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DENSO CORPORATION hosted its annual Dialog Day on November 15th. Aiming to enhance its concepts “Green” and “Peace of Mind” to evolve from “a Tier 1 supplier that supports the auto industry” to “a Tier 1 supplier that supports a mobility-centered society,” DENSO has announced a new management structure strategy, its corporate value improvement strategy, its fundamental technology strategy and creation of new values.
To evolve from “a Tier 1 supplier that supports the auto industry“ to “a Tier 1 supplier that supports a mobility-centered society,” DENSO is implementing three intiatives: “evolution of mobility,” “strengthening fundamental technologies,” and “creating new value.”
1.Evolution of mobility
・ Electrification
DENSO aims to grow its electrification business to 1.2 trillion yen in sales by 2025 and 1.7 trillion yen in 2030 by strengthening its “product competitiveness,” “product lineups” and “manufacturing.”In terms of “product competitiveness,” the company will refine the functions and performance of its core products, improve competitiveness and provide a wide range of products, from core components to energy management systems, to meet the diverse needs of customers’ “product lineups.” In “manufacturing,” DENSO will shorten the development period in half so it can quickly deliver products to customers around the world. In support of this, the company will establish a mass-production system in 5 regions around the world.
・ADAS
DENSO aims to achieve sales of 520 billion yen by 2025 and 1 trillion yen in 2030 by strengthening its “product competitiveness,” “product lineups” and “technology development.”
For “product competitiveness,” in 2022, the company began mass producing Global Safety Package 3, a new-generation advanced safety system. It achieves optimal driver assistance by connecting ADAS products to HMI (Human Machine Interface) and infrastructure. In terms of “product lineups” DENSO will contribute to safety by increasing the percentage of vehicles equipped with our products and systems that meet the needs of customers and local communities. In “technology development,” we will strengthen the development of emerging technologies that support the evolution of systems and components.2.Strengthening fundamental technologies
・Semiconductor
DENSO will actively invest about 500 billion yen by 2030 and will triple the scale of the business to 700 billion yen from the current level by 2035.
In terms of SiC power semiconductors, which contribute to the improvement of electricity consumption of BEV, the company will accelerate the introduction of SiC power semiconductors to the market by promoting technological initiatives such as the practical application of high-quality wafers and the reduction of costs, and by achieving stable supply through cooperation with our partners. Regarding analog semiconductor ASICs, we will differentiate ourselves by developing in-house products that suppot customers’ needs. In terms of the SoC, we will build an optimal SoC for in-vehicle use by advancing industry cooperation, including the acquisition of chiplet technology.・Software
Relating to our workforce, in 2030, DENSO will increase the number of software engineers to 18,000, 1.5 times more than the current level. In 2035, we increased the size of our business to 800 billion yen, four times more than the current level.
As the scale of in-vehicle software becomes increasingly large and the cross-domain development such as powertrains, body, and communications is required, DENSO will realize a large-scale integrated Electronic Control Unit (ECU) with high quality and high accuracy in software by utilizing the diverse software IP and mounting capabilities DENSO has accumulated over the years. In the age of Software-Defined Vehicles (SDV), when software and hardware are separated and begin to be distributed separately, we will ollaborate with customers to develop business and lead standardization across our customers.3.Creating new value
DENSO aims to grow the new value business to 300 billion yen in sales by 2030 and to 20% of total sales in 2035.
While we are developing technologies and considering commercialization in various fields, we will enter the hydrogen business in the energy field. Utilizing technologies we have developed in the automotive industry, such as ceramics, ejectors, and thermal management, we will introduce SOEC and SOFC to the market. In the food and agriculture sector, we will introduce manufacturing principles to farming to contribute to the stable supply of food,. We will also accelerate our global business development by combining the strengths of the wholly owned Certhon Group with those of DENSO.
Through the three intiatives and under the new management structure, we will advance our business in the field of “Green” and “Peace of Mind” and aim to achieive 7.5 trillion yen in sales by 2030.Management that values our people
DENSO will recruit new employees and shift current ones in mature fields to electrification and software areas to grow that team to about 4,000 employees from 2022 to 2025. The company values the intrinsic talents and passions of every employee, which is the driving force behind all DENSO activities. DENSO will promote management that values its people in order to connect its company philosophy with employees’ motivations.Original – DENSO
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Applied Materials, Inc. reported results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Oct. 29, 2023.
