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GlobalWafers held its board meeting to approve 2023 financial results.
FY2023 consolidated revenue reached NT$70.7 billion with YoY 0.5%; gross profit of NT$26.4 billion, with -12.9% YoY, gross profit margin of 37.4%, with -5.8% YoY; operating income of NT$20.1 billion, with -19.7% YoY, operating income margin of 28.4%, with -7.1% YoY; profit before tax of NT$26.5 billion, with 31.8% YoY, profit before tax margin of 37.5%, with 8.9% YoY; net profit of NT$19.8 billion, with 28.6% YoY, net profit margin of 28.0%, with 6.1% YoY; EPS reached NT$45.41, with an increase of more than NT$10 compared with the previous year.
FY2023 consolidated revenue grew in 3 concessive years and rose to the highest again! FY2023 EPS, profit before tax margin and net profit margin all hit record high.
Despite the semiconductor industry in 2023 facing a slowdown in global economic and consumer electronics demand, coupled with increased inventory pressure, GlobalWafers benefited from a high proportion of LTAs and maintained high utilization rates for FZ wafers and compound semiconductor wafers, achieving continued growth in revenue throughout the year.
Looking ahead to 2024, as terminal market inventories are gradually reabsorbed, AI features will progressively integrate into personal computers, tablets, and smartphones, potentially driving a wave of upgrades. In the meantime, the AI ecosystem relies on supports from peripherals and semiconductor components, fueling demands for edge computing, high-performance computing (HPC) and spurring the development of low-power consumption-related components (SiC, ULLD, IGBT…).
More innovations are expected to be introduced, such as 5G, electrification, smart cockpits, and autonomous driving, contributing to the growth momentum in the semiconductor market. Besides, policies related to energy transition and net-zero carbon emissions in various countries have laid a long-term foundation for the development of compound semiconductors. In 2024, the market is expected to gradually recover, with memory leading the way in releasing signals.
However, the pace and extent of economic recovery depend on various factors, including different terminal applications and global economic uncertainties such as war, rising shipping costs, interest rate changes, and exchange rate fluctuations. Positioned in the upstream of the semiconductor industry, GlobalWafers anticipates a recovery a quarter or two later than downstream and expects a healthier performance in the second half of the year compared to the first half, considering that customers will prioritize depleting existing inventories.
With a comprehensive product spectrum ranging from 3” to 12” semiconductor wafers, GlobalWafers is able to cater for customers’ needs to cope with market fluctuations of individual products. Moreover, the Company has carried out expansion plans to get ready for the acceleration toward advanced processes.
GlobalWafers has become a long-term partner of customers with its focus on sustainability and the unique advantages of highly regionalized deployment that allows the Company to supply products in proximity, reducing the carbon footprint and the impact of carbon tariffs, while also mitigating geopolitical risks. With flexible asset allocation and a sound financial structure, GlobalWafers is resilient to market volatility and continues to create profits through prudent operations.
Original – GlobalWafers
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EPC introduced the 100 V, 1 mOhm EPC2361. This is the lowest on-resistance GaN FET on the market offering double the power density compared to EPC’s prior-generation products.
The EPC2361 has a typical RDS(on) of just 1 mOhm in a thermally enhanced QFN package with exposed top and tiny, 3 mm x 5 mm, footprint. The maximum RDS(on) x Area of the EPC2361 is 15 mΩ*mm2 – over five times smaller than comparable 100 V silicon MOSFETs.
With its ultra-low on-resistance, the EPC2361 enables higher power density and efficiency in power conversion systems, leading to reduced energy consumption and heat dissipation. This breakthrough is particularly significant for applications such as high-power PSU AC-DC synchronous rectification, high frequency DC-DC conversion for data centers, motor drives for eMobility, robotics, drones, and solar MPPTs.
“Our new 1 mΩ GaN FET continues to push the boundaries of what is possible with GaN technology, empowering our customers to create more efficient, compact, and reliable power electronics systems,” comments Alex Lidow, EPC CEO and co-founder.
Original – Efficient Power Conversion
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Arrow Electronics, Inc. and its engineering services company, eInfochips, are working with Infineon Technologies AG to help eInfochips’ customers accelerate the development of electric vehicle (EV) chargers.
Development of EV chargers, especially DC “fast chargers,” is becoming increasingly challenging to equipment manufacturers due to several factors, such as lack of prior experience, stringent functional safety and reliability requirements, and a fledgling support network. The collaboration between Arrow and Infineon aims to help innovators navigate these challenges while accelerating time-to-market.
As part of the collaboration, Arrow’s High Power Center of Excellence has developed a 30kW DC fast charger reference platform. This includes Infineon’s 1200V CoolSiC™ Easy power modules and also hardware design, embedded firmware, bi-directional charging support and energy metering functionality.
