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Ideal Power Inc. announced an agreement with RYOSHO U.S.A, INC., a subsidiary of RYODEN CORPORATION, for the global distribution of Ideal Power’s products. RYOSHO has already placed orders with Ideal Power from a large global customer interested in the Company’s products for solid-state circuit protection applications.
“This is a significant development in the commercialization of our B-TRAN™ technology as we add a second distributor for our products. RYOSHO has a strong technical sales team with expertise in securing sales for new technologies and global reach, with particular strength in Asia. We look forward to collaborating with RYOSHO to secure additional orders that may potentially lead to design wins and/or custom development agreements,” said Dan Brdar, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ideal Power.
Ideal Power utilizes an asset-light business model leveraging the large investment already made in silicon processing, distribution, demand creation and support infrastructure. This business model allows the Company to continue focusing on disruptive B-TRAN™ technology improvements and commercialization while minimizing capital requirements.
Original – Ideal Power
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Solitron Devices released the SD11740 , 1200V Silicon Carbide (SiC), low RDS(on) MOSFET.
Complimenting a strong offering of high voltage MOSFETs for high reliability/military applications Solitron is expanding its silicon carbide product offering for demanding commercial and industrial applications. Packaged in a SOT-227 the SD11740 offers ultra-low RDS(on) of 8.6mΩ.
The addition of the SOT-227 style package enables higher power applications for Solitron’s SiC based products in EV, power controllers, motor drive, induction heating, solid state circuit breakers and high voltage power supplies. The SD11740 offers 120A of continuous drain current. The SOT-227 features 3kV isolation to a copper heat sink base for outstanding low thermal impedance. The device provides a real Kelvin gate connection for optimal gate control. Either emitter terminal can be used as main or Kelvin emitter.
Designed for use as a power semiconductor switch the SD11740 outperforms silicon based MOSFETs and IGBTs. The standard gate drive characteristics allow for a true drop-in replacement to silicon IGBTS and MOSFETs with far superior performance. Ultra-low gate charge and exceptional reverse recovery characteristics, make them ideal for switching inductive loads and any application requiring standard gate drive.
Original – Solitron Devices
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Dominic Dorfner, Senior Vice President of the Automotive Division in Semikron Danfoss, will take over as President, when Claus A. Petersen retires on August 31, after 40 years in the Danfoss Group – the last 26 years leading Danfoss Silicon Power and Semikron Danfoss.
Dominic Dorfner has been named new President of Semikron Danfoss – a leading global manufacturer of power electronics based in Germany and part of the Danfoss Group. Dominic Dorfner joined Semikron Danfoss in 2021 as Head of the Industry Business in Danfoss Silicon Power. For the past 13 months he has been leading the Automotive Division in Semikron Danfoss.
Chairman of the Semikron Danfoss Board, Danfoss Power Electronics and Drives Segment president Mika Kulju says:
“The Board of Directors for Semikron Danfoss are very pleased that Dominic Dorfner has accepted the role as President. It is an important continuation of the work that has been done in Semikron Danfoss since the company was established two years ago with the merger of Danfoss Silicon Power and SEMIKRON. We are very excited to be working with him to continue the growth and realizing the huge potential for Semikron Danfoss in energy efficiency, in electrification, and in green energy.
Dominic Dorfner is taking over for Claus A. Petersen – a renowned name in the power electronics industry.
Claus A. Petersen has been with Danfoss for more than 40 years. He was named President of Semikron Danfoss when the merger was finalized in 2022. Before the merger he was leading Danfoss Silicon Power, a position he has held since the company was established in Schleswig-Holstein in 1998 with, at that time only around 20 employees. Today, Semikron Danfoss has around 4,000 global employees and annual sales over EUR 1 billion.
Though now retiring as company President, Claus A. Petersen is not completely leaving Semikron Danfoss, as he has joined the Board of Directors.
“We are fully committed to the ambitions and the strategy for Semikron Danfoss that has been developed under Claus’ leadership. I want to extend a big thank you to him, both for what he has accomplished, and for accepting to join the Board. This will ensure a very smooth and proficient transition,” says Mika Kulju, and continues: “Dominic Dorfner has big shoes to fill, but he has all the needed qualities to do so, and strong teams around him.”
Efficient power electronics are vital for decarbonization. Yet another reason why the new President of Semikron Danfoss is really excited about the challenge ahead.
Says Dominic Dorfner:
“Our purpose is to enable a huge transformation towards a CO2 neutral world for us and our kids. To do so, we need extensive electrification, we need green energy, and we need to save energy much more through energy efficiency. All that needs power electronics with the best power modules and systems out there. We can provide that, and I can’t think of a better reason to wake up early and go to work.”