Fourth Quarter Results
Applied generated revenue of $6.72 billion. On a GAAP basis, the company reported gross margin of 47.1 percent, operating income of $1.97 billion or 29.3 percent of net sales, and record earnings per share (EPS) of $2.38.
On a non-GAAP adjusted basis, the company reported gross margin of 47.3 percent, operating income of $1.98 billion or 29.5 percent of net sales, and record EPS of $2.12.
The company generated $1.56 billion in cash from operations and distributed $968 million to shareholders including $700 million in share repurchases and $268 million in dividends.
Full Year Results
In fiscal 2023, Applied generated record revenue of $26.52 billion. On a GAAP basis, the company recorded gross margin of 46.7 percent, operating income of $7.65 billion or 28.9 percent of net sales, and record EPS of $8.11.
On a non-GAAP adjusted basis, the company reported gross margin of 46.8 percent, operating income of $7.72 billion or 29.1 percent of net sales, and record EPS of $8.05.
The company generated a record $8.70 billion in cash from operations and distributed $3.16 billion to shareholders including $2.19 billion in share repurchases and $975 million in dividends.
“Applied Materials delivered record revenue, earnings and cash flow in fiscal 2023 and is outgrowing the wafer fabrication equipment market for the fifth year in a row,” said Gary Dickerson, President and CEO. “Applied’s broad product portfolio, strong customer relationships and leadership at major technology inflections put us in a great position to profitably grow the company as powerful trends fuel the semiconductor industry’s expansion in the years ahead.”
Original – Applied Materials
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Siltronic has updated its existing climate strategy and set ambitious targets to fulfill its role in the Paris Climate Agreement.
The company remains committed to reducing its direct (scope 1) and indirect greenhouse gas emissions from energy purchases (scope 2) to zero by 2045 at the latest. Despite continued growth and the associated significant increase in energy consumption, these greenhouse gas emissions are expected to be reduced by 42% by 2030 as compared to the 2021 base year.
With these targets, Siltronic is making its contribution to limiting global warming to a maximum of 1.5 degrees Celsius in accordance with the Paris Climate Agreement passed in 2015. For Siltronic, the 1.5-degree benchmark is the key reference point for the target years 2030 and 2045. The carbon intensity, measured by the CO2 emissions in relation to sales, is to be reduced by an average of at least 5 percent per year between 2021 and 2030.
“Increasing energy efficiency and thus reducing emissions has always been a core element of our corporate strategy. Our goal is to contribute as effectively as possible to the fight against climate change, and at the same time to support the global decarbonization through our products,” said Claudia Schmitt, CFO of Siltronic AG and responsible for the company’s sustainability activities.
Joining the RE100 underscores our commitment to renewable energy
To achieve the revised climate targets, Siltronic is committed to gradually increasing the use of renewable energy to 60 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2045. To reinforce its commitment to renewable energy, Siltronic joined the RE100 initiative in November 2023. RE100 is a global corporate initiative dedicated to the exclusive use of renewable energy. Through its membership, Siltronic aims to help eliminate one of the biggest obstacles to global decarbonization: the insufficient amount of green electricity available in many energy markets.
For Siltronic, this is particularly noticeable at its largest site in Singapore, where growth will be strongest in the coming years due to the gradual ramp of the new fab, which recently started test operations. Siltronic’s updated climate targets are conditional on the availability of renewable energy in Singapore to improve by 2030 and beyond. To this end, the company is in continuous dialog with decision-makers in Singapore.
Siltronic’s commitment to climate protection and the reduction of scope 3 emissions, meaning greenhouse gas emissions generated outside of Siltronic, also extends to the supply chain. The company will intensify its cooperation with suppliers in this regard in the future.
SBTi standards remain reference point, validation not pursued for now
In 2021, Siltronic defined targets in accordance with the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi), which changed its criteria for the purchase of renewable energy in Q2 2023. Considering these revised requirements, the company feels compelled not to pursue the planned validation of the SBTi targets. At the same time, the SBTi criteria remain an important reference point for Siltronic.