“Combining Arrow’s strength in components, engineering and design services with Infineon’s innovative products will help customers accelerate their design and speed to market in e-mobility applications,” said Murdoch Fitzgerald, vice president, global engineering and design services at Arrow. “Customers can rely on this collaboration to deliver innovative and leading edge DC faster chargers, accelerate and de-risk design cycles, and get access to a world-class support team enabling them to plan and manage their product roadmap and lifecycles.”
“Infineon is on a drive towards decarbonization and digitalization with our ecosystem partners, and this collaboration with Arrow is a testament to this mission,” said Shri Joshi, vice president of Green Industrial Power, Infineon Technologies Americas. “The joint 30kW DC fast charger reference platform, which includes Infineon’s latest power modules and devices, will help our customers bring more fast chargers to market as the future moves to electrical vehicles. We look forward to this ongoing collaboration to support our customer base.”
The first reference design from this collaboration, a production-grade 30kW DC fast charger reference development platform, is being demonstrated at Applied Power Electronics Conference, Feb. 25-29, in Long Beach, Calif.
Original – Arrow Electronics
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Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. announced that at the Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC) 2024, the company is showcasing its broad portfolio of passive and semiconductor solutions that address the latest trends in power electronics — from energy harvesting, electric vehicle (EV) powertrains, and mass commercialization to efficient and effective power electronics for power tools and switching regulators that shorten the iterative design cycle.
Taking center stage in booth 1607 will be Vishay’s newly released 1200 V MaxSiC™ series silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs, which deliver on-resistances of 40, 80 and 250 mΩ in standard packages for industrial applications, with custom products also available. In addition, Vishay will provide a roadmap for 650 V to 1700 V SiC MOSFETs with on-resistances ranging from 12 mΩ to 1 Ω.
Vishay’s SiC platform is based on a proprietary MOSFET technology — enabled through the company’s recent acquisition of MaxPower Semiconductor, Inc. — which will address market demands in traction inverter, photovoltaic energy storage, on-board charger, and charging station applications. At the booth, Vishay’s experts will also be discussing upcoming planned releases of the MaxSiC platform, including AEC-Q101 Automotive Grade products.
At APEC 2024, Vishay will also be offering a variety of product-focused demonstrations highlighting IHPT haptic actuators; the THJP ThermaWick® Thermal Jumper; the pulse performance of MELF, CRCW / CRCW-HP thick film, and MCS, MCU, and MCW thin film chip resistors; and the thermal capabilities of the PCAN and RCP high power thin and thick film resistors. In addition, application-focused demonstrations will include:
- An 800 V SiC MOSFET heat pump with a 100 % Vishay BOM
- A high voltage intelligent battery shunt for 400 V and 800 V batteries
- A six-phase DC/DC converter for mild hybrid vehicles with 48 V boardnets that provides power to 12 V loads up to 3 kW with high efficiency to 97 %
- A semiconductor-based, resettable eFuse for 800 V electric vehicle systems
Additional Vishay passive components on display at APEC 2024 will include the IHDM series of high current, edge-wound through hole inductors with continuous operation to +180 °C; hybrid planar and integrated transformers; wireless charging coils; NTC thermistors and PTC thermistors, including the PTCEL series capable of handling energy absorption up to 240 J; high power wirewound, thin film, and thick film resistors, including the anti-surge RCS with power to 0.5 W in the 0805 case size; high voltage thick film resistors and dividers; high voltage aluminum, ceramic, and power electronic capacitors (PEC); high energy tantalum capacitors; and robust metallized polypropylene film capacitors, including the MKP1848e DC-Link capacitor with high temperature operation to +125 °C.
Highlighted Vishay semiconductor solutions will consist of the SiC967 high voltage synchronous buck regulator with integrated power MOSFETs and inductors; 400 V, 600 V, and 1200 V standard rectifiers in SlimDPAK 2L and SMPD 2L packages with high creepage distance; 650 V and 1200 V SiC Schottky diodes up to 12 A in eSMP® series and power packages for AC/DC power factor correction (PFC) and ultra high frequency output rectification; and transient voltage suppressors (TVS).
Original – Vishay Intertechnology
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onsemi announced the availability of its 1200V SPM31 Intelligent Power Modules (IPMs) featuring the latest generation Field Stop 7 (FS7) Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) technology. The SPM31 IPMs deliver higher efficiency, smaller footprint and higher power density resulting in lower total system cost than other leading solutions on the market.
Given the greater efficiency realized using optimized IGBTs, these IPMs are ideal for three-phase inverter drive applications such as heat pumps, commercial HVAC systems, servo motors, and industrial pumps and fans.
