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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
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MCC Semi expands its automotive MOSFET portfolio with the addition of four side-wettable flank components. Available in N-channel and P-channel options, these products deliver high power density in a compact DFN3333 package.
Full AEC-Q101 qualification is just one way these MOSFETs ensure quality and reliability. Side-wettable flanks enable more reliable soldering during PCB assembly and allow manufacturers to perform automated optical inspections (AOI) to reduce costs while maintaining quality assurance.
The P-channel MOSFETs MCGWF20P06YHE3 and MCGWF45P04HE3 leverage trench low-voltage (LV) technology and feature RDS(on) from 13mΩ to 26mΩ. And the N-channel solutions MCGWF60N04YHE3 and MCGWF60N06YHE3 utilize split-gate trench technology with RDS(on) from 3.9mΩ to 6mΩ.
No matter which side-wettable flank MOSFET you choose, you can take advantage of versatility and performance for a diverse array of automotive electronic systems.
Features & Benefits:
- AEC-Q101 qualified
- P-channel powered by trench low voltage (LV) technology
- N-channel powered by split-gate trench (SGT) technology
- Low RDS(on)
- Side-wettable flanks ensure soldering stability
- Automated optical inspection capability for cost-effective production
- Compact yet high power density DFN3333 package
Original – Micro Commercial Components
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Infineon Technologies AG is strengthening its outsourced backend manufacturing footprint in Europe and announced a multi-year partnership with Amkor Technology, Inc., a leading provider of semiconductor packaging and test services. Both companies have agreed on operating a dedicated packaging and test center at Amkor’s manufacturing site in Porto. Operations are expected to commence in the first half of 2025.
With this long-term agreement, Infineon and Amkor further strengthen their partnership, extending the classical Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) business model. Amkor will expand its facilities in Porto and run the production line, providing dedicated clean room space, and Infineon will provide an onsite team with engineering and development support.
The cooperation further strengthens the European semiconductor supply chain and contributes to making it more resilient – especially for automotive customers. It complements Infineon’s already diversified manufacturing footprint, balancing inhouse and outsourced production capabilities.
”We are pleased to further deepen our partnership with Amkor and will contribute with our engineering and development expertise,” said Alexander Gorski, Executive Vice President and responsible for Infineon’s global Backend Operations.
”Infineon and Amkor are jointly increasing geographical resilience and supply security for our customers. Together, we are strengthening Europe’s importance as a location for semiconductor manufacturing. For 20 years, Infineon has been successfully operating a large service center in Porto, now with more than 600 employees. With the joint manufacturing center, we are becoming even more deeply rooted in Portugal’s excellent semiconductor ecosystem. We are looking forward to further increasing our footprint in Portugal.”
“Amkor is proud to expand our partnership with Infineon,” said Giel Rutten, Amkor’s president and chief executive officer. “We continue to invest in our Porto manufacturing site, expanding capacity as well as broadening our Advanced packaging and test technology portfolio. This collaboration represents another milestone for both companies in enhancing supply chain resiliency for advanced products supporting Automotive & Industrial end markets.”
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Innoscience Technology welcomes, with thanks, two additional decisions, from March 26, 2024, by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to institute review of the validity of yet another two (and still additional) U.S. patents of Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (“EPC”).
The two additional U.S. patents, which are now under review at the USPTO, were previously asserted by EPC at the beginning of the legal dispute initiated by EPC in the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). During the course of that proceeding, however, EPC withdrew these patents, but Innoscience maintained its challenges of these patents at the USPTO.
In the March 26, 2024 decisions, the USPTO decided to institute the review of the validity of these two further U.S. patents, as previously asserted by EPC in the ITC proceeding. These new decisions to institute now supplement two other and prior decisions to institute by the USPTO, relating to the other two patents that are still asserted by EPC at the ITC.
Now, in all four decisions, the USPTO has concluded that “there is a reasonable likelihood that Petitioner [Innoscience] would prevail with respect to at least one of the claims challenged in the Petition.” Innoscience has achieved, via the preliminary decisions, a perfect 4-for-4 record at the USPTO.
Also, now all patents that were asserted by EPC now are under review by the USPTO. These new March 26, 2024 rulings by the USPTO are only the latest developments related to EPC’s misguided lawsuits against Innoscience, wherein EPC continues to struggle in its meritless attacks on Innoscience. In all four rulings now, including from March 20 and March 26, 2024, three judges from the USPTO have initially agreed with Innoscience, that the EPC patents that Innoscience challenged at the USPTO are invalid.
And, once again, in this new set, Innoscience again argued to the USPTO that the challenged EPC patent was invalid, based on a prior patent of an EPC cofounder/inventor when he was at International Rectifier, and on a preliminary basis, according to the institution decision, the USPTO agreed with Innoscience. In all four proceedings, Innoscience has described multiple reasons why the four EPC patents are invalid, and for virtually every argument on invalidity, the USPTO initially agreed. Next, the USPTO will receive additional briefing and make final determinations by March 26, 2025.
Innoscience is confident that it will achieve an eventual complete victory in the dispute with EPC. With these recent USPTO decisions of March 26, 2024, Innoscience continues to achieve successes in its legal dispute with EPC, and the additional USPTO decisions repeatedly demonstrate that EPC’s accusations against Innoscience lack merit, given that the USPTO has now determined, at least initially, that all four EPC patents asserted by EPC are likely invalid.
Original – Innoscience Technology
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SMC Diode Solutions, a leading designer and manufacturer of silicon carbide and silicon die, wafer and packaged products, announced a representative agreement with Atlantic Tech Marketing LLC. The agreement authorizes Atlantic Tech Marketing LLC to promote, sell, and market SMC’s extensive range of discrete products in several US states, including Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
Learn more about Atlantic Tech Marketing LLC here: https://atlantic-tech.com
SMC Diode’s SiC and Si products are sold for a variety of applications in the commercial market including automotive, LCD displays, telecom equipment, power supplies, industrial and aircraft industries, which have demanding reliability and quality requirements.
Original – SMC Diode Solutions