The company continues to have its sustainability performance evaluated by independent third parties. To learn more about these and other sustainability practices, please visit https://www.siltronic.com/en/our-company/sustainability.html.
Original – Siltronic
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SemiQ announced that it has expanded its portfolio of QSiC™ Silicon Carbide modules with the launch of a family of 1200V MOSFETs that pairs with or without 1200V SiC Schottky Diodes in a SOT-227 package.
Crafted from high-performance ceramics and rigorously engineered to function with unwavering reliability in challenging conditions, the newly introduced SemiQ SiC modules achieve remarkably high performance. This enhanced performance empowers higher power densities and more streamlined design configurations.
The QSiC™ modules feature high breakdown voltage (> 1400 V), high-temperature operation (Tj = 175 °C), and low Rds(On) shift over the full operating temperature range while providing industry-leading gate oxide stability and gate oxide lifetime, avalanche (UIS) ruggedness, and extended short-circuit withstand times.
Target markets for the new QSiC™ modules with our existing SOT-227 SiC SBD modules include EV charging, on-board chargers (OBCs), DC-DC converters, E-compressors, fuel cell converters, medical power supplies, energy storage systems, solar and wind energy systems, data center power supplies, UPS/PFC circuits, and other automotive and industrial power applications.
All of the new QSiC™ modules are tested at wafer-level gate burn-in to provide high-quality gate oxide with stable gate threshold voltage. Besides the burn-in test, which helps to stabilize the extrinsic failure rate, stress tests such as gate stress, high-temperature reverse bias (HTRB) drain stress, and high humidity, high voltage, high temperature (H3TRB) to ensure requisite industrial grade quality levels.
Dr. Timothy Han, President at SemiQ, said, “We are delighted with the customer input and needs for our new family of QSiC™ high-power modules and thank our SemiQ team who have worked tirelessly to build and qualify our latest QSiC™ modules.”
SemiQ’s new 1200V SOT-227 modules are available in 20mΩ, 40mΩ, 80mΩ SiC MOSFET categories. A table with part numbers is shown below.
Part Numbers Circuit Configuration Ratings, Packages Rds(on), mΩ GCMX020B120S1-E1 Single MOSFET w/o SBD 1200V/113A, SOT-227 20 GCMS020B120S1-E1 Single MOSFET w SBD 1200V/113A, SOT-227 20 GCMX040B120S1-E1 Single MOSFET w/o SBD 1200V/57A, SOT-227 40 GCMS040B120S1-E1 Single MOSFET w SBD 1200V/57A, SOT-227 40 GCMX080B120S1-E1 Single MOSFET w/o SBD 1200V/30A, SOT-227 80 GCMS080B120S1-E1 Single MOSFET w SBD 1200V/30A, SOT-227 80 Original – SemiQ
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Soitec announced its revenue for the second quarter of fiscal year 2024 and its results for the first half of fiscal year 2024 (ended on September 30th, 2023). The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors during its meeting today.
- Q2’24 revenue reached €245m, down 7% at constant exchange rates and perimeter compared to Q2’23
- H1’24 revenue at €401m, down 15% both at constant exchange rates and perimeter and on a reported basis compared with H1’23 – in line with guidance
- H1’24 EBITDA margin stood at the robust level of 33% of revenue while the Company maintained significant investment in R&D
- Anticipated return to a slight year-on-year organic growth in H2’24, leading to a moderate downward revision of FY24 outlook: mid-single digit decline in FY’24 revenue expected at constant exchange rate and EBITDA1 margin2 anticipated around 35%
Pierre Barnabé, Soitec’s CEO, commented: “With a sequential growth of over 50% compared to the first quarter, our second-quarter revenue rebounded significantly, as we had anticipated. This was particularly the case in Mobile Communications as the inventory correction across the smartphone value chain eased. We continue to leverage strong demand in Automotive to deploy our SmartSiC™roadmap and we continue to progress actively with several customers.
Overall, our first half revenue is in line with our expectations. We have maintained strong profitability and a solid financial position, while continuing to invest in R&D and industrial capacity, as well as building inventories to prepare for H2’24.
