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Chicony Power Technology, a worldwide leading manufacturer of power supplies and a pioneer in power electronics, has announced the winners of its Annual Partner Awards, honoring Infineon Technologies AG as its 2023 “GaN Strategic Partner of the Year”.
Infineon has been recognized by Chicony Power as its top partner for gallium nitride (GaN)-based power supplies, including notebook adapters, as well as ICT applications in gaming, storage and servers. This acknowledgment is the result of Infineon’s high standards for product selection, application expertise, high reliability and cost-effectiveness.
GaN stands out as one of the most crucial technologies which are essential for improving the efficiency of power supplies and reducing their product size. Pooling Infineon’s leading GaN expertise and Chicony Power’s remarkable capabilities in power supply system design, the win-win collaboration has helped push the boundaries of innovation and further strengthened both companies’ leading positions in energy-efficient power solutions. As of today, the GaN adoption rate in Chicony Power’s high-watt adapters has reached 20 percent, and this rate is rapidly increasing.
“Unrivalled R&D resources, a comprehensive application understanding and a large number of customer projects let Infineon continuously drive its roadmap for becoming a leading GaN Powerhouse,” said Adam White, Division President Power & Sensor Systems at Infineon Technologies. “The Strategic Partner of the Year award from Chicony Power is a great honor for us. We see this as part of our common mission to drive decarbonization and digitalization together.”
“We’re pleased to honor Infineon, which has played a pivotal role in driving customer success throughout 2023, as our GaN Strategic Partner of the Year,” said Peter Tseng, President of Chicony Power Technology. “Our Vision is to be a global pioneer in the implementation of new technology that enhances power supply efficiency, reduces the carbon footprint of power supplies and helps create a greener world. We would like our Annual Partner Awards to encourage Infineon and all other partners to maintain the momentum in jointly promoting GaN technology in the market alongside Chicony Power, making the power industry greener and cleaner.”
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Renesas Electronics Corporation announced that it has started operations at its Kofu Factory, located in Kai City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. Renesas aims to boost its production capacity of power semiconductors in anticipation of the growing demand in electric vehicles (EVs). To celebrate this milestone, Renesas held an opening ceremony on April 11 with local government officials and partner companies in attendance.
The Kofu Factory previously operated both 150mm and 200mm wafer fabrication lines under Renesas Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Renesas, but ceased operations in October 2014. Renesas made the decision to re-open the factory in May 2022 as a 300-mm wafer fab to support the growing demand for power semiconductors, which is propelled by the industry-wide goal to realize a decarbonized society.
Renesas conducted a 90-billion-yen worth investment in 2022 and has now started operations. The factory will start mass production of IGBTs and other products in 2025, doubling Renesas’ current production capacity for power semiconductors.
“We are proud to announce a remarkable achievement of the Kofu Factory. After its closure in 2014, the Kofu Factory has gone through a transformation and emerged as a dedicated 300-mm wafer fab for power semiconductors, exactly a decade later,” said Hidetoshi Shibata, President and CEO of Renesas.
“We extend our heartfelt thanks to the local governments of Yamanashi Prefecture, Kai City and Showa Town as well as the plant construction companies, equipment vendors, outsourcing and other partner companies. The power semiconductors produced at the Kofu Factory will help maximize the effective use of electricity, which will be in significant demand as EVs and AI continue to proliferate and advance.”
Outline of the Kofu Factory:
- Official Name: Kofu Factory, Renesas Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
- Address: 4617 Nishiyahata, Kai City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan
- Date Opened: April 1, 2024
- Size of Clean Room: up to 18,000 square meters
- Products to be Manufactured: IGBTs, Power MOSFETs and other power products
Original – Renesas Electronics
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Nexperia has become aware that an unauthorized third party accessed certain Nexperia IT servers in March 2024.
The company promptly took action and disconnected the affected systems from the internet to contain the incident and implemented extensive mitigation. Nexperia also launched an investigation with the support of third-party experts to determine the nature and scope of the incident and took strong measures to terminate the unauthorized access.
