-
Vincotech announced the release of flow E3BP, an advancement of the company’s widely adopted flow 2 and flow E3 housing. Engineered to meet the increasingly challenging requirements for next-gen systems, the flow E3BP is the next step up the evolutionary ladder in power module technology across applications.
Designed to boost thermal performance and maximize power density, this advanced housing is the go-to option for high-power systems and next-generation applications. Featuring a specially treated surface, its convex baseplate provides a superior thermal contact to better disperse heat and handle more power with a smaller footprint.
The module’s CTI600 housing material holds up well to higher system voltages. Its isolation walls increase creepage and clearance distances. Pre-applied thermal interface material is optionally available, as are Press-fit pins. Rolling efficiency, reliability, and innovation into one exceptionally useful housing, the new flow E3BP meets demand for faster time to market, higher power ratings, and greater power density. An excellent fit for many different applications, it marks another stride towards a more sustainable future.
Developed with the increasingly challenging demands of renewable energy systems in mind, the flow E3BP is a remarkably efficient power module. Among others, it enables customers to design 350+ kW utility string PV inverters with just a single housing per phase, cutting 30% of the cost for a dual-module solution. It also serves to reduce the heatsink area by as much as 34% compared to flow E3, thereby increasing power density to 51%.
Chosen for its low inductivity, the new flow E3BP figures prominently in solar and ESS inverters for the utility and commercial segments. Today’s flow E3BP housing meets tomorrow’s 2000 V systems’ high voltage requirements, and the company aims to extend this product portfolio to address further applications such as motion control, industrial drives, and EV charging stations.
Determined to enable customers to bring their ideas to life, Vincotech continues to develop its range of power module housings, which now encompasses 24 options rated from less than 10 kW up to MW. The flow 2, flow S3, and flow E3 housings see wide use in solar and ESS applications. The latest addition to the line, the leading-edge flow E3BP, supports beyond 350 kW and pushes the envelope for PV and ESS solutions.
Original – Vincotech
-
STMicroelectronics announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2024, highlighting both its revenue performance and future strategic initiatives. In Q4 2024, the company reported net revenues of $3.32 billion, a gross margin of 37.7%, and an operating margin of 11.1%. Net income for the quarter stood at $341 million, reflecting ST’s ability to maintain profitability despite a challenging macroeconomic environment.
For the full year, ST achieved net revenues of $13.27 billion, a gross margin of 39.3%, and an operating margin of 12.6%, with a total net income of $1.56 billion. While the semiconductor industry faced fluctuations in demand, ST maintained solid financials, supported by its diversified portfolio across automotive, industrial, and consumer electronics markets.
Looking ahead to Q1 2025, the company projects net revenues of approximately $2.51 billion and anticipates a gross margin of 33.8%. This outlook suggests a seasonal decline in revenue compared to Q4, but aligns with broader industry trends.
In response to shifting market conditions, ST has initiated a cost-resizing program to optimize its global operational efficiency. This includes measures to streamline expenses, enhance supply chain resilience, and align production capacities with evolving customer demand. The company is also expected to continue investing in next-generation semiconductor technologies, particularly in power electronics, automotive chips, and industrial applications.
CEO Jean-Marc Chery reaffirmed ST’s commitment to long-term growth and sustainability, emphasizing its focus on innovation and cost discipline.
With strategic investments and market adaptability, STMicroelectronics aims to navigate industry challenges while reinforcing its leadership in the semiconductor sector.
Original – STMicroelectronics
-
Wolfspeed, Inc. reported its fiscal second-quarter 2025 results, highlighting strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing profitability and strengthening its financial position. The company achieved revenue of $181 million, a decrease from $208 million in the same quarter the previous year. Notably, the Mohawk Valley Fab contributed $52 million to this quarter’s revenue, a significant increase from $12 million in the prior year.
The GAAP gross margin was reported at negative 21%, down from 13% in the previous year, while the non-GAAP gross margin stood at 2%, compared to 16% previously. These figures reflect underutilization costs associated with the commencement of production at the Mohawk Valley Fab.
Executive Chair Thomas Werner emphasized the company’s focus on accelerating the path to operating free cash flow generation, strengthening the balance sheet, and securing cost-effective capital to support growth. He noted the completion of a $200 million at-the-market equity offering, bringing Wolfspeed closer to finalizing CHIPS funding.
Looking ahead, Wolfspeed projects third-quarter fiscal 2025 revenue between $170 million and $200 million. The company anticipates a GAAP net loss ranging from $270 million to $295 million, or $1.73 to $1.89 per diluted share. On a non-GAAP basis, the expected net loss is between $119 million and $138 million, or $0.76 to $0.88 per diluted share. These projections account for the issuance of approximately 27.8 million shares under the ATM program.
In the first quarter of fiscal 2025, Wolfspeed initiated a facility closure and consolidation plan to optimize its cost structure and expedite the transition from 150mm to 200mm silicon carbide devices. The company incurred $188.1 million in restructuring-related costs during the second quarter, with $31.4 million recognized in cost of revenue and $156.7 million as operating expenses. For the upcoming quarter, Wolfspeed expects additional restructuring costs of $72 million, divided between cost of revenue and operating expenses.
Wolfspeed continues to invest in its 200mm greenfield footprint, aiming to produce high-quality materials and devices to meet the growing demand for silicon carbide in high-voltage applications. The company remains committed to leveraging its assets and capabilities to capitalize on long-term opportunities in the industry.