Looking ahead, we maintain our growth perspectives for the second part of the fiscal year. We note however that the absorption of RF-SOI inventories at our customers level will last longer than anticipated. At the same time, we continue to expect sustained demand in Automotive & Industrial as well as in Smart Devices. Consequently, we now anticipate a full-fiscal-year revenue decline of around mid-single digit percentage, and an EBITDA margin of around 35%. After this transition year, we will resume our growth trajectory” added Pierre Barnabé.
FY’24 outlook
Soitec confirms growth recovery in the second half of FY’24. Against the backdrop of a weaker-than-expected smartphone market, the extent of the inventory correction at our customers level is greater than anticipated. We confirm strong traction for our Automotive & Industrial and Smart Devices divisions. We now anticipate our FY’24 revenue to slightly decline, by around a mid-single digit percentage, compared to FY’23, at constant exchange rates and perimeter.
As a result, FY’24 EBITDA margin is now expected to be around 35% of revenue. The Group will continue to implement cost control measures, while further investing significantly in R&D.
FY’24 Capital expenditure is expected to be around 290 million Euros in order to support growth beyond FY’24. Soitec’s growth outlook remain very strong: while the SOI content within end devices continues to increase, the ongoing penetration of the Group’s products across its three end markets and the successful deployment of its expansion into Compound Semiconductors with POI and SmartSiC™ becoming new significant growth drivers in the future.
Original – Soitec
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Transphorm, Inc. and Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. announced a collaboration including Transphorm’s SuperGaN® FETs and Allegro’s AHV85110 Isolated Gate Driver to enable the expansion of GaN power system design for high power applications.
Transphorm’s SuperGaN FETs are designed to work in various topologies and are available in several different packages to support a wide power range while also satisfying diverse end application requirements. SuperGaN FETs are used in multiple commercial products, including higher power systems where they are proven to notably increase reliability, power density, and efficiency.
Allegro’s self-powered, single-channel isolated gate driver IC is optimized for driving GaN FETs in multiple applications and circuits. The AHV85110 is proven to enhance driver efficiency by as much as 50% compared to competitive gate drivers. This unique solution greatly simplifies the system design, reduces noise by 10x and common mode capacitance by 15 times compared to other solutions in the market.
“Allegro’s AHV85110 High Voltage Gate Driver provides a highly compact and efficient power stage implementation that helps to achieve an approximate 30 percent footprint reduction with the least number of external components and bias supply requirements around Transphorm’s power devices,” said Tushar Dhayagude, Vice President of Worldwide Sales and FAE, Transphorm.
“Combined with SuperGaN’s highest reliability and superior dynamic switching performance over competing technologies, the end result is a more efficient, more robust solution with increased power density in critical applications such as server, data centers, renewables and electric vehicles.”
“We are excited about working with Transphorm on a collaboration that further supports Allegro’s focus towards helping customers optimize GaN-based system development and design,” said Vijay Mangtani, Vice President and General Manager of High Voltage Power, Allegro MicroSystems. “We are looking forward to the opportunity to combine our high voltage isolated gate driver AHV85110 with Transphorm’s SuperGaN FET to enable higher power density, higher efficiency, and higher power output in smaller form factors and provide value to both our and Transphorm’s customers.”
Those interested in testing the collaborative solution can do so via Allegro’s APEK85110KNH-06-T evaluation board. The board incorporates both the AHV85110 designed to work in various applications along with Transphorm’s recently announced TOLL packageavailable in three devices with on-resistances of 35, 50, and 72 milliohms.
Original – Transphorm
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Today, Infineon Technologies AG is reporting results for the fourth quarter and the full fiscal year, both of which ended on 30 September 2023.
“In the 2023 fiscal year, Infineon has set new records for revenue and profitability. The results are an initial confirmation of our more ambitious course we embarked on as a company a year ago,” says Jochen Hanebeck, CEO of Infineon.
“Nevertheless, we find ourselves in an environment that continues to present challenges. We are seeing different trends in our target markets. Structural semiconductor growth in the areas of renewable energy, electromobility – especially in China – and microcontrollers for the automotive industry remains unabated. In contrast, consumer, communication, computing and IoT applications are experiencing a temporary period of low demand. Overall, we are expecting revenue growth to continue in the 2024 fiscal year but at a slower rate. We are reacting decisively to the market situation. At the same time, we are continuing to implement our strategy consistently with regard to structural growth opportunities and we are reinforcing our leading position in power systems and IoT with long-term investments.”