In addition, the company has reported the incident to the competent Authorities, including the ‘Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens’ and the police, and is keeping them informed of the progress of this investigation.
Together with the external cybersecurity expert FoxIT, Nexperia continues to investigate the full extent and impact of the matter and is closely monitoring the developments. In the interest of the ongoing investigation, the company cannot disclose further details at this point.
Original – Nexperia
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PANJIT announced partnership with Transfer Multisort Elektronik, TME, a global expert in distribution solutions. This collaboration signifies a significant milestone in PANJIT’s journey, expanding the global footprint and enhancing accessibility to innovative semiconductor solutions.
In the words of Arkadiusz Węglewski, Head of Product Group, Semiconductors & Optoelectronics at TME:
“We are delighted to welcome the branded products of PANJIT to our global distribution network. Our partner’s extensive experience, along with their comprehensive range of discrete components and power management circuits, combined with a focus on the development of new SiC solutions and technologies, represents an invaluable contribution to our dynamic collaboration. We believe that the synergy of our values, such as innovation and responsibility, will strengthen our relationship and bring benefits to both parties. Through our joint commitment, we hope to meet the expectations of our customers worldwide, whether it be a consumer project, an industrial solution, or the demanding automotive sector. This is a promise of long-term, stable cooperation, bringing exceptional benefits to our customers worldwide. We are confident that our collective efforts will contribute to the development of innovative solutions that meet the highest expectations.”
PANJIT, with decades of expertise in MOSFET and other discrete semiconductor components, stands committed to delivering refined solutions across diverse industries. This partnership with TME will amplify the company’s reach, ensuring that the products are readily available to customers worldwide.
Edgar Chen, COO of PANJIT Semiconductor, stated, “This collaboration underscores our dedication to providing total semiconductor solutions globally. Leveraging TME’s vast distribution network, we aim to deliver unparalleled value and innovation, reinforcing our position as leaders in the semiconductor industry.”
PANJIT’s broad range of product portfolio, including ICs, IGBTs, MOSFETs, Schottky diodes, SiC devices, bipolar junction transistors, bridges and more, will enrich TME’s offerings, catering to various industrial needs.
Together with TME, PANJIT looks forward to a successful partnership, where shared values of innovation and responsibility will drive collaborative efforts, benefiting customers and fostering mutual success.
Original – PANJIT International
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Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation has launched a press pack IEGT “ST1500GXH35A” with ratings of 4500 V/1500 A that employs newly developed trench-type IEGT chips for use in high-voltage converters such as DC power transmission systems and industrial motor controllers.
The newly developed IEGT chips reduce collector-emitter saturation-voltage and improve shutdown tolerance, short-circuit tolerance and high-temperature tolerance.
Therefore, compared with the existing product, the collector-emitter saturation voltage (VCE(sat)) of the new ST1500GXH35A has been reduced by approximately 26 % from 3.4 V to 2.5 V (typical). In addition, the new product features wide RBSOA by improving shutdown tolerance, and tests short-circuit tolerance at a measurement voltage of 3400 V.
Furthermore, the junction temperature rating (Tj) has been increased from 125 °C to 150 °C (maximum) by improving the high-temperature tolerance of the diode.
ST1500GXH35A helps to reduce the size and power consumption for high-voltage converters such as DC power transmissions, static VAR compensators, and industrial motor controllers.
Applications
- DC power transmissions
- Static VAR compensators
- Industrial motor controllers
Features
- Low-collector-emitter saturation: VCE(sat)=2.6 V (typ.) (VGE=15 V, IC=1500 A, Tj=150 °C)
- Expanded RBSOA (reinforced for 3400 V of test voltage), tested short-circuit tolerance
- Maximum junction temperature rating: Tj (max)=150 °C
Original – Toshiba
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Coherent Corp. announced that it secured $15 million in funding from the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act of 2022 that provided the Department of Defense (DoD) with $2 billion to strengthen and revitalize the U.S. semiconductor supply chain.
