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A plan by ROHM Co., Ltd. and Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation to collaborate in the manufacture and increased volume production of power devices has been recognized and will be supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry as a measure supporting the Japanese Government’s target of secure and stable semiconductor supply.
ROHM and Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage will respectively make intensive investments in silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon (Si) power devices, effectively enhance their supply capabilities, and complementally utilize other party’s production capacity.
Power devices are essential components for supplying and managing power supply in all kinds of electronic equipment, and for achieving a carbon-free, carbon-neutral society. Current demand is expected to see continued growth.
In automotive applications, development of more efficient, smaller and lighter electric powertrains has advanced alongside the rapid expansion in vehicle electrification. In industrial applications, stable supply of power devices and improved characteristics are widely required to support increasing automation and higher efficiency requirements.
Against this backdrop, ROHM has formulated a management vision, “We focus on power and analog solutions and solve social problems by contributing to our customers’ needs for energy savings and miniaturization of their products.,” and accelerates its efforts for a carbon-free. SiC power devices are the keys to energy savings.
Since the world’s first mass production of SiC MOSFETs, ROHM has been constantly developing industry-leading technologies. Among these are ROHM’s latest 4th Generation SiC MOSFETs that will be adopted for numerous electric vehicles and industrial equipment. As one of its priority projects, ROHM is working on SiC business, which contains aggressive and continuous investment to increase the production capacity of SiC and meet strong demand growth.
Toshiba Group, with its long-standing Basic Commitment, “Committed to People, Committed to the Future.,” aims to advance the achievement of carbon neutrality and a circular economy. Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage has for decades supplied Si power devices, mainly for automotive and industrial markets, that have helped to secure energy saving solutions and equipment miniaturization.
The company started production on a 300mm wafer line last year, and is accelerating investment to enhance production capacity and meet strong demand growth. It is also advancing development of a wider lineup of SiC power devices, especially for automotive and power transmission and distribution applications, taking full advantage of the expertise it has cultivated in railway vehicle applications.
ROHM has already announced its participation in the privatization of Toshiba, but this investment did not serve as the starting point for manufacturing collaboration between the two companies. Under intensifying international competition in the semiconductor industry, ROHM and Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage have been considering collaboration in the power device business for some time, and that resulted in the joint application.
ROHM and Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage will collaborate in manufacturing power devices, through intensive investments in SiC and Si power devices, respectively, toward enhancing both companies’ international competitiveness. The companies will also seek to contribute to strengthening the resilience of semiconductor supply chains in Japan.
Original – Toshiba
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Analog Devices, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Dr. Peter B. Henry, a renowned international economist, as an independent director and member of the Board’s Audit Committee effective December 5, 2023.
Dr. Henry is currently the Class of 1984 Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, both at Stanford University. Dr. Henry is also Dean Emeritus of New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business. His appointment expands ADI’s Board to 13 members.
“We are delighted to welcome Peter to the ADI Board,” said Vincent Roche, ADI’s CEO and Chair. “He is an accomplished academic leader and a well-known figure in foreign affairs, global economics, and international finance. We look forward to bringing his significant expertise and global perspective to our Board as we continue to solve our customers’ toughest challenges and enable breakthroughs at the Intelligent Edge.”
Dr. Henry also leads the Ph.D. Excellence Initiative (PhDEI), a post-baccalaureate program designed to address underrepresentation in economics by mentoring exceptional students from underrepresented backgrounds interested in pursuing doctoral studies in the field. For his founding and leadership of the PhDEI, Dr. Henry received the 2022 Impactful Mentoring Award from the American Economic Association.
Dr. Henry currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Citigroup and NIKE, Inc., and as Chair of the Board of the National Bureau of Economic Research. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Previously, Dr. Henry served at New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business as the William R. Berkley Professor of Economics and prior to that as Dean. Before that, Dr. Henry was the Konosuke Matsushita Professor of International Economics at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, where his early research was funded by a National Science Foundation CAREER Award.
Dr. Henry received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Oxford University where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and a Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Original – Analog Devices
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Today some applications tend to increase bus voltage, and using 1200V SiC power modules can no longer correspond to voltage requirements. Using 1700V SiC devices can solve the problem, but it comes with a price.
Leapers Semiconductor announced a new series of 1400V SiC power modules in already familiar E0 and ED3S packages. They are the perfect solution to the mentioned problem, providing great performance at affordable price.
At the moment the new series 1400V SiC modules come in Half-Bridge, H-Bridge, and Boost topologies.
