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GlobalFoundries has joined the LOT Network, the world’s largest patent licensing platform and non-profit community of global companies committed to protecting themselves against costly litigation from patent assertion entities (PAEs). With this move, GF joins a community of more than 4,500 companies that include half of the top 20 largest U.S. patent holders, and half of the S&P Global 100 and Fortune 100.
Semiconductors play an ever-increasing and vital role in driving innovation, enabling diverse applications across high-growth markets such as artificial intelligence, automotive, smart devices and advanced healthcare technologies. With a global footprint spanning three continents, GF is a leading innovator of differentiated essential chip technologies and has added its nearly 10,000 global patent assets in semiconductor manufacturing, test, and design to the protections of LOT Network.
PAEs, referred to by some as “patent trolls”, are responsible for more than 87 percent of all patent litigation against the high-tech industry. Many of the patents used are acquired from the industry itself and are used by the PAEs to profit through litigation against other members of the industry.
GF’s membership in LOT Network protects the company and minimizes litigation risk, allowing the company to focus on innovation that will drive advancements in smarter, more secure, connected and efficient devices. LOT Network membership provides a global shield, with members from 56 different countries.
“Semiconductors are the key building blocks for so many products that the world relies on to live, work and connect. We are committed to protecting our technology and securely manufacturing the essential chips our customers, partners and industry rely on,” said Adam Noah, Chief IP Counsel at GF. “By joining the LOT Network, we are further safeguarding our business and our customers against PAE litigation, allowing us to focus on the important work of delivering world-class technology solutions. We encourage others within the semiconductor manufacturing and design ecosystem to address the PAE drain on resources by joining LOT’s protective community, which provides strength in numbers.”
“GF is the perfect role model for a U.S.-based semiconductor supplier,” said Ken Seddon, CEO of LOT Network. “Not only are they protecting their business, but they are also protecting their customers, as all GF products now come with free immunization to over 20 percent of all US patents. GF is a semiconductor visionary for recognizing the critical role it plays in the protection not just of the semiconductor industry, but the many verticals that rely upon its technologies as well.”
Original – GlobalFoundries
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X-FAB Silicon Foundries SE has launched XSICM03, its next-generation XbloX platform, advancing Silicon Carbide (SiC) process technology for power MOSFETs, delivering significantly reduced cell pitch, enabling increased die per wafer and improved on-state resistance without compromising reliability.
XbloX is X-FAB’s streamlined business process and technology platform designed to accelerate the development of advanced SiC MOSFET technology. It integrates qualified SiC process development blocks and modules for planar MOSFET production, simplifying the onboarding process and significantly reducing design risks and product development time.
By combining proven process modules with robust design rules, control plans, and FMEAs, XbloX enables faster prototyping, easier design evaluation, and shorter time to market. This approach gives customers a competitive edge, allowing designers to create a diverse product portfolio while achieving production timelines up to nine months faster than traditional development methods.
This next generation platform provides active area design cell size reduction while maintaining robust process controls, as well as leakage and breakdown device performance. The XSICM03 platform with robust design rules allows customers to create SiC planar MOSFETs with a cell pitch that is over 25% smaller than the previous generation.
This improvement allows for up to a 30% increase in die per wafer compared to the previous generation. Leveraging proven process blocks, the platform ensures exceptional gate oxide reliability and device robustness. The enriched PCM library and enhanced design support allow for fast customer tape-out, resulting in faster product development.
Rico Tillner, CEO, X-FAB Texas explains: “With its streamlined approach, our next-generation process platform addresses the increasing demand for high-performance SiC devices in automotive, industrial, and energy applications. We enable existing and new customers in creating application-optimized product portfolios through accelerated prototyping and design evaluation, significantly reducing time to market.”
The next generation platform XSICM03 is now available for early access.
Original – X-FAB Silicon Foundries
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Ideal Power Inc. secured its first design win for solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBs) with one of the largest circuit protection equipment manufacturers in Asia serving the industrial and utility markets.
In connection with this design win, the Company entered into a joint development agreement for a SSCB product incorporating multiple B-TRAN® devices. The agreement includes the product design, prototype builds and testing of the SSCB which is targeted for completion in the second quarter of 2025 to be followed by commercial sales later in the year.
