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Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation has launched two 150 V N-channel power MOSFET products that use the new generation process “U-MOSX-H series” and are suitable for switching power supplies for industrial equipment—used for such as data centers and communication base stations—and has expanded the lineup. The new products use the surface mount type SOP Advance(N) package and their drain-source On-resistance (max) is 11.1 mΩ for “TPH1100CQ5” and 14.1 mΩ for “TPH1400CQ5.”
The new products TPH1100CQ5 and TPH1400CQ5 have improved the reverse recovery characteristics that are critical in synchronous rectification applications. In the case of TPH1400CQ5, the reverse recovery charge is reduced by approximately 73 % and the reverse recovery time is approximately 45 % faster compared with Toshiba’s existing TPH1400CQH.
Used in synchronous rectification applications, TPH1400CQ5 reduces the power loss of switching power supplies and helps improve efficiency. The new products reduce the drain source spike voltage generated between the drain and source when MOSFET is switched, helping to lower EMI in switching power supplies.
Toshiba will expand its lineup of products and help to reduce power consumption for equipment.
Applications
- Switching power supplies (high efficiency AC-DC converters, high efficiency DC-DC converters, etc.)
- Motor control equipment (motor drives, etc.)
Features
- Low reverse recovery charge:
TPH1100CQ5 Qrr=32 nC (typ.) (-dIDR/dt=100 A/μs)
TPH1400CQ5 Qrr=27 nC (typ.) (-dIDR/dt=100 A/μs) - Fast reverse recovery time:
TPH1100CQ5 trr=38 ns (typ.) (-dIDR/dt=100 A/μs)
TPH1400CQ5 trr=36 ns (typ.) (-dIDR/dt=100 A/μs) - High channel temperature rating: Tch (max)=175 °C
Original – Toshiba
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The aviation industry’s requirements for the latest, most efficient and lowest-emission aircraft is propelled by an overarching goal towards sustainability and decarbonization. To satisfy these goals, aviation power systems developers are transitioning to electric actuation systems as the trend towards More Electric Aircraft (MEA) continues to grow.
To provide the aviation industry with a comprehensive electric actuation solution, Microchip Technology announced a new integrated actuation power solution that combines companion gate driver boards with the expansive Hybrid Power Drive (HPD) modules in silicon carbide or silicon technology with a power range of 5 kVA to 20 kVA.
The new integrated actuation power solution maintains the same footprint regardless of the power output. The companion gate driver boards are designed to be integrated with Microchip’s HPD modules to provide an all-in-one motor drive solution for the electrification of systems such as flight controls, braking and landing gear. Microchip’s power solutions are designed to scale based on the requirements of the end application, from smaller actuation systems for drones to high-power actuation systems for Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, MEA and all-electric aircraft.
“We developed the companion gate driver boards to be used with our existing HPD modules to bring to market a plug-and-play power solution for MEA,” said Leon Gross, vice president of Microchip’s discrete product group. “With this solution, customers no longer need to design and develop their own drive circuitry, which can reduce design time, resources and cost.”
These high-reliability devices are tested to conditions outlined in DO-160, “Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment.” There are multiple protection features including shoot-through detection, short circuit protection, desaturation protection, Under Voltage Lock Out (UVLO) and active miller clamping.
The gate driver boards are designed to be driven with external PWM signals based on Low Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS) compliant with TIA/EIA-644 for low Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and good noise immunity. The gate driver board provides differential outputs for telemetry signals like DC bus current, phase current and solenoid current by taking feedback from shunts present in the HPD module and DC bus voltage. It also provides direct output of two PT1000 temperature sensors available in the HPD power module.
The companion gate driver boards are low-weight, low-profile and compact solutions to optimize size and power efficiency of actuation systems. The gate drivers are designed to operate throughout the temperature range of −55°C to +110°C, which is critical for aviation applications that are often exposed to harsh environments.
The isolated companion gate driver boards only require a single 15V DC input for the control and drive circuit; additional voltages needed can be generated on the card. This significantly reduces the number of system components and simplifies system cabling.
Microchip provides comprehensive solutions for MEA by integrating power products with FPGAs, microcontrollers, security, memory and timing. Microchip’s solutions are designed to help customers speed up their development, reduce costs and get to market faster.
Original – Microchip Technology
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STMicroelectronics released its annual sustainability report, which provides insight into its 2023 performance related to priority environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors that support long-term value creation for all its stakeholders and sustainable growth for its business.
“Sustainability is at the heart of our value proposition, driving benefits for our company, customers, and society. We’re proud of our progress on innovation, resilience, employee engagement and the advancement towards our ambitious goal of becoming carbon neutral on scope 1 and 2, and partially on scope 3, by 2027,” said Jean-Marc Chery, President and CEO, STMicroelectronics. “Together with our partners and empowered employees, we’re accelerating sustainable transformation in technology and beyond.”
ESG highlights during 2023 include:
- A 45% decrease in GHG emissions for scopes 1 and 2 since 2018 in absolute terms (vs a 40% decrease in 2022).
- An increased sourcing of electricity coming from renewable sources to 71% (from 62% in 2022) and the signing of a significant power purchase agreement (PPA) in Italy to produce 250GWh renewable energy per year (3.75 TWh over 15 years) starting in 2024.
- The reuse, recovery, or recycling of 96% of the Company’s waste (1% higher than in 2022).
- A- scores for CDP water security and climate change.
- 12.2% of net revenues (US$2.1 billion) invested in R&D to support innovation.
- Involved in 195 active R&D partnerships worldwide.
- More than 610 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) events and initiatives (a 35% increase on 2022) reaching over 100,000 students and teachers globally.
- 87% of employees would recommend ST as a great place to work, 4% higher than in 2021 (when we last had a full survey).
- In 2023, the company established a strong focus on setting up voluntary, employee-led Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to promote inclusion in the workplace. WISE (Women Inspiring Supporting and Empowering), the first ERG for women, has grown fast, with some 1,400+ members in 60 locations.
In 2023, ST maintained a strong presence in major sustainability indices such as the Dow Jones Sustainability indices, FTSE4Good, EuroNext VIGEO Europe 120, CAC 40 ESG, MIB ESG, ISS ESG Corporate ratings, Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, and received an MSCI ESG Rating of AAA.
The 27th annual report contains highlights and details of ST’s sustainability performance in 2023 and presents the Company’s ambitions and longer-term goals in alignment with both the United Nations Global Compact Ten Principles and Sustainable Development Goals and the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). It is aligned with Global Reporting Standards (GRI), Sustainability Accounting Standards Boards (SASB), and Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). A third party has verified this report.
More information on ST’s sustainability efforts can be found at https://www.st.com/content/st_com/en/about/sustainability.html
Original – STMicroelectronics
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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