First day in the new role for Dominic Dorfner will be September 1, 2024.
Original – Semikron Danfoss
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The reliability and performance of Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers are critical to drive global market adoption. EV manufacturers are focused on delivering the most robust, weather-resistant and user-friendly EV chargers. To accelerate the time to market of an EV charger, Microchip Technology announced three flexible and scalable EV Charger Reference Designs including a Single-Phase AC Residential, a Three-Phase AC Commercial with Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) and System-on-Chip (SoC) and a Three-Phase AC Commercial with OCPP and Display.
Most of the active components for the EV charger reference designs are available from Microchip, including the microcontroller (MCU), analog front-end, memory, connectivity and power conversion. This significantly streamlines the integration process, enabling manufacturers to speed time to market for new charging solutions.
“Microchip’s E-Mobility team is focused on developing reference designs that our customers can directly use and benefit from,” said Joe Thomsen, corporate vice president of Microchip’s digital signal controller business unit. “We want to help our customers shorten design cycles by offering complete solutions such as these new EV charger references designs, while also supplying the hardware, software and technical support.”
Microchip’s EV charger reference designs enable manufacturers to scale depending on the target market with a range of solutions to meet the needs of residential and commercial charging applications. These reference designs offer complete hardware design files and source code with software stacks that are tested and compliant to communication protocols, including OCPP. OCPP offers manufacturers a standard protocol to communicate between the charge point or charging station and a central system. This protocol is designed to enable interoperability of the charging applications regardless of the network or vendor.
The Single-Phase AC Residential EV Charger Reference Design offers a cost-effective and convenient solution for home charging, where a single-phase supply is used. The on-board high-performance energy metering device with automatic calibration simplifies the production process. The design has integrated safety protection features including Protective Earth Neutral (PEN) fault detection and Residual Current Device (RCD) detection.
The Three-Phase AC Commercial with OCPP and Wi-Fi® SoC EV Charger Reference Design is intended for high-end residential and commercial charging stations. It features OCPP 1.6 stack integration for communication with charging networks and Wi-Fi SoC for remote management.
The Three-Phase AC Commercial with OCPP and Display EV Charger Reference Design caters to commercial and public charging stations with a focus on robust operation including a completed architecture review according to UL 2231. It is designed to support up to 22 kW with bidirectional charging capabilities and a modular architecture. The design also features a robust Graphical User Interface (GUI) with a Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) screen and touch input designed to withstand harsh environments.
Navigating the global EV charging landscape is complex and fragmented, but Microchip offers the key technologies and solutions to significantly simplify the design process through implementation. Beyond the reference designs, Microchip supplies the hardware, software and global technical support. To learn more about Microchip’s EV, HEV and PHEV solutions, visit the website.
The EV Reference Designs are supported by MPLAB® X Integrated Development Environment (IDE) to help designers minimize development time, as well as MPLAB Harmony v3 and MPLAB Code Configurator.
Original – Microchip Technology
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Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. announced results for the fiscal second quarter ended June 29, 2024.
Highlights
- 2Q 2024 revenues of $741.2 million
- Gross margin was 22.0% and included the negative impact of approximately 170 basis points related to the addition of Newport
- EPS of $0.17
- 2Q 2024 book-to-bill of 0.86 with book-to-bill of 0.82 for semiconductors and 0.90 for passive components
- Backlog at quarter end was 4.6 months
“During the second quarter, we executed well on our Vishay 3.0 strategic plan, deepening our customer engagements supported by capacity that has landed and that we will continue to expand, and advancing our silicon carbide strategy as we prepare for the megatrends in sustainability and e-mobility,” said Joel Smejkal, President and CEO.
“Revenue, including a full quarter of Newport, was flat quarter over quarter, primarily reflecting schedule agreement adjustments by automotive Tier 1 customers. At mid-year 2024, it is apparent that the industry recovery is taking longer than we had expected at the beginning of the year. As a result, we are adjusting the timetable of the Itzehoe, Germany expansion project beyond 2024 while holding to our planned capital investment of $2.6 billion between 2023 and 2028. For 2024, we now plan to invest between $360 million to $390 million in capex.”
3Q 2024 Outlook
For the third quarter of 2024, management expects revenues in the range of $745 million +/- $20 million, with gross profit margin in the range of 21.0% +/- 50 basis points, including the negative impact of approximately 175 to 200 basis points from the addition of Newport.Original – Vishay Intertechnology
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Ideal Power Inc. is collaborating with a third global automaker. This global automaker is working closely and meeting regularly with Ideal Power engineers on the use of B-TRAN™-enabled contactors to potentially replace electromechanical contactors in its electric vehicles (EVs).