For Ideal Power, the opportunity from this customer’s first B-TRAN®-based product could potentially translate to revenue of several hundred thousand dollars in the first year of sales, with the opportunity to exceed a million dollars in revenue in the second year of sales. We expect this product to be their first of multiple products incorporating B-TRAN® into SSCBs as the customer is interested in offering a suite of B-TRAN®-enabled SSCBs with a wide range of ratings. As a result, the overall opportunity with this customer could eventually lead to sales of a million units per year based on the customer’s projections.
The customer’s products are focused on renewable energy, circuit protection for industrial equipment and facilities, utility grid infrastructure and power distribution. They currently sell over 200 thousand circuit breakers per year to their large established customer base in the Asian market. They have a decades-long legacy of innovation to meet the current and future needs of their customers. Their initial B-TRAN®-enabled SSCB will be marketed to grid-tied solar and energy storage equipment providers and utility electric distribution network companies.
Other potential applications with the customer include data centers, lighting and air conditioning systems, electric vehicles, including vehicle-to-grid power conversion and EV contactors, and other energy storage solutions. The customer evaluated B-TRAN® against SiC MOSFETs and selected B-TRAN® due to its ultra-low conduction losses and inherent bidirectionality.
“Today’s design win is a milestone representing significant validation of B-TRAN® as an enabling technology for SSCBs and a catalyst for our revenue ramp in industrial markets. Now that we have captured our first design win for SSCBs, we will leverage this win to secure additional design wins with other SSCB customers in the coming months to drive long-term value creation for our shareholders,” stated Dan Brdar, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ideal Power.
For SSCB applications, the Company’s B-TRAN® technology dramatically lowers conduction losses compared to IGBT and silicon carbide MOSFET-based SSCBs while offering inherent bidirectionality, reducing the number of devices required for a given circuit breaker rating. Compared to conventional electromechanical breakers, B-TRAN®-based SSCBs are expected to offer orders of magnitude faster operation along with programmability and diagnostic capability and enhanced safety and reliability. B-TRAN® potentially lays a path to broad SSCB adoption by industrial, utility and military customers. The Company estimates a $1 billion serviceable addressable market (SAM) for B-TRAN® for the solid-state switchgear market, inclusive of SSCBs.
Original – Ideal Power
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Bosch has signed a preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) under the CHIPS and Science Act with the U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC). It includes up to $225 million in proposed direct funding to support the transformation of the Bosch production facility in Roseville, California. The proposed investment would support the development of semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. Bosch plans to invest up to $1.9 billion to transform the Roseville site into a facility that produces and tests silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors. The Roseville site currently employs around 250 associates with potential to grow in the future.
In April 2023, Bosch announced its intention to acquire the assets of an existing wafer fab in Roseville. The acquisition was closed in August 2023 and since that time Bosch has begun the process to transform the site. Starting in 2026, the first chips will be produced on 200-millimeter wafers based on the pioneering SiC Bosch technology.
“Production of SiC chips in the United States is a key part of our strategic plan to reinforce our semiconductor portfolio and support our local customers,” said Michael Budde, president of Mobility Electronics for Bosch. “Silicon carbide chips help to enable greater range and more efficient recharging in battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles to provide affordable electromobility options for consumers.”
The Roseville location has nearly 40 years of extensive experience in the design and production of semiconductors for automotive and industrial applications.
“We took the unique approach to transform an existing wafer fab rather than build a new facility,” said Thorsten Scheer, plant manager in Roseville and regional president of the Bosch Mobility Electronics division in North America. “A major reason was the talented workforce in place at Roseville. Already they have shown their skill and resolve as we transform the site for future production of silicon carbide chips.”
Since the acquisition of the site, Bosch has retained nearly all of the 250 associates during the transformation process as it prepares for the 2026 launch of SiC production. The company has provided advanced training where the Roseville team learns from other sites within the Bosch global manufacturing network.
In addition to training its current workforce, Bosch is also investing locally to help build up semiconductor expertise for the future. The Bosch Community Fund provided a $100,000 grant to the Sierra College Foundation in Rocklin, California for its Career Technical Education Support Fund. The grant has helped to support associated costs with certification fees, microcontroller kits, development material, software, protective gear, tools, entry and travel fees for STEM competitions, project supplies for STEM Clubs and more.
The Roseville site represents the first semiconductor production site in the United States for Bosch. Over the next years, the company intends to invest around $1.9 billion USD in the Roseville site and upgrade the manufacturing facilities to state-of-the-art processes. Proposed investment from the CHIPS and Science Act would help support the transformation of the site. Already the site has received a $25 million California Competes Tax Credit incentive from the Governor’s Office of Business & Economic Development (GO-Biz) to support redevelopment and investment in Roseville.