One of the key objectives of the CHIPS program is to nurture ecosystems that reduce risk, incentivizing large-scale private investment in production, breakthrough technologies, and workers. To that end, the DoD, through the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division and the National Security Technology Accelerator, established eight Microelectronics Commons regional innovation hubs in September, including the Commercial Leap Ahead for Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors (CLAWS) Hub based in North Carolina and led by NC State University.
As a member of the CLAWS Hub, Coherent will receive $15 million to accelerate the commercialization of next-generation wide- and ultrawide-bandgap semiconductors, namely, silicon carbide and single-crystal diamond, respectively.
“We are excited to be recipients of funding from the CHIPS Act, delighted to be part of the CLAWS Hub, and proud to help the U.S. establish a strategic, long-term leadership position in these critical next-generation semiconductor technologies,” said Sohail Khan, Executive Vice President, Wide-Bandgap Electronics.
“Wide- and ultrawide-bandgap semiconductors enable the electrification of transportation, including road vehicles, high-speed trains, and mobile industrial machinery. They also enable smart power grids to efficiently respond to fluctuations in energy demands by regulating the delivery of electricity from conventional and renewable sources to distribution networks, as well as to and from utility-scale power storage and microgrids.”
In addition to DoD requirements for high-voltage, high-power applications and systems including hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), more electric aircraft (MEA) components, directed energy, Navy vessel power systems, and all-electric ships, silicon carbide power electronics are increasingly recognized for their potential to greatly improve the energy efficiency of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and traditional hyperscale data centers, where power consumption is growing rapidly due to the exploding demand for data- and compute-intensive workloads from AI, cryptocurrency mining, and blockchain applications.
Single-crystal diamond promises to exceed the performance of silicon carbide and greatly expand the applications universe with quantum computing, quantum encryption, and quantum sensing.
Original – Coherent
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Aehr Test Systems announced financial results for its third quarter of fiscal 2024 ended February 29, 2024.
Fiscal Third Quarter Financial Results:
- Net revenue was $7.6 million, compared to $17.2 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2023.
- GAAP net loss was $(1.5) million, or $(0.05) per diluted share, compared to GAAP net income of $4.1 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, in the third quarter of fiscal 2023.
- Non-GAAP net loss, which excludes the impact of stock-based compensation, was $(0.9) million, or $(0.03) per diluted share, compared to non-GAAP net income of $4.7 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, in the third quarter of fiscal 2023.
- Bookings were $24.5 million for the quarter.
- Backlog as of February 29, 2024 was $20 million.
- Total cash and cash equivalents as of February 29, 2024 were $47.6 million, compared to $50.5 million at November 30, 2023.
Fiscal First Nine Months Financial Results:
- Net revenue was $49.6 million, compared to $42.7 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2023.
- GAAP net income was $9.3 million, or $0.31 per diluted share, compared to GAAP net income of $8.4 million, or $0.29 per diluted share, in the first nine months of fiscal 2023.
- Non-GAAP net income was $11.0 million, or $0.37 per diluted share, which excludes the impact of stock-based compensation, compared to $10.5 million, or $0.36 per diluted share, in the first nine months of fiscal 2023.
- Cash provided by operations was $0.5 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2024.
An explanation of the use of non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation of Aehr’s non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures can be found in the accompanying tables.
Gayn Erickson, President and CEO of Aehr Test Systems, commented:
“As we noted in our preliminary earnings release in March, our third quarter results reflect delays in wafer level burn-in system orders for silicon carbide semiconductor devices used in electric vehicles. Due to this, we had revised our guidance for our fiscal 2024 full year ending May 31, 2024 to be greater than $65 million in total revenue and net income of at least $11 million, which we are reiterating today. We still expect to finish this fiscal year with annual revenue that is near or above our full year record.“Last week we announced an initial order for our FOX-NP solution from a new customer that is a multi-billion dollar per year global semiconductor company, and is entering the silicon carbide market to address several applications that include automotive, industrial, and electrification infrastructure. This is our third straight new customer for silicon carbide that is primarily focused on applications other than electric vehicles, expanding our opportunity within silicon carbide beyond electric vehicles.
