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Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation has developed a Schottky barrier diode (SBD) embedded metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), a significant improvement over the current device structure, while maintaining high reliability and short-circuit ruggedness.
A successful design modification introduces a barrier structure with varying depths in the device structure that maintains the reliability of the reverse conduction operation, the function of an integrated SBD, while suppressing the current leakage from the SBD part that causes destruction during short-circuiting. By making use of new design technology and optimizing the device structure, the new MOSFET achieves lower on-resistance (RonA), with about a 26% improvement over the current structure.
Power semiconductors play a central role in electricity supply and control. They cut energy consumption in all kinds of electronic equipment, and are an important tool for the realization of carbon neutrality. Continued demand expansion is expected from vehicle electrification and the miniaturization of industrial equipment.
Against this background, SiC MOSFETs are seen as next-generation power semiconductors. They deliver better power energy conversion efficiency than Si MOSFETs, and their use has expanded rapidly in recent years. However, SiC MOSFETs have a reliability problem: increased RonA due to reverse conduction operation. Toshiba has now developed an SBD-embedded SiC MOSFET that operates in reverse conduction without increasing RonA.
Reducing the RonA of SiC MOSFET simultaneously causes excess current flow through the MOSFET part during short-circuit operation, reducing the durability of short-circuit operation. However, enhancing the conduction of the embedded SBD to improve the reliability of reverse conduction operation increases its current leakage during short-circuit operation, which also decreases the durability of short-circuit operation.
Introducing a deep barrier structure can suppress both the excess current of the MOSFET and SBD current leakage during short-circuit operation, but it also obstructs current flow from the SBD, raising concerns about decreased reliability in diode conduction.
This led Toshiba to consider a barrier structure divided into shallow and deep areas. The deep barrier area successfully suppresses excess current from the MOSFET part during short-circuit operation, and reduces SBD current leakage, while leaving a shallow area effectively spreads current from the SBD without any obstruction by the barrier.
This improves ruggedness during short-circuit operation while maintaining excellent reliability in reverse conduction operation. Toshiba has provided some customers with test samples of SiC MOSFETs with embedded SBD that apply the new technology since December 2023 for evaluation, toward further enhancing performance.
By making use of its new design technology and optimizing the device structure, Toshiba has developed a prototype 1.2 kV class SBD-integrated MOSFET. This achieves a low RonA of 2.0 mΩcm2, about a 26% improvement over the current structure. Toshiba will present the details of this technology at The 36th International Symposium on Power Semiconductor Devices and ICs (ISPSD) 2024, an international conference on power semiconductors, which is being held in Bremen, Germany from June 2 to 6.
Original – Toshiba
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Coherent Corp. announced that following a comprehensive search, its Board of Directors has appointed Jim Anderson, an established industry executive with a proven track record of driving innovation and leading business transformations, as the Company’s new Chief Executive Officer, effective today. Mr. Anderson also joins the Company’s Board of Directors.
Mr. Anderson joins Coherent from Lattice Semiconductors (“Lattice”), where he was President, Chief Executive Officer, and a member of its Board of Directors. As CEO, Mr. Anderson was responsible for driving Lattice’s corporate strategy and strengthening the Company’s product roadmap, achieving record operating profits and gross margins. He succeeds Dr. Vincent D. (“Chuck”) Mattera, Jr., who, as previously announced, is retiring as Chair and CEO of Coherent.
“Jim’s business acumen and technical capability, coupled with his extensive experience transforming complex global businesses to deliver above-market growth and profitability, make him the ideal leader to steer Coherent through its next chapter amidst a rapidly changing market,” said Enrico DiGirolamo, Board Chair. “I am confident that Coherent will benefit from Jim’s operational expertise, innovation-first approach, and in-depth knowledge of our market and platform, as we capitalize on the strong market demand we see across our AI-related datacom portfolio and improving industrial market, while leveraging our diversification strategy that continues to serve us well.”
“I am deeply honored to join Coherent, a company I have long admired, as its next CEO,” said Mr. Anderson. “With cutting-edge innovation, an industry-leading platform, and an intense focus on the customer, Coherent is exceptionally well positioned to build on its existing momentum and deliver enhanced profitable growth over the long term. I look forward to joining the leadership team and Board at this pivotal moment in the Company’s history as we work together to realize Coherent’s enormous potential and drive value for all stakeholders.”
“Chuck Mattera has been in and around this industry for almost half a century, conceptualizing and directing the acquisition and business development strategy that made Coherent the multi-billion dollar global entity it is today,” said Mr. DiGirolamo. “Chuck thoughtfully forged meaningful relationships with employees, customers, suppliers, government officials, key partners, and shareholders that established a values-based foundation.” DiGirolamo added, “On behalf of the Board, I have the privilege of thanking Chuck for his many years of visionary leadership, tireless execution, and energetic commitment to redefining the possibilities of our industry. We all look forward to learning about the next chapters of Chuck’s already accomplished story.”
About Jim Anderson
Prior to joining Lattice in 2018, Mr. Anderson was senior vice president and general manager of Advanced Micro Devices’ Computing and Graphics business group. He previously held leadership positions in general management, engineering, sales, marketing, and strategy at companies including Intel, Broadcom (formerly Avago Technologies), and LSI Corporation.
Mr. Anderson serves on the Board of Directors of Entegris, EdgeQ, and Lumotive, as well as on the Board of Directors of the Semiconductor Industry Association, the MIT Sloan Americas Executive Board, the Electrical and Computer Engineering Advisory Board at Purdue University, and the Dean’s Advisory Board for the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota. Previously, he was a director at Sierra Wireless.
Mr. Anderson holds an MBA and Master of Science in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Master of Science in electrical engineering from Purdue University, and a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Minnesota.
Original – Coherent