Bosch has indicated it plans to claim the Department of the Treasury’s Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit (CHIPS ITC), which is 25% of qualified capital expenditures. Click here to learn more about the tax credit. In addition to the proposed direct funding of up to $225 million, the CHIPS Program Office would make approximately $350 million in proposed loans – which is a part of the $75 billion in loan authority provided by the CHIPS and Science Act – available to Bosch under the PMT.
As explained in its first Notice of Funding Opportunity, the Department of Commerce may offer applicants a PMT on a non-binding basis after satisfactory completion of the merit review of a full application. The PMT outlines key terms for a potential CHIPS incentives award, including the amount and form of the award. The award amounts are subject to due diligence and negotiation of award documents and are conditional on the achievement of certain milestones. After a PMT is signed, the Department of Commerce begins a comprehensive due diligence process on the proposed projects and continues negotiating or refining certain terms with the applicant. The terms contained in any final award documents may differ from the terms of the PMT being announced.
Original – Bosch
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Infineon Technologies AG and Eve Energy Co., Ltd., a manufacturer of lithium batteries, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU). The two companies aim at enabling comprehensive battery management system solutions for the automotive market.
As part of the MoU, Infineon will supply a complete chipset, including microcontroller units, balancing and monitoring ICs, power management ICs, drivers, MOSFETs, controller area networks and sensor products. Equipped with these solutions, EVE Energy’s battery management system can provide high safety, high reliability and optimized cost. It also enables more accurate monitoring, protection and optimization of electric vehicle battery performance and improves driving experience and energy efficiency.
“The rapid growth in electrification has driven the need for advanced battery solutions. The partnership between Infineon’s advanced battery management ICs and EVE Energy`s advanced battery technologies will pave the way for the next generation of intelligent battery packs,” said Andreas Doll, Senior Vice President and General Manager Smart Power at Infineon. “Infineon offers a comprehensive and advanced system-level solution that meets the diverse needs of customers. We believe that further cooperation between the two sides will foster positive interaction and collaborative development at various levels.”
“EVE Energy has experienced rapid growth in the field of battery management systems in recent years, and we are determined to continue this development. Therefore, we highly value the partnership with Infineon,” said Liu Jianhua, co-founder and president of EVE Energy. “Our goal is to jointly introduce more advanced solutions to the market that meet customers’ needs and drive the development of reliable and efficient systems.”
Original – Infineon Technologies
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onsemi has unveiled plans to acquire Qorvo’s Silicon Carbide (SiC) JFET business, a strategic move that enhances its portfolio in high- and mid-voltage power semiconductors. The $115 million deal includes Qorvo’s United Silicon Carbide subsidiary and is expected to close in Q1 2025. This acquisition is projected to expand onsemi’s market opportunity by $1.3 billion by 2030, focusing on AI, data centers, EVs, and industrial markets. By leveraging its vertically integrated SiC supply chain, onsemi aims to boost efficiency, profitability, and innovation across key technology areas.
SiC JFET technology offers superior power efficiency, reduced costs, and versatility in advanced applications, including EV battery systems, AI-driven data centers, and renewable energy solutions. It promises to disrupt traditional silicon-based and GaN technologies, with its superior switching speed, lower on-resistance, and smaller die size. This acquisition positions onsemi to capitalize on the growing demand for sustainable, high-performance power solutions in a wide range of industries.
Moreover, SiC JFETs are designed to enable transformative advancements in industrial applications such as power supplies, solar power converters, and energy storage systems. These innovations align with market trends emphasizing higher efficiency and reliability. The technology also offers critical advantages in EV battery safety, ensuring quicker response and long-term dependability through solid-state switches that surpass conventional electromechanical solutions.
By integrating Qorvo’s business, onsemi also strengthens its presence in the competitive AI and data center markets. The shift to higher voltages and power capacities in these areas provides a unique opportunity for SiC JFETs to reduce costs and improve performance, establishing onsemi as a leader in next-generation semiconductor solutions.
Original – onsemi
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ROHM and TSMC have entered a strategic partnership on development and volume production of gallium nitride (GaN) power devices for electric vehicle applications.
The partnership will integrate ROHM’s device development technology with TSMC’s industry-leading GaN-on-silicon process technology to meet the growing demand for superior high-voltage and high-frequency properties over silicon for power devices.