“We are still in continued engagements up to and including on-wafer evaluations with well over a dozen silicon carbide suppliers that are focusing on both electric vehicles and other applications and are forecasting production needs for wafer level test and burn-in of their devices with decision timelines that spread out over the next year. We are focused on the qualification process with as many new customers as possible, as once we have demonstrated our FOX wafer level test and burn-in solution using their own wafers, we have not yet lost a potential customer.
“Our discussions with customers indicate that the key markets Aehr is addressing for semiconductor wafer level test and burn-in have significant growth opportunities that will expand this year and throughout this decade, and we are seeing increased customer engagement in each of these markets. We have also seen a recent strengthening in the silicon carbide market for electric vehicles outside the US in what appears to be a shift in the market share of electric vehicle suppliers. This includes Asia where we recently had extensive and very productive and positive visits with a significant number of silicon carbide suppliers and electric vehicle suppliers that we will provide additional details on during our earnings call.
“According to many market forecasts, including the Semiconductor Industry Association, the semiconductor industry is expected to grow from $600 billion in 2022 to over $1 trillion at or around 2030. This acceleration is coming from mega market drivers including artificial intelligence (AI), green energy and decarbonization, and IoT-based digital transformation. Increased reliability concerns about semiconductors, a growing number of mission critical applications, and more multi-chip modules or heterogeneous integration with multiple devices being assembled in a single package are driving the need for wafer level burn-in. At semiconductor industry conferences around the world, we are seeing an increased focus on test and burn-in moving to wafer level before these devices are put into multi-chip packages and modules.
“These favorable macro trends are driving the business that drives Aehr Test and include:
- silicon carbide power devices going into high-density modules for power conversion in electric vehicles;
- gallium nitride power semiconductors going into automotive, solar, and other mission critical industrial applications;
- silicon photonics integrated circuits being put into transceivers for data center infrastructure and optical chip-to-chip communication of CPU, GPU, and AI processors;
- memory devices for solid state disk drives used in enterprise and data storage or for AI processors.
“Our continued investments in the FOX platform like the new 3.5 kW per wafer FOX-XP multi-wafer production system we began shipping last month also position us well to address the requirements of other new market segments that we believe we will be able to discuss over the next several months.
“As we head toward fiscal 2025, we are encouraged by our increasing engagements with current and potential customers and the long-term growth opportunities of all these markets.”
Fiscal 2024 Financial Guidance:
For the fiscal year ending May 31, 2024, Aehr is reiterating its previously provided guidance for total revenue of greater than $65 million and GAAP net income of approximately $11 million or more, or $0.38 per diluted share.Original – Aehr Test Systems
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LATEST NEWSIdeal Power Receives Order from Global Leader in Power Semiconductor and Power Electronics Solutions
April 10, 2024
2 Min ReadIdeal Power Inc. received a purchase order from a global leader in power semiconductor and power electronics solutions. The customer purchased B-TRAN™ devices and a circuit breaker evaluation board and is collaborating with Ideal Power on a solid-state circuit breaker (SSCB) design in connection with its launch of a multi-year DC power distribution system program.
For SSCB applications, B-TRAN™ technology has clear advantages for SSCBs, providing dramatically lower conduction losses, lower costs, and bidirectionality compared to electromechanical breakers and IGBT and silicon carbide MOSFET-based SSCBs.
“We are excited to collaborate with global leaders interested in B-TRAN™ as an enabling technology for SSCBs,” said Dan Brdar, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ideal Power. “This specific customer presents multiple opportunities for us as they address several of our target markets including SSCBs, industrial and grid infrastructure and renewable energy.”