Leapers Semiconductor new SiC product family features:
– 1,4kV voltage
– 50 – 600A current
– 3,2 – 40 mOhm Rds(on)
– Epoxy resin
– Si3N4 AMB substrate
– Low thermal resistance
– Low switching lossesFirst batches of 1400V SiC power modules successfully passed field tests by the end customers and soon will be mass used in:
– DC fast chargers
– Commercial EVs
– Power supplies for production of hydrogen
– DC/DC convertersOriginal – Leapers Semiconductor
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Nexperia announced the successful signing of their USD 800 million equivalent senior Revolving Credit Facility (RCF). The RCF was substantially oversubscribed with participation from a dozen European, Asian and international banks, an indication of the strong support for Nexperia in the loan market. Proceeds will be earmarked towards the refinancing, general corporate and working capital purposes.
The RCF constitutes Nexperia’s first Sustainability Linked Loan (SLL) and includes environmental and social Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) relating to greenhouse gas emissions and gender diversity with a focus on including more women in management positions. The RCF represents Nexperia’s long-lasting commitment to creating a positive impact on society and the environment as it embarks on its next stage of expansion. To further enhance transparency and governance of the SLL, these KPIs are supported by a second party opinion from Sustainalytics and will be independently assured annually by a third party.
Stefan Tilger, Chief Financial Officer of Nexperia, said: “We are delighted with the strong support received from existing and new lenders from across the world, which underscores Nexperia’s operational excellence and global footprint. Earlier this year, Nexperia issued its first Sustainability Report and announced its target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2035. Structuring this financing as a Sustainability-Linked Loan is a reaffirmation of our commitment to Nexperia’s Environmental and Social ambitions.”
Amit Sinha, Global Head of TMT at DBS Bank Ltd., said: “DBS Bank has been a steadfast supporter of Nexperia over the years, and we are grateful for the opportunity to lead this financing as Nexperia embarks on its next growth stage”.
“The strong oversubscription by lenders across Europe and Asia is driven by Nexperia’s market position as global leader in Discretes, Logic and MOSFETs and solid financial standing. The KPIs are a testament to Nexperia’s commitment to foster innovations and creative solutions that add value for our customers, communities, and our planet.”, added Mildred Chua, Group Head of Syndicated Finance at DBS Bank Ltd.
DBS Bank Ltd. acted as Sole Original Mandated Lead Arranger, Bookrunner and Sustainability Coordinator for the RCF. Houthoff London LLP and Clifford Chance LLP acted as the borrower’s and lenders’ legal counsel respectively.
Original – Nexperia
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Navitas Semiconductor announced that NIO, a global, leading, new-energy vehicle maker has released its inaugural smartphone, the NIO Phone with a powerful 66 W fast charger featuring Navitas’ next-generation gallium-nitride (GaN) GaNFast™ power ICs equipped with GaNSense™ technology. This enhancement delivers flagship-level charging efficiency, providing end users with a better vehicle-centric mobile interconnection experience. New GaNFast ICs are replacing legacy silicon chips to enable next-gen fast-charging for mobile phones, tablets and laptops.
The flagship NIO Phone features the leading Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, and boasts a 6.81-inch 2K variable refresh-rate curved screen, with the main, ultra-wide-angle, and 50 M pixel periscope telephoto cameras. Using NIO Link panoramic-interconnection technology, the NIO Phone integrates smoothly and seamlessly with smart EVs and NIO’s in-car system. With a single click, the driver can control over 30 functions, and equipped with ultra-wideband technology, it can completely replace traditional car keys.
To support such powerful and comprehensive features, the NIO Phone is equipped with a large 5,200 mAh battery and an in-box GaNFast charger offering up to 66 W of charging power. Measuring only 57 x 57 x 30 mm (97.5 cc), the NV6136 GaNFast power IC in a high-frequency quasi-resonant (HFQR) topology with loss-less current sensing and ultra-fast autonomous short-circuit protection, delivers power density of 1.03 W/cc.
Mr. Zhang Baozhou who is responsible for NIO’s mobile phone supply chain, stated, “NIO is dedicated to providing users with high-performance smart electric vehicles and ultimate user experience, creating a delightful lifestyle for our users.
The NIO Phone fulfills the expectations and needs of NIO users for a flagship smartphone, making their cars more intuitive and user-friendly. In launching NIO Phone, we are very pleased to collaborate with Navitas Semiconductor, industry leader in GaN to utilize the mature, cutting-edge GaNFast power ICs, allowing our users to experience a comprehensive, lightweight, and efficient charging experience.”