GaN power devices are currently used in consumer and industrial applications such as AC adapters and server power supplies. TSMC, a leader in sustainability and green manufacturing, supports GaN technology for its potential environmental benefits in automotive applications, such as on-board chargers and inverters for electric vehicles (EVs).
The partnership builds on ROHM and TSMC’s history of collaboration in GaN power devices. In 2023, ROHM adopted TSMC’s 650V GaN high-electron mobility transistors (HEMT), whose process is increasingly being used in consumer and industrial devices as part of ROHM’s EcoGaN™ series, including the 45W AC adapter (fast charger) “C4 Duo” produced by Innergie, a brand of Delta Electronics, Inc.
“GaN devices, capable of high-frequency operation, are highly anticipated for their contribution to miniaturization and energy savings, which can help achieve a decarbonized society. Reliable partners are crucial for implementing these innovations in society, and we are pleased to collaborate with TSMC, which possesses world-leading advanced manufacturing technology” said Katsumi Azuma, Member of the Board and Senior Managing Executive Officer at ROHM. “In addition to this partnership, by providing user-friendly GaN solutions that include control ICs to maximize GaN performance, we aim to promote the adoption of GaN in the automotive industry.”
“As we move forward with the next generations of our GaN process technology, TSMC and ROHM are extending our partnership to the development and production of GaN power devices for automotive applications,” said Chien-Hsin Lee, Senior Director of Specialty Technology Business Development at TSMC. “By combining TSMC’s expertise in semiconductor manufacturing with ROHM’s proficiency in power device design, we strive to push the boundaries of GaN technology and its implementation for EVs.”
Original – ROHM
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Nexperia announced the launch of 16 new 80 V and 100 V power MOSFETs in the innovative copper-clip CCPAK1212 package, delivering industry-leading power density and outright performance. The innovative copper-clip design provides high current conduction, reduced parasitic inductance, and excellent thermal performance. These features make the devices ideal for motor control, power supplies, renewable energy systems, and other power-hungry applications.
The range also includes application-specific MOSFETs (ASFETs) designed for AI server hot-swap functions. With top-side and bottom-side cooling options, these MOSFETs in CCPAK provide high power density and reliable solutions. All devices are supported by JEDEC registration and Nexperia’s interactive datasheets for seamless integration.
The benchmark PSMN1R0-100ASF is a 0.99 mΩ 100 V power MOSFET capable of conducting 460 A and dissipating 1.55 KW of power, yet in a CCPAK1212 package footprint that occupies only 12mm x 12mm of board space. The PSMN1R0-100CSF offers similar statistics in a top-side cooled version.
The secret to this impressive performance is the internal construction of the devices. The “CC” in CCPAK1212 stands for copper clip, meaning that the power MOSFET silicon die is sandwiched between two pieces of copper, the drain tab on one side and the source clip on the other. With wire bonds entirely eliminated, such an optimized assembly offers a low on-resistance, reduced parasitic inductances, high maximum current ratings and excellent thermal performance.
CCPAK1212 NextPower 80/100 V MOSFETs are recommended for power-hungry industrial applications where high efficiency and high reliability are critical, including brushless DC (BLDC) motor control, switched-mode power supplies (SMPS), battery management systems (BMS) and renewable energy storage. The availability of such power-capable MOSFETs in a single package reduces the need for parallelism, simplifying designs and offering more compact, cost-effective solutions.
The Nexperia CCPAK1212 announcement also includes some new application specific MOSFETs (ASFETs) targeting the hot-swap function in increasingly powerful AI servers. These devices feature an enhanced safe operating area (SOA), providing superior thermal stability during linear mode transitions.
Across all these applications, the availability of top-side and bottom-side cooling options provides engineers a choice of thermal extraction techniques, especially helpful where dissipating heat through the PCB is impractical due to the sensitivity of other components.
“Despite offering market-leading performance, we know that some customers will be reticent to design-in a relatively new package”, stated Chris Boyce, Product Group General Manager at Nexperia. “For this reason, we have registered the CCPAK1212 with the JEDEC standards organization (reference MO-359). We followed a similar approach when we introduced the first LFPAK MOSFET package some years ago and as a result there are now many compatible devices available in the market. You are never on your own for long when your innovations offer genuine value to your customers”, concluded Boyce.
All the new CCPAK1212 MOSFET devices are supported with a range of advanced design-in tools, including thermally compensated simulation models. Traditional PDF datasheets are supplemented with Nexperia’s user-friendly interactive datasheets, which now incorporate a new “graph-to-csv” feature that allows engineers to download, analyze and interpret the data behind each device’s key characteristics. This not only streamlines the design process but enhances confidence in design choices.