“We are delighted to announce this collaboration with a third global automaker for the evaluation of B-TRAN™ in a new EV application for us. Their initial focus is on EV contactors. Solid-state contactors in EVs are an emerging market and our technology is potentially enabling for this application due to its very low conduction losses and inherent bidirectionality. This represents another engagement for us with the world’s leading automakers along with our previously announced engagements with Stellantis and a second Top 10 global automaker,” said Dan Brdar, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ideal Power.
Contactors serve as cutoff switches for high voltage applications in EVs. They play a critical role in isolating the battery, inverter, and onboard charger to ensure safety when the vehicle is off or being serviced. Contactors are bidirectional and there are typically 4 to 6 high-power contactors in every EV. The high-power EV contactor market is forecasted to grow to over $3.7 billion in 2025 and the Company believes that, over time, solid-state contactors will potentially displace electromechanical contactors in half or more of this market.
Solid-state contactors provide several benefits over electromechanical contactors. They are much faster acting, thereby eliminating arcing and improving safety, and are more reliable as they do not include physical contacts subject to wear. In addition, they provide programmable settings for trip and current limits as well as built-in safety diagnostics. Solid-state contactors are also expected to cost less than electromechanical contactors in EV applications.
Original – Ideal Power
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Veeco Instruments Inc. announced financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2024. Results are reported in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and are also reported adjusting for certain items (“Non-GAAP”).
Second Quarter 2024 Highlights:
- Revenue of $175.9 million, compared with $161.6 million in the same period last year
- GAAP net income of $14.9 million, or $0.25 per diluted share, compared with net loss of $85.3 million, or $1.61 loss per diluted share in the same period last year
- Non-GAAP net income of $25.4 million, or $0.42 per diluted share, compared with $20.6 million, or $0.36 per diluted share in the same period last year
“We delivered solid second quarter results in line with our guidance, led by our Semiconductor business,” commented Bill Miller, Ph.D., Veeco’s Chief Executive Officer. “Demand for our Laser Annealing systems remains strong, highlighted by record revenue during the quarter. We’re also pleased to have received follow-on LSA orders for a leading logic customer’s gate-all-around process, as well as follow-on business from our Tier 1 DRAM customer to support their planned expansion.”
Guidance and Outlook
The following guidance is provided for Veeco’s third quarter 2024:
- Revenue is expected in the range of $170 million to $190 million
- GAAP diluted earnings per share are expected in the range of $0.21 to $0.31
- Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share are expected in the range of $0.39 to $0.49
Original – Veeco Instruments
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GlobalFoundries Inc. announced preliminary financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024.
Key Second Quarter Financial Highlights
- Revenue of $1.632 billion
- Gross margin of 24.2% and Non-IFRS gross margin of 25.2%
- Operating margin of 9.5% and Non-IFRS operating margin of 13.0%
- Net income of $155 million and Non-IFRS net income of $211 million
- Non-IFRS Adjusted EBITDA of $610 million
- Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $4.1 billion
- Year to date net cash provided by operating activities of $890 million and Non-IFRS adjusted free cash flow of $563 million
“In the second quarter, GF delivered financial results that exceeded the mid-point of the guidance ranges we provided in our May earnings release, thanks to the dedication of our employees across the world. We remain focused on a disciplined capex strategy and strong cash flow, with over $500 million of cumulative Non-IFRS adjusted free cash flow generation in the first half of 2024,” said Dr. Thomas Caulfield, president and CEO of GF. “I am proud of how well our teams are partnering with our customers on new design wins, delivering best in class technologies and executing our long-term plans.”
Recent Business Highlights
- GF announced that it has acquired Tagore Technology’s proprietary and production-proven Power Gallium Nitride (GaN) business, including its design team and IP portfolio. The acquisition expands GF’s power IP portfolio and aligns with GF’s objectives to support our customers in the rapidly expanding GaN power devices sector.
- BAE Systems and GF announced a new collaboration to strengthen the supply of critical semiconductors for national security programs. Together, the companies will collaborate on R&D in a range of areas, including advanced packaging, GaN, silicon photonics and process development.
- GF released its 2024 Corporate Sustainability Report, which highlights the breadth of GF’s efforts and progress in the areas of sustainability, social responsibility and corporate governance. GF strives to innovate and partner with customers to enable new, smarter and more efficient technologies while also minimizing our impact on the environment, driving positive change and creating lasting value.
Original – GlobalFoundries
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Nexperia announced that the ongoing expansion of its NextPower 80 V and 100 V MOSFET portfolio is continuing apace with the release of several new LFPAK devices in industry-standard 5×6 mm and 8×8 mm footprints. These new NextPower 80/100 V MOSFETs are optimized for low (RDSon) and low Qrr, to deliver high efficiency and low spiking in applications including servers, power supplies, fast chargers and USB-PD as well as for a wide range of telecommunications, motor control and other industrial equipment. Designers can choose from a range of 80 V and 100 V devices, with (RDSon) from 1.8 mΩ to 15 mΩ.