- Q4 FY 2023: Revenue €4.149 billion, Segment Result €1.044 billion, Segment Result Margin 25.2 percent, Free Cash Flow €614 million
- FY 2023: Revenue €16.309 billion, up 15 percent on the prior year; Segment Result €4.399 billion, up 30 percent year on year; Segment Result Margin 27.0 percent; adjusted earnings per share €2.65, up 35 percent on the prior year; Free Cash Flow €1.158 billion, adjusted Free Cash Flow €1.638 billion
- Outlook for FY 2024: Based on an assumed exchange rate of US$1.05 to the euro, revenue of around €17 billion (plus or minus €500 million) expected, with a Segment Result Margin of around 24 percent at the mid-point of the guided revenue range. Adjusted gross margin should be around 45 percent. Investments of approximately €3.3 billion planned. Free Cash Flow adjusted for investment in frontend buildings and the acquisition of GaN Systems should be around €2.2 billion and reported Free Cash Flow around €400 million
- Outlook for Q1 FY 2024: Based on an assumed exchange rate of US$1.05 to the euro, revenue of around €3.8 billion expected. On this basis, Segment Result Margin forecast to be around 22 percent
- Dividend proposal for FY 2023: Increase from €0.32 to €0.35 per share
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Ideal Power Inc., pioneering the development and commercialization of the highly efficient and broadly patented B-TRAN™ bidirectional semiconductor power switch, reported results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2023.
“We executed to plan again in the third quarter as we introduced our SymCool™ IQ intelligent power module and completed shipments to all the large companies in our test and evaluation program. We’re also thrilled with our advancement into Phase II of the program with a top 10 global automaker. The advancement into Phase II is customer validation of the performance of B-TRAN™ and its potential impact in improving EV range and cost,” said Dan Brdar, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ideal Power.
Brdar continued, “In response to customer requests, we began providing high-volume quotes to large test and evaluation program participants. Participants in the program have expanded their plans for B-TRAN™ to include additional applications for our technology. Overall, the third quarter continued to underscore our across-the-board progress on our B-TRAN™ commercialization roadmap for the IGBT market, a market expected to grow at an 11% compound annual growth rate over the next three years to reach $11 billion in 2026.”
Key Third Quarter and Recent Operational Highlights
- Secured Phase II of our development program with a top 10 global automaker. Ideal Power is ahead of schedule having completed 3 of the 5 Phase II deliverables. The delivery of production-ready B-TRAN™ based modules for this program continues to be targeted for 2025.
- Added SymCool™ IQ to our commercial product offerings. The SymCool™ IQ product provides a low-loss, bidirectional solution complete with built-in intelligent controls for several of our key market segments including renewable energy, energy storage, UPS/data center, electric vehicle charging and other industrial power control applications.
- Completed shipments to large companies in the B-TRAN™ test and evaluation program including a top 10 global automaker, a global Tier 1 automotive supplier, a leading provider in the solar industry, two Forbes Global 500 power management companies, a global provider of backup power and energy management solutions with more kits to follow for additional and new program participants.
- Added a global European-based global power conversion and energy storage supplier with over $500 million in annual sales to the roster of the B-TRAN™ test and evaluation program. This global supplier presents multiple opportunities for Ideal Power as they address three of our target markets: UPS systems for data centers, renewable energy and energy storage.
- Completed volume shipments of packaged B-TRAN™ devices to DTI, our NAVSEA program collaboration partner. We fulfilled all our obligations under our subcontract with DTI for this program.
- B-TRAN™ Patent Estate: Currently at 77 issued B-TRAN™ patents with 33 of those issued outside of the United States and 36 pending B-TRAN™ patents. Current geographic coverage includes North America, China, Japan, South Korea, India, and Europe, with pending coverage in Taiwan.
Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results
- Development revenue in the third quarter of 2023 was $1,557.
- Operating expenses in the third quarter of 2023 were $2.8 million compared to $1.8 million in the third quarter of 2022 due primarily to increased research and development spending.
- Net loss in the third quarter of 2023 was $2.7 million compared to $1.7 million in the third quarter of 2022.