Nexperia plans to extend CCPAK1212 packaging to power MOSFETs across all voltage ranges and also to its automotive qualified AEC-Q101 portfolios, addressing the evolving demands of next-generation systems with the highest current and thermal performance requirements.
Original – Nexperia
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VisIC Technologies announced a new partnership aimed at advancing high-efficiency GaN inverter technology for the EV market. This collaboration will provide automotive OEMs with power semiconductors that exceed silicon carbide (SiC) performance, while offering lower costs at device and system level.
In a recent test conducted at AVL’s state-of-the-art facilities in Germany, an inverter based on VisIC’s GaN-on-Silicon D³GaN components proved an outstanding performance. Mounted on AVL’s e-motor test bench and controlled by AVLs SOP eDrive controls algorithm, the system achieved a benchmark efficiency level of 99.67% at 10kHz, stunningly climbing to over 99.8% efficiency at 5kHz — which outperforms comparable SiC inverters by up to 0.5% and is cutting energy losses by more than 60%.
This breakthrough positions the AVL and VisIC partnership as a compelling option for automakers striving to balance high efficiency with affordability in EV design. It is worth noting that VisIC’s GaN-on-Silicon power devices require significantly less energy and therefore CO2 during the chip production process compared to SiC. They can be produced in widespread 200mm and 300mm silicon foundries, which makes scaling production a straightforward process.
“With AVL, we’re making cutting-edge GaN inverter technology accessible for even more electric vehicles, establishing a new benchmark for efficiency and cost-effectiveness in the industry,” said Gregory Bunin, CTO of VisIC Technologies. “Our partnership reflects a shared commitment to driving EV innovation that’s both impactful and accessible, bringing GaN’s unparalleled performance to a broader market.”
“Working with VisICs new GaN power module for high-power systems enables us to offer our customers cutting-edge solutions that are optimally aligned with the requirements of next-generation drive systems. These include, among other things, high power density combined with reduced overall system costs,” added Dr. Thomas Frey, Head of Segment E-Mobility & E-Drive System at AVL Software and Functions GmbH. “Together, we can significantly advance e-mobility and help reduce the carbon footprint.”
Looking ahead, AVL and VisIC plan to expand their GaN-on-Si platform to include 800V GaN power modules, ensuring that their technology remains scalable and adaptable to the needs of the growing BEV market. This collaboration places AVL and VisIC Technologies at the forefront of GaN inverter technology, establishing new standards for energy efficiency and performance across the EV industry.
Original – VisIC Technologies
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DISCO Corporation has announced a comprehensive series of initiatives aimed at advancing both its environmental goals and technological innovations. As a leader in precision cutting and grinding technologies, the company continues to shape the future of semiconductor manufacturing with a dual focus on sustainability and cutting-edge product development.
The company has intensified its focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies, introducing initiatives designed to enhance operational sustainability. By optimizing energy usage and reducing emissions, DISCO aims to minimize its environmental footprint while supporting global efforts toward decarbonization. These measures also include resource-efficient manufacturing processes that align with DISCO’s long-term vision for sustainable growth.
As part of its product lineup expansion, DISCO introduced the ZHSC25 and Z25 dicing blades. Specifically engineered for advanced applications, these tools represent significant advancements in semiconductor processing. The ZHSC25 blade is tailored for high-performance dicing of SiC wafers, a critical material in power electronics due to its superior heat resistance and efficiency. Meanwhile, the Z25 blade is optimized for a broad range of electronic components, offering manufacturers unprecedented processing speed and accuracy. These innovations demonstrate DISCO’s dedication to addressing evolving industry demands.
DISCO’s recent initiatives reflect a holistic approach to industry leadership, combining a commitment to ESG principles with groundbreaking innovation. By aligning technological advancements with sustainability objectives, the company aims to contribute to both the semiconductor industry’s growth and global sustainability efforts.
With these strategic updates, DISCO Corporation continues to exemplify its vision of harmonizing technology and sustainability to address the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly evolving global market.
The company plans to present its new offerings at SEMICON Japan 2024, one of the largest events in the semiconductor industry. This platform will enable DISCO to highlight the impact of its latest technologies and sustainability measures, reinforcing its role as an industry pioneer. Visitors to the exhibit will gain insights into how these developments are poised to enhance efficiency and quality in semiconductor manufacturing.
Original – DISCO
