.S. Department of Energy. The Center for Manipulation of Atomic Ordering for Manufacturing Semiconductors is dedicated to investigating the formation of atomic orders in semiconductor alloys and their effects on various physical properties. This research program will enable reliable, cost-effective and transformative manufacturing of semiconductors.
Researchers at the U of A previously established the MonArk NSF Quantum Foundry to accelerate the development of quantum materials and devices. In collaboration with Montana State University, and other member universities, the foundry supports the study of 2-D materials — consisting of a single layer of bonded atoms — by aiding researchers and facilitating the exchange of ideas across academia and industry. The project leads the fabrication of 2-D material quantum devices and their characterization, using low-temperature electronic transport and optoelectronic techniques.
The U of A’s existing and expanding research foundation means it’s uniquely positioned to take advantage of the recent CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors) and Science Act, which is providing approximately $280 billion in funding to stimulate domestic research and manufacturing of semiconductors.
As a result of manufacturing and production shortages of essential computer chips during the pandemic, which are overwhelmingly manufactured overseas, the federal government has prioritized the onshoring of this critical technology.
About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas’ flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines.
The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.
The national Multi-User Silicon Carbide Research and Fabrication Facility, or MUSiC, will provide opportunities for the government and business of all sizes, and universities to prototype in silicon carbide, introducting a capability that does not currently exist in the U.S.
Original – University of Arkansas
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Transphorm, Inc. announced it has demonstrated up to 5 microsecond short circuit withstand time (SCWT) on a GaN power transistor with a patented technology. The achievement is the first of its kind on record, marking an important milestone for the industry as a whole. It proves Transphorm GaN’s ability to meet the required short circuit capabilities of rugged power inverters such as servo motors, industrial motors, and automotive powertrains served traditionally by silicon IGBTs or silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs— an over $3 billion GaN TAM over the next 5 years.
The demonstration was developed with support from Yaskawa Electric Corporation, a long-term strategic partner of Transphorm’s and a global leader in low and medium voltage drives, servo systems, machine controllers, and industrial robots. This makes GaN a highly attractive power conversion technology for servo systems, as it allows for higher efficiency and reduced size compared to incumbent solutions.
To do that, GaN must pass stringent robustness tests—of which, short-circuit survivability is the most challenging. In case of short-circuit faults, the device must survive extreme conditions with both high current and high voltage. The system can take up to a few microseconds to detect the fault and shut down the operations. During this time, the device must withstand the fault on its own.
“If a power semiconductor device cannot survive short-circuit events, the system itself may fail. There was a strong perception that GaN power transistors could not meet the short circuit requirements needed for heavy-duty power applications such as ours,” said Motoshige Maeda, Department Manager of Fundamental R&D Management Department, Corporate Technology Division, Yaskawa. “Having worked with Transphorm for many years, we believed that perception to be unfounded and have been proven right today. We’re excited about what their team has accomplished and look forward to demonstrating how this new GaN feature can benefit our designs.”
The short-circuit technology has been demonstrated on a newly designed 15 mΩ 650 V GaN device. Notably, that device reaches a peak efficiency of 99.2% and a maximum power of 12 kW in hard-switching conditions at 50 kHz. The device demonstrated not only performance, but also reliability, passing high-temperature high-voltage stress requirements.
“Standard GaN devices can withstand short-circuit for only a few hundredths of nanoseconds, which is too short for fault detection and safe shut-down. However, with our cascode architecture and key patented technology, we were able to demonstrate short-circuit withstand time up to 5 microseconds with no additional external components, thus retaining low cost and high performance,” said Umesh Mishra, CTO and Co-Founder, Transphorm.
“We understand the demands of high-power, high-performance inverter systems. We have a long history of strong innovation, and we’re proud to say that experience helped us bring GaN to the next level. This is yet another validation of Transphorm’s global leadership in high voltage GaN robustness and reliability and will be a gamechanger for GaN in motor drives and other high-power systems.”
The full description explaining the SCWT achievement, the demonstration analysis, and more is expected to be presented at a major power electronics conference next year.
Original – Transphorm
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TSMC, Robert Bosch GmbH, Infineon Technologies AG, and NXP Semiconductors N.V. announced a plan to jointly invest in European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC) GmbH, in Dresden, Germany to provide advanced semiconductor manufacturing services. ESMC marks a significant step towards construction of a 300 mm fab to support the future capacity needs of the fast-growing automotive and industrial sectors, with the final investment decision pending confirmation of the level of public funding for this project. The project is planned under the framework of the European Chips Act.