Original – Wolfspeed
-
STMicroelectronics announced that its Supervisory Board has agreed to propose for shareholders’ approval at the Company’s 2025 Annual General Meeting the appointment of Werner Lieberherr to the Supervisory Board of ST, in replacement of Janet Davidson whose mandate will expire at the end of the 2025 AGM.
Werner Lieberherr has successfully led global companies in energy, aviation and automotive in the United States, Asia, Europe and Switzerland, most recently at Landis+Gyr AG, an integrated energy management solutions provider, as Chief Executive Officer.
Original – STMicroelectronics
-
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation will begin developing a prototype to demonstrate a junction-temperature estimation technology for power modules, which it is pursuing as a partner in the European Union’s Horizon Europe project aimed at developing advanced power modules and improving cost efficiency of renewable-energy power-generation.
The company is participating through its European subsidiary Mitsubishi Electric R&D Centre Europe B.V., which has joined the project, called Flagship Advanced Solutions for Condition and Health Monitoring in Power Electronics (FLAGCHIP).
In the global effort to expand the introduction of renewable energy to support carbon neutrality, the need to upgrade the reliability and maintenance of electronic devices for power conversion has become increasingly important. In particular, attention is being focused on technological innovations aimed at strengthening power module reliability and improving data acquisition and analysis methods to accurately determine degradation conditions in order to carry facilitate more timely maintenance.
The FLAGCHIP project currently involves 11 companies and academic institutions from nine European countries engaged in developing advanced power modules, condition and health monitoring technologies, and devising methods for calculating cost efficiency of renewable-energy power-generation systems and reducing associated costs. Demonstrations of wind-power and solar-power generation systems using these technologies and methods will be conducted at test facilities owned by project partners in Norway and France.
Mitsubishi Electric will be in charge of demonstrating a technology that estimates the junction temperature of silicon carbide metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (SiC-MOSFET) semiconductor chips inside the power module, which will provide necessary data for accurately estimating module degradation.
Starting in October 2026, the demonstration will use the newly developed prototype at a test facility in France where direct current (DC) voltage is converted to a specific DC voltage for a wind-power generation system.
Original – Mitsubishi Electric
-
As the world continues to face the challenges of climate change and environmental sustainability, Infineon Technologies AG is at the forefront of innovation, harnessing the power of all relevant semiconductor materials including silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), and gallium nitride (GaN) to drive meaningful progress towards decarbonization and digitalization.
In its 2025 predictions – GaN power semiconductors, Infineon highlights that gallium nitride will be a game-changing semiconductor material revolutionizing the way we approach energy efficiency and decarbonization across consumer, mobility, residential solar, telecommunication, and AI data center industries. GaN provides significant benefits in end customers’ applications enabling efficient performance, smaller size, lighter weight, and lower overall cost. While USB-C chargers and adapters have been the forerunners, GaN is now on its way to reaching tipping points in its adoption in further industries, substantially driving the market for GaN-based power semiconductors.
”Infineon is committed to driving decarbonization and digitalization through innovation based on all semiconductor materials Si, SiC, and GaN,” said Johannes Schoiswohl, Head of the GaN Business Line at Infineon. “The relevance of comprehensive power systems will increase with GaN manifesting its role due to its benefits in efficiency, density, and size. Given that cost-parity with silicon is in sight, we will see an increased adoption rate for GaN this year and beyond.
Powering AI will be highly depending on GaN. The rapid increase of required computing power and energy demand in AI data centers will drive the need for advanced solutions capable of handling the substantial loads associated with AI servers. Power supplies that once managed 3.3 kW are now evolving towards 5.5 kW, with projections moving towards 12 kW or more per unit. By leveraging GaN, AI data centers can improve power density, which directly influences the amount of computational power that can be delivered within a given rack space. While GaN presents clear advantages, hybrid approaches combining GaN with Si and SiC are ideal for meeting the requirements of AI data centers and achieving the best trade-offs between efficiency, power density and system cost.
In the home appliance market, Infineon expects GaN to gain significant traction, driven by the need for higher energy efficiency ratings in applications like washing machines, dryers, refrigerators and water/heat pumps. In 800 W applications, for example, GaN can enable a two percent efficiency gain, which can help manufacturers achieve the coveted A ratings. According to Infineon, GaN-based on-board chargers and DC-DC converters in electric vehicles will contribute to a higher charging efficiency, power density, and material sustainability, with a shift towards 20 kW+ systems. Together with high-end SiC solutions, GaN will also enable more efficient traction inverters for both 400 V and 800 V EV systems, contributing to an increased driving range.
In 2025 and beyond, robotics will see widespread adoption of GaN supported by the material’s ability to enhance compactness, driving growth in delivery drones, care robots and humanoid robots. As robotics technology integrates AI advancements like natural language processing and computer vision, GaN will provide the efficiency required for compact, high-performance designs. Integrating inverters within the motor chassis eliminates the inverter heatsink while reducing cabling to each joint/axis and simplifying EMC design.
Infineon is further pushing investment in GaN research and development to overcome the challenges of cost and scalability. With the broadest product and IP portfolio, the highest quality standards, leading-edge innovations such as 300 mm GaN wafer manufacturing and bidirectional switch (BDS) transistors, the company is bolstering its leading role in driving decarbonization and digitalization based on all relevant semiconductor materials including gallium nitride.
Download the “2025 GaN predictions” ebook here.
Original – Infineon Technologies