- Cash used in operating and investing activities in the third quarter of 2023 was $1.9 million compared to $1.6 million in the third quarter of 2022.
- Cash used in operating and investing activities in the first nine months of 2023 was $5.6 million compared to $4.7 million in the first nine months of 2022.
- Cash and cash equivalents totaled $10.8 million at September 30, 2023.
- Ideal Power had no long-term debt outstanding at September 30, 2023.
2023 Milestones
The Company is actively engaged with multiple customers in each of its key target markets. Ideal Power completed all of its first nine months of 2023 milestones and is on track to achieve its remaining 2023 milestones. Our 2023 milestones and their status are:
- Launched first commercial product in January 2023, the SymCool™ Power Module, a B-TRAN™ multi-die module. First commercial sales later in 2023.
- Completed Phase I of multi-year development program with top 10 global automaker in the second quarter of 2023.
- Completed first engineering run with production fab in the second quarter of 2023.
- Delivered packaged B-TRAN™s to DTI under the NAVSEA program in the first half of 2023.
- Commenced customer shipments to B-TRAN™ test and evaluation participants in the second quarter of 2023.
- Introduced second commercial product, an intelligent power module, in the third quarter of 2023.
Original – Ideal Power
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Littelfuse, Inc. announced the launch of the FDA117 Optically Isolated Photovoltaic Driver. This innovative product generates a floating power source, making it an exceptional choice for isolated switching applications in a wide range of industries.
The FDA117 is specifically designed to control discrete standard power MOSFETs and IGBTs using a floating voltage source, ensuring isolation between the low-voltage drive input side and high-voltage load output side. With an input control current range of 5 mA to 50 mA, an integrated fast turn-off circuitry, and 5 kVRMS reinforced isolation, the FDA117 provides sufficient voltage and current to drive discrete power MOSFETs and IGBTs effectively.
One of the key differentiators of the FDA117 is its ability to generate a floating power source with up to 15.3 V voltage and 60 µA current, making it suitable for driving standard MOSFET devices and IGBTs. This feature allows for greater flexibility in application designs, enabling the direct driving of standard MOSFET/IGBT devices and securely turning off external power semiconductors in less than 0.5 milliseconds.
Product designs that can benefit from the FDA117 include power semiconductor applications in the following markets (to name a few):
- Industrial
- Energy
- Building Automation
- Smart Home
Whether it is used in custom solid-state relay designs, controlling electrical power and loads, or industrial process control, the FDA117 provides the necessary isolation barrier to protect equipment and individuals from electrical hazards.
“To give our customers more flexibility in their application designs, we developed the FDA117 to add a single-channel version to our existing portfolio of Photovoltaic Drivers,” said Mark P. Smith, Director, Product Management, Integrated Circuits & MCU. “High open circuit voltage and short circuit current, combined with 5 kVRMS reinforced isolation voltage, extend the design flexibility.”
The FDA117 is available in both 4-pin DIP through-hole and surface mount packages, providing pinout compatibility with other Photovoltaic Drivers available on the market. This compatibility ensures ease of integration into existing designs without any major modifications.
The FDA117 Optically Isolated Photovoltaic Driver includes the following key features:
- Operates with as low as 5 mA input control current
- Enables driving standard power MOSFETs and IGBTs
- Provides a floating output voltage ranging from 10.5 V to 15.3 V
- Integrated fast turn-off circuitry for controlled switching
- 5,000 VRMS reinforced insulation for enhanced safety
- 4-pin surface mount and through-hole package options
Original – Littelfuse
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VisIC Technologies announced that the samples of the V22TG D3GAN will be available in the first quarter of 2024. This early availability allows manufacturers to assess and experience the performance and benefits of the package firsthand, aiding in the rapid development of the next generation of systems.
Key Features and Benefits:
1. Advanced Leaded Top-Side Cooled Isolated.
2. Automotive and High Voltage Capability.
3. High Power Density and Low On-Resistance.
4. Versatile and Easy to Implement.Dr. Tamara Baksht, CEO and Co-Founder: “This advanced power package not only offers exceptional performance and reliability but also provides the versatility and ease of implementation required for emerging automotive and industrial applications. We are confident that the V22TG D3GAN will empower manufacturers to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles.”
Original – VisIC Technologies