The planned fab is expected to have a monthly production capacity of 40,000 300 mm (12-inch) wafers on TSMC’s 28/22 nanometer planar CMOS and 16/12 nanometer FinFET process technology, further strengthening Europe’s semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem with advanced FinFET transistor technology and creating about 2,000 direct high-tech professional jobs. ESMC aims to begin construction of the fab in the second half of 2024 with production targeted to begin by the end of 2027.
The planned joint venture will be 70 percent owned by TSMC, with Bosch, Infineon, and NXP each holding 10 percent equity stake, subject to regulatory approvals and other conditions. Total investments are expected to exceed 10 billion euros consisting of equity injection, debt borrowing, and strong support from the European Union and German government. The fab will be operated by TSMC.
“This investment in Dresden demonstrates TSMC’s commitment to serving our customers’ strategic capacity and technology needs, and we are excited at this opportunity to deepen our long-standing partnership with Bosch, Infineon, and NXP,” said Dr. CC Wei, Chief Executive Officer of TSMC. “Europe is a highly promising place for semiconductor innovation, particularly in the automotive and industrial fields, and we look forward to bringing those innovations to life on our advanced silicon technology with the talent in Europe.”
Dr. Stefan Hartung, chairman of the Bosch board of management: “Semiconductors are not only a crucial success factor for Bosch. Their reliable availability is also of great importance for the success of the global automotive industry. Apart from continuously expanding our own manufacturing facilities, we further secure our supply chains as an automotive supplier through close cooperation with our partners. With TSMC, we are pleased to gain a global innovation leader to strengthen the semiconductor ecosystem in the direct vicinity of our semiconductor plant in Dresden.”
“Semiconductors are not only a crucial success factor for Bosch. Their reliable availability is also of great importance for the success of the global automotive industry. Apart from continuously expanding our own manufacturing facilities, we further secure our supply chains as an automotive supplier through close cooperation with our partners. With TSMC, we are pleased to gain a global innovation leader to strengthen the semiconductor ecosystem in the direct vicinity of our semiconductor plant in Dresden.”said Dr. Stefan Hartung, chairman of the Bosch board of management
“Our joint investment is an important milestone to bolster the European semiconductor ecosystem. With this, Dresden is strengthening its position as one of the world’s most important semiconductor hubs that is already home to Infineon’s largest frontend site,” said Jochen Hanebeck, CEO of Infineon Technologies. “Infineon will use the new capacity to serve the growing demand particularly of its European customers, especially in automotive and IoT. The advanced capabilities will provide a basis for developing innovative technologies, products and solutions to address the global challenges of decarbonization and digitalisation.”
“NXP is very committed to strengthening innovation and supply chain resilience in Europe,” said Kurt Sievers, President and CEO of NXP Semiconductors. “We thank the European Union, Germany, and the Free State of Saxony for their recognition of the semiconductor industry’s critical role and for their true commitment to boost Europe’s chip ecosystem. The construction of this new and significant semiconductor foundry will add much needed innovation and capacity for the range of silicon required to supply the sharply increasing digitalization and electrification of the automotive and industrial sectors.”
Original – Bosch
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Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. announced the launch of the P633C Series 3rd-generation small IPMs, which help reduce the power consumption of the equipment on which it is mounted, such as home appliances and machine tools.
IPMs (intelligent power modules) are power semiconductors equipped with a built-in IGBT drive circuit and protection function. They are used for applications including inverters and servo systems. Inverters and servo systems control machine operation by controlling voltage and frequency through power semiconductor switching (turning electricity on and off), but power semiconductors generate power loss and electromagnetic noise during switching.
This product can reduce both the power loss and the electromagnetic noise generated during switching. Using this product in inverters for home appliances or servo systems for machine tools can reduce the power consumption of the equipment on which it is mounted, thereby contributing to the achievement of a decarbonized society.
One way to reduce the power loss that occurs during switching is to speed up the switching operation. Faster switching increases electromagnetic noise, which can cause peripheral devices to malfunction. This product uses the latest 7th-generation IGBT/FWD chips, achieving a 10% reduction of power loss and a reduction of electromagnetic noise to approximately 1/3 compared with conventional products. The trade-off characteristics between power loss and noise are among the best in the industry.
Original – Fuji Electric
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Semiconductor industry players Robert Bosch GmbH, Infineon Technologies AG, Nordic Semiconductor, NXP® Semiconductors, and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., have come together to jointly invest in a company aimed at advancing the adoption of RISC-V globally by enabling next-generation hardware development.