Ideal Power’s patented semiconductor power switch, B-TRAN™, can reduce power losses by 50% or more over conventional power switches, depending on the application. B-TRAN™’s higher efficiency results in less heat being generated and therefore significantly lower thermal management requirements, requiring significantly smaller surface area to dissipate heat and giving rise to potentially smaller original equipment manufacturer products.
B-TRAN™ offers the industry’s only symmetric bidirectional operation, reducing the number of components required for an application by 75% compared to a conventional bidirectional switch utilizing IGBTs and diodes. This highly efficient and unique symmetric operation provides a strong competitive advantage in bidirectional applications, which are growing rapidly as transportation electrifies and power generation shifts to renewable energy coupled with energy storage.
Original – Ideal Power
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PANJIT is thrilled to announce the official opening of the PANJIT Japan Branch Office, marking a significant milestone in company’s commitment to serving valued customers, partners, and distributors in the Japanese market. With great excitement, PANJIT team extends its warmest welcome to all those eager to explore the vast array of possibilities that lie ahead.
PANJIT recognizes the importance of building enduring partnerships based on trust, reliability, and mutual success. This new branch office stands as a testament to PANJIT’s unwavering dedication to fostering stronger relationships and delivering unparalleled support to local clientele.
By establishing a physical presence in Japan, the company aims to streamline communication channels, enhance accessibility, and provide tailored solutions that cater to the unique needs of the Japanese stakeholders.
PANJIT extends heartfelt gratitude to the esteemed customers, partners, and distributors for their unwavering support and trust in PANJIT. Their success fuels the company’s inspiration to further exceed expectations at every turn.
Original – PANJIT International
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Infineon Technologies AG continued to expand its leading market position in automotive semiconductors in 2023. According to the latest research by TechInsights, the global automotive semiconductor market grew by 16.5 percent in 2023, reaching a new record size of US$69.2 billion.
Infineon’s overall market share increased by one percentage point, from nearly 13 percent in 2022 to about 14 percent in 2023, solidifying the company’s position as the global leader in the automotive semiconductor market. Infineon’s semiconductors are essential in serving all automotive key applications like driver assist and safety systems, powertrain and battery management, comfort, infotainment and security.
According to TechInsights, Infineon has increased its market share in all regions and remained market leader in South Korea and China. In addition, Infineon has made significant gains in the Japanese automotive semiconductor market. Infineon has strengthened its strong European presence as the second-largest player, as well as its top three position in North America.
“We are very proud that we have expanded our position as the leading automotive semiconductor supplier. This great success is based on our product innovation and system competence that add value to our customers’ solutions,” said Peter Schiefer, President of the Automotive Division at Infineon. “We also see this achievement as motivation, since our automotive semiconductors are the basis for the future of mobility, making cars clean, safe and smart.”
“Infineon maintained the top spot in the TechInsights automotive semiconductor 2023 vendor market share rankings with nearly 14 percent market share,” said Asif Anwar, Executive Director of Automotive End Market Research at TechInsights. “The company’s automotive semiconductor revenues grew over 26 percent year-on-year, allowing the company to stretch its lead over its second and third place rivals by four percentage points.”
A major driver of Infineon’s performance was strong automotive microcontroller (MCU) sales. For the first time, Infineon has reached the world’s number one position in this market. The company’s sales in the automotive microcontroller segment increased by nearly 44 percent compared to 2022, resulting in a 2023 market share of about 29 percent worldwide.
Microcontrollers are key components in the automotive industry, controlling and monitoring a wide variety of systems in the automobile such as electric powertrain, electric-electronic (E/E) architecture, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving, radar and chassis.
Infineon’s AURIX™ flagship microcontroller family and the TRAVEO™ microcontroller family are the main contributors to this success, driving the transition in the automotive industry towards autonomous, connected and electrified vehicles. The families combine power and performance enhancements with the latest trends in the fields of virtualization, AI-based modeling, functional safety, cybersecurity and network functions. They are paving the way for new E/E architectures as well as the next generation of software-defined vehicles.
Original – Infineon Technologies