Mr. Wu Gongli, GM of R&D for TenPao, the manufacturing partner for the NIO Phone commented, “We are excited to work with Navitas to build this leading GaN charger for NIO users, marking an important milestone in TenPao’s development. Navitas’ GaNFast ICs deliver top power-density performance with easy-to-use features. The combination of high efficiency and fast design accelerates our time-to-market.”
Mr. Yingjie (Charles) Zha, VP and GM of Navitas China, stated, “Navitas is extremely honored to collaborate with TenPao to make the NIO Phone possible by integrating the leading GaNFast technology into the NIO Phone. Navitas’ mission to ‘Electrify Our World™’ aligns closely with NIO’s objective of ‘Blue Sky Coming’. This is just the beginning of our collaboration. In the future, Navitas will spare no effort to deeply-integrate energy-saving, sustainable, world-leading GaN and SiC technology into NIO Phone’s DNA, creating a comprehensive lifestyle revolution from a smartphone to EVs.”
Original – Navitas Semiconductor
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Solitron Devices announced the introduction of the SD11487, the industry’s first hermetically sealed Silicon Carbide (SiC) Power Module for high reliability applications.
With a unique hermetic packaging format, the 51mm x 30mm x 8mm outline is the smallest hermetically sealed high reliability, high voltage, half-bridge on the market. The integrated format maximizes power density while minimizing loop inductance. 60 mil pins for the power output stage are isolated on one side of the package to allow simple power bussing while 30 mil pins are on the opposite side for control signals.
The SD11487 is a half bridge configuration with two 1200V 12mΩ SiC MOSFETs. Also included in the module are two freewheeling 1200V SiC Schottky diodes in parallel with the MOSFETs and an integrated NTC temperature sensor. Continuous drain current is specified at 95A.
With operating temperatures of -55°C to 175°C, the SD11487 is designed for the most demanding applications such as down hole exploration; space; and avionics. The hermetically sealed copper package combined with the Alumina Nitride direct bond copper substrate provide excellent thermal conductivity as well as case isolation. The integrated temperature sensing enables high level temperature protection.
Silicon Carbide provides excellent switching performance versus the best-in-class silicon MOSFETs and IGBTs with minimal variation versus temperature. Higher efficiency levels than silicon due to significantly lower energy loss and reverse charge results in more switching power and less energy required in the switch-on and switch-off phase. Combined with high switching frequencies this translates to smaller magnetics significantly reducing system weight and size.
Original – Solitron Devices
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Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation has launched chopper SiC MOSFET modules “MG800FXF1ZMS3” and ”MG800FZF1JMS3” with ratings of 3300 V and 800 A using 3rd generation silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET and SBD chips for industrial equipment and has expanded its lineup.
The new products MG800FXF1ZMS3 and MG800FXF1JMS3 adopt an iXPLV package with Ag sintering internal bonding technology and high compatibility with mounting. These offers low conduction loss with low drain-source on-voltage (sense) of 1.3 V (typ.), and also offers low switching loss with low turn-on switching loss of 230 mJ (typ.) and low turn-off switching loss of 230 mJ (typ.). These contribute to reducing the power loss of equipment and the size of cooling device.
The lineup of Toshiba’s MOSFET modules of iXPLV package has three products, including existing product MG800FXF2YMS3 (3300 V / 800 A / Dual SiC MOSFET module.) This provides a wide range of product selection. This can be used in 2-level inverters, buck/boost converters and 3-level inverters.
Toshiba will continue to meet the market needs for high efficiency and the downsizing of industrial equipment.
Applications
Industrial equipment
- Inverters and converters for railway vehicles
- Renewable energy power generation systems
- Motor control equipment for industrial equipment, etc.
Features
- Low drain-source on-voltage (sense):
VDS(on)sense=1.3 V (typ.) (ID=800 A, VGS=+20 V, Tch=25 °C) - Low turn-on switching loss:
Eon=230 mJ (typ.) (VDD=1800 V, ID=800 A, Tch=175 °C) - Low turn-off switching loss:
Eoff=230 mJ (typ.) (VDD=1800 V, ID=800 A, Tch=175 °C)
Original – Toshiba
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ROHM has expanded the library of SPICE model lineup for LTspice® of its circuit simulator. LTspice® is also equipped with circuit diagram capture and waveform viewer functions that make it possible for designers to check and verify in advance whether the circuit operation has been achieved as designed.
In addition to the existing lineup of bipolar transistors, diodes, and MOSFETs, ROHM has added SiC power devices and IGBTs that increases its number of LTspice® models to more than 3,500 for discretes (which can be downloaded from product pages). This brings the amount of coverage of LTspice® models on ROHM’s website to over 80% of all products – providing greater convenience to designers when using circuit simulators that incorporate discrete products, now including power devices.