Formed in Germany, this company will aim to accelerate the commercialization of future products based on the open-source RISC-V architecture. The company will be a single source to enable compatible RISC-V based products, provide reference architectures, and help establish solutions widely used in the industry. Initial application focus will be automotive, but with an eventual expansion to include mobile and IoT.
At its core, RISC-V encourages innovation, allowing any company to develop cutting-edge, customized hardware based on an open-source instruction set. Further adoption of the RISC-V technology will promote even more diversity in the electronics industry – reducing the barriers to entry for smaller and emergent companies and enabling increased scalability for established companies.
The company calls on industry associations, leaders, and governments, to join forces in support of this initiative which will help increase the resilience of the broader semiconductor ecosystem.
The company formation will be subject to regulatory approvals in various jurisdictions.
- Robert Bosch GmbH
“Bosch is convinced that initiatives promoting the RISC-V open specifications will bring the global mobility market a significant step further. The initiative now planned will greatly help to establish a reliable and efficient EU-based semiconductor ecosystem,” said Jens Fabrowsky, Executive Vice President at Bosch and responsible for the semiconductor business.
- Infineon Technologies AG
“As vehicles become software-defined and dependability requirements increase due to electrification and connectivity, for example, as well as through trends like autonomous driving, there is a general need for standardization and ecosystem compatibility across the industry, with CPUs being a key IP. We are proud to support the establishment of trusted RISC-V based automotive products with this initiative. The knowledge and expertise of leading market players will unleash the full potential of RISC-V in the automotive sector,” said Peter Schiefer, Division President of Infineon’s Automotive Division.
- Nordic Semiconductor
“Nordic Semiconductor is a committed and enthusiastic supporter of the RISC-V initiative and stands ready to drive the project forward. Nordic’s IoT solutions represent the leading edge of low power wireless technology and to retain that position it’s critical we maintain continuous access to efficient and powerful embedded microprocessors. An open collaboration with like-minded companies to continually enhance innovative RISC-V microprocessor IP and ensure a robust and reliable supply of the technology is the ideal answer to this challenge,” said Svein-Egil Nielsen, CTO/EVP R&D and Strategy, Nordic Semiconductor.
- NXP Semiconductors
“NXP is proud to be part of a new EU-based joint endeavor to pioneer fully certified RISC-V-based IP and architectures, initially for the automotive industry. The creation of a one-stop-shop ecosystem where customers can select turnkey assets will strengthen the adoption of RISC-V across many European industries,” said Lars Reger, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at NXP Semiconductors. “We thank the Artificial Intelligence Center Hamburg (ARIC) e.V. for their support of this collaboration.”
- Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
“We are excited to come together with other industry players to drive the expansion of the RISC-V ecosystem through development of next-generation hardware. Qualcomm Technologies has been investing in RISC-V for more than five years and we’ve integrated RISC-V micro-controllers into many of our commercial platforms. We believe RISC-V’s open-source instruction set will increase innovation and has the potential to transform the industry,” Ziad Asghar, Senior Vice President of Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Navitas Semiconductor announced that its CRPS185 3,200 W “Titanium Plus” server reference design not only surpasses the stringent 80Plus Titanium efficiency requirements, but also effectively satisfies the increasing power demands of AI data center power.
The rapid development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Bing with AI, and Google’s Bard, has penetrated all aspects of people’s lives. New power-hungry AI processors like NVIDIA’s DGX GH200 ‘Grace Hopper’ demand up to 1,600 W each, are driving power-per-rack specifications from 30-40 kW up to 100 kW per cabinet. Meanwhile, with the global focus on energy conservation and emission reduction, as well as the latest European regulations, server power supplies must exceed the 80Plus ‘Titanium’ efficiency specification.
Navitas’ reference designs dramatically accelerate customer developments, minimize time-to-market, and set new industry benchmarks in energy efficiency, power density and system cost, enabled by GaNFast power ICs. These system platforms include complete design collateral with fully-tested hardware, embedded software, schematics, bill-of-materials, layout, simulation and hardware test results.
In this case, the ‘Common Redundant Power Supply’ (CRPS) form-factor specification was defined by the hyperscale Open Compute Project, including Facebook, Intel, Google, Microsoft, and Dell. Now, Navitas’ CRPS185 platform delivers a full 3,200 W of power in only 1U (40 mm) x 73.5mm x 185 mm (544 cc), achieving 5.9 W/cc, or almost 100 W/in3 power density. This is a 40% size reduction vs, the equivalent legacy silicon approach and easily exceeds the Titanium efficiency standard, reaching over 96.5% at 30% load, and over 96% stretching from 20% to 60% load, creating a ‘Titanium Plus’ benchmark, critical for data center operating models.