Many MOSFET manufacturers focus on achieving high efficiency through low QG(tot) and low QGD, when benchmarking the switching performance of their devices against alternative offerings. However, through extensive research, Nexperia has identified Qrr as being even just as important due to its impact on spiking and, in turn, the amount of electromagnetic interference (EMI) generated during device switching.
By focusing on this parameter, Nexperia has considerably reduced the level of spiking produced by its NextPower 80/100 V MOSFETs and hence also lowered the amount of EMI they produce. This brings significant benefits for end users by reducing the probability of a costly late-stage redesign to include additional external components if their application fails electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing.
The on-resistance (RDSon) of these new MOSFETs has been reduced by up to 31% compared to currently available devices. Nexperia also plans to further strengthen its NextPower 80/100 V portfolio later this year with the release of an additional LFPAK88 MOSFET offering RDS(on) down to 1.2 mΩ @ 80 V, as well as introducing the power dense CCPAK1212 to the portfolio. To further support design-in and qualification of these devices, Nexperia offers the availability of award-winning interactive datasheets, providing engineers with comprehensive and user-friendly insights into device behavior.
Original – Nexperia
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Navitas Semiconductor announced unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024.
“We are pleased with our Q2 results at the high end of our guidance, major new design wins, and significant technology advances and launches,” said Gene Sheridan, CEO and co-founder. “Our leading- edge technology is fueling robust customer pipeline growth in each end market, led by AI data centers with multiple customers ramping production with our GaN and SiC-based power systems.”
2Q24 Financial Highlights
- Revenue: Total revenue grew to $20.5 million in the second quarter of 2024, a 13% increase from $18.1 million in the second quarter of 2023.
- Loss from Operations: GAAP loss from operations for the quarter was $31.1 million, compared to a loss of $27.2 million for the second quarter of 2023. On a non-GAAP basis, loss from operations for the quarter was $13.3 million compared to a loss of $9.6 million for the second quarter of 2023.
- Cash: Cash and cash equivalents were $112.0 million as of June 30, 2024, with no debt.
Market, Customer and Technology Highlights
- Enterprise / AI Data Center: Growing family of AC-DC power platforms up to 10 kW to meet nVidia’s Hopper-Blackwell-Rubin roadmap, with up to 480 kW power demand per rack. Optimized combination of industry-leading Gen-3 Fast SiC and GaNSafe™ technologies sets new AC-DC efficiency (97%) and power density (140 W/in3) benchmarks. Customer pipeline doubled since December ’23 investor day, with over 60 customer projects in development, and another 7 data center design wins in Q2.
- EV / eMobility: Strong growth in customer pipeline, now with over 200 projects. Strong interest in 22 kW on-board charger platform, contributing to 15 design wins in Q2, and on-track for first GaN revenues in EV by the end of 2025.
- Appliance / Industrial: Customer pipeline grew beyond the $380 million stated in December, with revenue ramp expected in 2025 across diverse customers and regions, including 7 of the top 10 appliance leaders. 25 new project wins expected to ramp production in 2025 or 2026, including haircare, washers, dryers, refrigerators, heat pumps, industrial HVAC, robotics and automation applications.
- Solar / Energy Storage: As displacement technologies, SiC (for string inverters and storage) and GaN (for micro-inverters) are replacing legacy silicon chips, with over 100 customer projects, including the majority of the top 10 solar players. 6 new commercial design wins in Q2, and on track for expected US GaN-based micro-inverter ramp next year.
- Mobile / Consumer: Mobile customers increasing GaN adoption for their fast-charger portfolios. GaN adoption at Xiaomi and OPPO is expected to be 30% in 2024. Following wins for Samsung’s Galaxy S23 and S24 phones, Navitas now powers chargers for Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip6, Z Fold6 and all A-series phones. In notebook PCs, GaNFast was adopted again by Lenovo and Dell. Overall, another 16 GaNFast chargers launched in Q2, bringing the all-time total to over 470 designs, and Navitas remains #1 in mobile fast charging.
- New GaNSlim™ Portfolio: with integration, ease-of-use and low-cost manufacturing methods – continues to grow the customer pipeline, now with over 50 customer projects across mobile, consumer and home appliance markets.
Business Outlook
Third quarter 2024 net revenues are expected to be $22.0 million plus or minus $500 thousand. Non-GAAP gross margin for the third quarter is expected to be 40% plus or minus 50 basis points and non-GAAP operating expenses are expected to be approximately $21.5 million.
Original – Navitas Semiconductor