Operating residential and commercial buildings is estimated to contribute 26% of greenhouse gas emissions, with indirect emissions such as heating, cooling and powering buildings accounting for approximately 18%. As governments worldwide strive to meet their energy and climate commitments, more energy-efficient and lower-carbon solutions are becoming increasingly critical.
The SPM31 IPMs control the power flow to the inverter compressor and fans in heat pumps and air conditioning systems by adjusting the frequency and voltage of the power supplied to three-phase motors for maximum efficiency. For example, onsemi’s 25A-rated SPM31 using FS7 IGBT technology can decrease power losses by up to 10% and increase in power density up to 9%, compared to our previous generation products.
With the transition to electrification and heightened efficiency mandates, these modules help manufacturers drastically improve system design while increasing efficiency in heating and cooling applications. With the improved performance, our SPM31 IPM family featuring FS7 enables high efficiency with reduced energy losses, further reducing harmful emissions globally.
These highly integrated modules contain gate-driving ICs, multiple on-module protection features along with our FS7 IGBTs enabling industry-leading thermal performance with the ability to support a wide range of currents, from 15A to 35A. With their best-in-class power density, SPM31 FS7 IGBT IPMs are an ideal answer to save mounting space and improve performance expectations while shortening the development time. In addition, the SPM31 IPMs include the following benefits:
- Controls for gate drivers and protections
- Low loss, short-circuit-rated IGBTs
- Negative IGBT terminals available for each phase to support a wide variety of control algorithms
- Built-in under-voltage protection (UVP)
- Built-in bootstrap diodes and resistors
- Built-in high-speed high-voltage integrated circuit
- Single-grounded power supply
Original – onsemi
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Artificial Intelligence is currently driving an exponential increase in global data generation, and consequently increasing the energy demands of the chips supporting this data growth. Infineon Technologies AG launched its TDM2254xD series dual-phase power modules that enable best-in-class power density, quality and total cost of ownership (TCO) for AI data centers.
The TDM2254xD series products blend innovation in robust OptiMOS TM MOSFET technology with novel packaging and proprietary magnetic structure to deliver industry-leading electrical and thermal performance with robust mechanical design. This lets data centers operate at higher efficiency to meet the high power demands of AI GPU (Graphic Processor Unit) platforms while also significantly reducing TCO.
Given that AI servers require 3 times more energy than traditional servers, and data centers already consume more than 2 percent of the global energy supply, it is essential to find innovative power solutions and architecture designs that further drive decarbonization. Paving the way for the green AI factory, Infineon’s TDM2254xD dual-phase power modules combine with XDP TM Controller technology to enable efficient voltage regulation for high-performance computing platforms with superior electrical, thermal and mechanical operation.
Infineon introduced the TDM2254xD series at the Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC). The modules’ unique design allows for efficient heat transfer from the power stage on to the heat sink through novel inductor design that is optimized to transfer current and heat, thereby allowing for a 2 percent higher efficiency than industry average modules at full load. Improving power efficiency at the core of a GPU yields significant energy savings at scale. This translates into megawatts saved for data centers computing generative AI and in turn leads to reduced CO 2 emissions and millions of dollars in operating cost savings over the system’s lifetime.
“This unique Product-to-System solution combined with our cutting-edge manufacturing lets Infineon deliver solutions with differentiated performance and quality at scale, thereby significantly reducing total cost of ownership for our customers,” said Athar Zaidi, Senior Vice President, Power & Sensor Systems at Infineon Technologies. “We are excited to bring this solution to market; it will accelerate computing performance and will further drive our mission of digitalization and decarbonization.”
Original – Infineon Technologies
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On 15 September 2023, the Management Board of Infineon Technologies AG resolved, with the approval of the Supervisory Board, to acquire up to 7,000,000 shares (ISIN DE0006231004) via the stock exchange at a total purchase price (excluding incidental costs) of up to €300 million.
The buyback is carried out on behalf of Infineon by an independent credit institution via Xetra trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and is scheduled to start on 26 February 2024 and to be completed no later than 28 March 2024 (inclusive). The buyback serves the sole purpose of allocating shares to employees of the company or affiliated companies, members of the Management Board of the company as well as members of the management board and the board of directors of affiliated companies as part of the existing employee participation programs.
The buyback is based on the authorization granted by the Annual General Meeting on 16 February 2023 and will be carried out in accordance with Article 5 of Regulation (EU) 596/2014 in conjunction with the provisions of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 2016/1052 of 8 March 2016 supplementing Regulation (EU) 596/2014 with regard to regulatory technical standards for the conditions applicable to buyback programs and stabilization measures (“Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052”).