The CRPS185 uses the latest circuit designs including an interleaved CCM totem-pole PFC with full-bridge LLC. The critical components are Navitas’ new 650V GaNFast power ICs, with robust, high-speed integrated GaN drive to address the sensitivity and fragility issues associated with discrete GaN chips. Additionally, GaNFast power ICs offer extremely low switching losses, with a transient-voltage capability up to 800 V, and other high-speed advantages such as low gate charge (Qg), output capacitance (COSS) and no reverse-recovery loss (Qrr). As high-speed switching reduces the size, weight and cost of passive components in a power supply, Navitas estimates that GaNFast power ICs save 5% of the LLC-stage system material cost, plus $64 per power supply in electricity over 3 years.
Compared to traditional ‘Titanium’ solutions, the Navitas CRPS185 3,200 W ‘Titanium Plus’ design running at a typical 30% load can reduce electricity consumption by 757 kWh, and decrease carbon dioxide emissions by 755 kg over 3 years. This reduction is equivalent to saving 303 kg of coal. Not only does it help data center clients achieve cost savings and efficiency improvements, but it also contributes to the environmental goals of energy conservation and emission reduction.
In addition to data center servers, this solution can also be widely used in applications such as switch/router power supplies, communications, and other computing applications.
“The popularity of AI applications like ChatGPT is just the beginning. As data center rack power increases by 2x-3x, up to 100 kW, delivering more power in a smaller space is key,” said Charles Zha, VP and GM of Navitas China. “We invite power designers and system architects to partner with Navitas and discover how a complete roadmap of high efficiency, high power density designs can cost-effectively, and sustainably accelerate their AI server upgrades.”
Original – Navitas Semiconductor
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The decarbonization trend will result in strong market growth for power semiconductors, in particular those based on wide bandgap materials. As a leader in Power Systems, Infineon Technologies AG is now taking a further, decisive step to shape this market: By significantly expanding its Kulim fab – over and above the original investment announced in February 2022 – Infineon will build the world’s largest 200-millimeter SiC (silicon carbide) Power Fab. The planned expansion is backed by customer commitments covering about five billion euros of new design-wins in automotive and industrial applications as well as about one billion euros in pre-payments.
Over the next five years Infineon will additionally invest up to five billion euros in Kulim during a second construction phase for Module Three. The investment will lead to an annual SiC revenue potential of about seven billion euros by the end of the decade, together with the planned 200-millimeter SiC conversion of Villach and Kulim. This highly competitive manufacturing base will support Infineon’s SiC market share target of 30% towards the end of the decade. Infineon is confident that the company’s SiC revenue in the fiscal year 2025 will come in ahead of the target of one billion euros.
“The market for silicon carbide shows accelerating growth, not only in automotive but also in a broad range of industrial applications such as solar, energy storage and high-power EV charging. With the Kulim expansion, we will secure our leadership position in this market,” said Jochen Hanebeck, CEO of Infineon. “With the industry’s leading scale and a unique cost position, we are leveraging our competitive position of best-in-class SiC trench technology, the broadest package portfolio and unrivaled application understanding. These factors are the areas of differentiation and success in the industry.”
Infineon has been awarded new design wins of about five billion euros along with about one billion euros in prepayments from existing and new customers: In the automotive sector this includes six OEMs, three of them from China. Among the customers are Ford, SAIC and Chery. In the area of renewable energies customers include SolarEdge and three leading Chinese photovoltaic and energy storage systems companies.
In addition, Infineon and Schneider Electric agreed on a capacity reservation including prepayments for power products based on silicon and silicon carbide. Infineon and the respective customers will provide more details in separate announcements in the near future. The prepayments will contribute positively to Infineon’s cash flow in the coming years and shall be fully repaid in connection with the agreed sales volumes by 2030 at the latest.
The Right Honourable Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, expressed his appreciation for Infineon’s commitment to creating a significant wide bandgap hub in the country. “Malaysia is putting in maximum efforts to meet its national target to decarbonize its economy and achieve net zero by 2050. Malaysia’s continued appeal as a preferred investment destination comes with a well-established landscape for developing innovative and sustainable technologies. In this vein, Infineon’s vision on green technology and sustainability puts it right at home in Malaysia.
Infineon and other well-established German corporations’ continued faith in Malaysia is a vote of confidence in Malaysia’s new economic growth agenda premised on inclusivity and sustainability, enabled by strong policies on knowledge transfer, quality investments, business enablement and socio-economic well-being based on equitable sharing of the nation’s wealth.”
The Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), His Hon. Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Aziz lauded Infineon’s expansion and said, “Infineon’s expansion of their world-class silicon carbide facility in Kulim marks a significant milestone in Malaysia’s pursuit of developing advanced manufacturing capabilities, creating high-skilled employment opportunities and positioning the country at the forefront of enabling green technologies, which are crucial to achieving our global sustainable development goals.
The innovative power semiconductor technologies manufactured in the SiC Power Fab will also bolster Malaysia’s position as a key player in the world’s semiconductor ecosystem, with a growing role specifically in the sustainable technology supply chain. I am heartened by Infineon’s sharing of Malaysia’s commitment to address the impact of climate change and I look forward to our long-term partnership for the further development of Malaysia’s green technologies ecosystem.”
Sustainability is a key element in the planning, construction and operation of the fab. The building is designed in a way that allows Infineon to make responsible use of resources such as electricity and water.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Infineon Technologies AG reported the results for the third quarter of its 2023 fiscal year (period ended 30 June 2023).
“The company has strongly performed in the past quarter, while Semiconductor market trends continue to present a mixed picture with both light and shade,” says Jochen Hanebeck, CEO of Infineon. “On the one hand, in electromobility, renewable energy and related application areas, demand has stayed high. On the other hand, demand for consumer applications, such as PCs and smartphones remains low. Infineon is performing well in this challenging market environment thanks to its persistent focus on structural growth drivers for the digital transformation and the transition to a green economy. This is why we take a forward-looking long-term approach and are investing in additional manufacturing capacity.”
For the full version of financial data, please download the PDF version.
- Q3 FY 2023: Revenue €4.089 billion, Segment Result €1.067 billion, Segment Result Margin 26.1 percent
- Outlook for Q4 FY 2023: Based on an assumed exchange rate of US$1.10 to the euro, revenue of around €4 billion with a Segment Result Margin of around 25 percent expected
- Outlook for FY 2023: Based on an assumed exchange rate of US$1.10 to the euro, Infineon continues to anticipate revenue to be at around €16.2 billion with an adjusted gross margin of about 47 percent and a Segment Result Margin of about 27 percent. Investments are expected to amount to approximately €3.0 billion. Taking the planned investments in frontend buildings into account, Free Cash Flow is now expected to be around €1.2 billion (previously €1.1 billion) and adjusted Free Cash Flow now around €1.7 billion (previously €1.8 billion)
Original – Infineon Technologies
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SiC power devices are changing and reshaping many industries today, providing numerous benefits over fundamental silicon-based semiconductors. One of the key advantages is a dramatically reduced power losses with increased efficiency achieved through silicon carbide exceptional material properties. SiC power semiconductors can operate at higher frequencies and temperatures delivering higher power densities and reduced cooling requirements. One of the industries benefiting much from the use of SiC power devices is the energy storage.
Adopting silicon carbide technology, energy storage systems can deliver great energy saving and much better overall system performance.
Reliability is one of the major requirements for any power electronics system, and ESS is no exception. That is why many ESS companies today choose SiC technology over Si. Silicon carbide power devices provide increased robustness and resistance when it comes to operating in extreme conditions. SiC temperature robustness allows to eliminate the risk of the system overheating – one of the major reasons for failure.
Leading the development process of SiC power devices for a variety of emerging applications including vehicle electrification, photovoltaics, and, of course, battery energy storage systems, Leapers Semiconductor is expanding its portfolio of the hybrid modules with the 3-level power module to provide increased reliability for the ESS, solar, and the other 3-level applications.
The all new DFH10AL12EZC1 power module integrates 1200V SiC MOSFET chips and 1200V IGBT chips in E2 package designed to correspond to high requirements set by the above-mentioned applications.
Leapers Semiconductor DFH10AL12EZC1 hybrid power module features:
- Blocking voltage:1200V
- Rds(on): 9.5mΩ (VGS =15V)/8.3mΩ (VGS =18V)
- Low Switching Losses
- High current density
- Press FIT Contact Technology
- 175°C maximum junction temperature
- Thermistor inside
DFH10AL12EZC1 hybrid power modules guarantee the enhanced efficiency, improved power conversion, and increased overall reliability and durability with reduced system size.
The other applications that will benefit from DFH10AL12EZC1 include:
- Solar inverter Systems
- Three-level Systems
- Energy Storage Systems
- High Frequency Switching Systems
Original – Leapers Semiconductor