In recent years, the increasing use of circuit simulation for circuit design has expanded the number of tools being utilized. Among these, LTspice® is an attractive option for a range of users, from students to even seasoned engineers at well-known companies. To support these and other users, ROHM has expanded its library of LTspice® models for discrete products.
Besides product pages, ROHM has added a Design Models page in October that allows simulation models to be downloaded directly. Documentation on how to add libraries and create symbols (schematic symbols) is also available to facilitate circuit design and simulation execution.
Going forward, ROHM will continue to contribute to solving circuit design issues by expanding the number of models compatible with various simulators while providing web tools such as ROHM Solution Simulator to meet growing customer needs.
Original – ROHM
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Navitas Semiconductor secured the 49th position on Forbes’ 2024 America’s Successful Small Companies list. The ranking is recognition of the company’s growth based on strong demand for Navitas’ advanced, high-efficiency, wide bandgap (WBG) GaN and SiC power components, across growing and diverse global markets and an expanding customer base.
Forbes evaluated Navitas on earnings growth, sales growth, return on equity, and total stock return over the preceding five years, with a specific focus on the last 12 months, including Navitas’ 115% increase in revenue (Q3’22 to Q3’23).
Looking ahead, Navitas will host an in-person 2023 Investor Day at the company’s new Torrance HQ (with livestream), from 12:30 pm Pacific / 3:30 pm US Eastern on Tuesday 12th December. Highlights include a deep dive into four major new GaN/SiC technology platforms and focus markets, plus customer testimonials and a refresh on the $1B+ customer pipeline, plus 2024 and long-term financial outlook.
“The top 50 ranking is great recognition by Forbes for Navitas’ growth,” said Gene Sheridan, co-founder and CEO. “GaN and SiC are accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels to ‘Electrify Our World™’ with renewable sources and efficient uses of electricity. This disruptive, displacement technology upgrades from legacy silicon chips, to make existing applications more efficient, lighter, faster charging and longer range, with lower system costs.”
Original – Navitas Semiconductor
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Efficient Energy Technology GmbH (EET), the Austrian-based pioneer in designing and producing innovative balcony power plants, has selected Efficient Power Conversion Corporation’s (EPC) EPC2204 enhancement-mode gallium nitride (eGaN®) power transistor for its latest SolMate® green solar balcony product.
The EPC2204 strikes an optimal compromise between low RDS(on) and low COSS, critical for demanding hard switching application, while featuring a drain-source breakdown voltage of 100 V in a compact package. This compact design significantly reduces PCB size, keeps current loops small, and minimizes electromagnetic interference (EMI) emissions.
EET has realized multiple benefits following the integration of GaN in its SolMate MPPT charging converter. Efficiency loss has been halved, increasing overall efficiency from 96% to 98%. The converter’s volume has decreased by 70%, the BOM and manufacturing costs have been reduced by 20%, all while lowering cooling requirements. Additionally, the increased switching frequency by a factor of 10 eliminates the need for error-prone electrolytic capacitors, thus increasing the converter’s lifespan.
By reducing power loss, EET’s system can more efficiently convert solar energy, allowing the company to generate several megawatts of additional green solar power that would otherwise dissipate as heat on a large scale. The reduced cooling requirements are particularly significant in scenarios without access to fresh air, where a water-resistant case is employed.
EET’s SolMate has won many awards for its technical innovation, for the high technical standards and the innovative design, including the James Dyson Award, Living Standards Austria, the German Sustainability Award (Design), the SolarPower Summit Award, and a finalist in the Intersolar EES Award.
Commenting on the development, Jan Senn, CMO & Sales at EET stated, “Our vision is to make renewable energy simple, safe and reliable for everyone. We accomplish this by enabling individuals to use green energy where it is most crucial – in their own homes.
SolMate combines the highest quality, excellent user experience, and design into one user-friendly lifestyle product for every home. Transitioning to GaN helps us realize this vision, and we are currently exploring the integration of GaN transistors from EPC in other power converters as well.”
Stefan Werkstetter, VP of EMEA Sales at EPC, stated, “We are delighted that EET has chosen our EPC2204 eGaN FET for their SolMate green solar balcony product. Our commitment to delivering high-performance and efficient power conversion solutions aligns perfectly with EET’s mission to make renewable energy accessible and reliable for all. We look forward to continuing our partnership with EET and contributing to the advancement of sustainable energy solutions.”
Original – Efficient Power Conversion