Further details can be found in the announcement pursuant to Art. 5(1) lit. a) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 and Art. 2(1) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 which has also been published on the Infineon website at www.infineon.com/cms/en/about-infineon/investor/infineon-share/. All transactions within the buyback program will be announced in accordance with the requirements of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052. Infineon will provide regular updates on the progress of the share buyback on its website at
https://www.infineon.com/cms/en/about-infineon/investor/infineon-share/#share-buyback-program-2024 and will ensure that the information remains publicly available for at least five years from the date of announcement.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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At the Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC), CISSOID released its new series of SiC Inverter Control Modules (ICMs) dedicated to the E-mobility market. These software-powered SiC Inverter Control Modules are designed to help engineers create functionally safe, robust and modular E-motor drives while dramatically shortening time-to-market.
The new CXT-ICM3SA series offers optimal hardware and software integration of CISSOID’s existing line of 3-phase 1200V/340A-550A SiC MOSFET Intelligent Power Modules (IPMs) with an OLEA® T222 Field Programmable Control Unit (FPCU) control board and OLEA® APP INVERTER application software, supplied in partnership with Silicon Mobility. Depending on the selected ICM product, this modular core engine is capable of powering and controlling high voltage SiC traction inverters with battery voltages up to 850V, at output power exceeding 350kW, and with peak efficiency above 99%.
This unique integration facilitates the rapid development of SiC inverters by solving head-scratching EMC issues often generated due to fast-switching SiC transistors, by supporting different modulation schemes, e.g. SVPWM or DPWM, combined with dead time compensation, and by offering advanced motor control algorithms, including Field Oriented Control (FOC) and Flux Weakening management.
CISSOID further improves time-to-market by providing a complete SiC inverter reference design allowing motor bench testing of the ICM together with key peripheral elements such as current sensors, a high-performance DC-Link capacitor and EMI filter. Both the ICM and the reference design can be obtained from CISSOID, together with the motor control software and on-site technical support.Delivering leadership performance, the ICM supports the drive of high-speed motors, with no compromise on efficiency, thanks to the combination of CISSOID’s low losses SiC power module with the ultra-fast real-time FPCU, enabling high switching frequencies up to 50kHz. Furthermore, this application-specific processor dedicated to e-motor control, with onboard programmable hardware, accelerates the response time to critical events, off-loading the processor cores and enhancing functional safety. Both the FPCU and the control software are ISO-26262 ASIL C/D certified and AUTOSAR 4.3 compliant.
Original – CISSOID
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Bourns, Inc. announced it has selected Holder as an additional full line distributor in China. Holder was selected based on its extensive passive components experience along with its knowledgeable and large FAE organization that is known to supply superior technical support. These attributes give Bourns the essential backing to meet increasing demand for the company’s advanced vehicle, industrial and consumer electronic component solutions.
“As the leading passive component distributor in China, it made strategic sense for Bourns to initiate a sales channel relationship with Holder. Bourns has grown to be one of the Top 10 power conversion solution providers worldwide. Therefore, we believe this strategic alliance is poised to bring about a positive impact on meeting our customers’ growing need for Bourns’ product accessibility and availability in the Chinese market,” said James Harrington and Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales at Bourns.
“The entire Holder organization is excited to take on the representation of Bourns’ advanced and innovative application solutions. With 29 offices throughout China along with an extensive FAE team, we are eager to help Bourns expand its Chinese customer base with the worldclass support electronics developers have come to expect from an industry leader such as Bourns,” said Leo Xie, Holder CEO.
Original – Bourns
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Infineon Technologies AG has finished its 24th Annual General Meeting. The entire event was held in a virtual format and broadcast publicly on the company web site. Shareholders had the opportunity to speak live during the event and ask questions.
Dividend of €0.35 per share
The Annual General Meeting followed the proposal of the Management Board and Supervisory Board on the distribution of profits and approved a dividend payment of €0.35 per share. The payout exceeds the dividend amount of the previous year by 3 Euro cents, or almost 10 percent.
Ute Wolf and Prof. Dr. Hermann Eul elected to the Supervisory Board
Ute Wolf was appointed to the Supervisory Board by court order from 22 April 2023 until the end of the 2024 Annual General Meeting. Her term of office as a shareholder representative on the Supervisory Board was extended by the Annual General Meeting. In addition, Dr. Manfred Puffer resigned from his position with effect from the end of the Annual General Meeting on 23 February 2024, meaning that his vacant position had to be filled. The Annual General Meeting elected Prof. Dr. Hermann Eul as a new member of the Supervisory Board.
Deloitte elected as new corporate auditor
The shareholders elected Deloitte GmbH, Munich, as auditor for the 2024 financial year. The tender process had been carried out as part of the legally required rotation.
Detailed information on the 2024 Infineon Technologies AG Annual General Meeting, including the voting results for the individual agenda items, is available at www.infineon.com/agm, together with the recorded speeches of the Chairman of the Supervisory Board, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer.
Original – Infineon Technologies
