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SK siltron announced the signing of an agreement with the city of Gumi and the Gumi Chamber of Commerce and Industry that will help foster the next generation of semiconductor professionals in the Gumi region through the “Semiconductor School” program.
The signing ceremony took place at the Gumi Chamber of Commerce and Industry on May 7, and was attended by the Director of Gumi’s Economy & Industry Bureau, Yoo Kyung-sook; Secretary-General of the Gumi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jang Dong-ki; and External Cooperation Director for SK siltron, Cho Kyung-chul. The tri-party partnership between SK siltron, Gumi, and the Gumi Chamber of Commerce and Industry will educate approximately 2,700 students from 12 high schools in Gumi to become future semiconductor professionals.
In July of last year, the Korean government designated several “specialized semiconductor complexes” to reinforce the security of semiconductor supply networks and the national economy. Gumi has the only specialized semiconductor complex outside of the Seoul area. The new Semiconductor School will familiarize students with Gumi’s specialized semiconductor complex, which supplies semiconductor essentials such as wafers and substrates.
Students will also be provided with lessons about the present and future of the semiconductor industry, and semiconductor processes and technologies. Students will also enjoy support with choosing their career path, as they will be able to take advantage of study and work opportunities in Gumi’s semiconductor industry. The SK siltron Semiconductor School is an advanced arm of the SK siltron-run Wafer School, a program which introduces elementary and middle school students to the world of semiconductors. The Wafer School has been running since 2019.
Enlistment of high schools to participate in the SK siltron Semiconductor School has taken place since April this year with the support of Gumi’s Office of Education. SK siltron staff and local university students majoring in semiconductors will be trained to become lecturers for the Semiconductor School. Approximately 100 classes are scheduled to be given at selected Gumi high schools between July and September.
“As Gumi is a designated specialized semiconductor complex, we will be able to foster local semiconductor professionals who can help Gumi’s semiconductor industry grow into one of the biggest industries in the region,” said Yoo Kyung-sook, Director of Gumi’s Economy & Industry Bureau.
“The SK siltron Semiconductor School is of monumental significance to Gumi, as SK siltron is a semiconductor company based in the city,” said Jang Dong-ki, Secretary-General of the Gumi Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “We will provide our full support for the growth of all semiconductor companies in the Gumi region.”
Since 2019, SK siltron has run its Wafer School for some 9,300 elementary and middle school students in Korea to introduce them to semiconductors as a possible career. The Wafer School imparts basic knowledge of semiconductors and wafers, and supports interested students in exploring career options in the industry. This year, the Wafer School has been in session for around 2,900 students from 17 middle schools in Gumi since April.
Original – SK siltron
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As the “heart” of charging stations, the performance and reliability of charging modules are undeniably crucial. The popularization of the “super charging” concept has made long cruising range and short charging time become the selling points of more and more electric vehicles on the market.
Recently, the newly released Chinese Standard GB/T20234-2023, which focuses on Part 4: High-Power DC Charging Interfaces for Electric Vehicle Conductive Charging Couplers, has been significantly revised to expand the voltage range to 1500Vdc and the corresponding current range to 1000A. Additionally, the standard now includes new provisions related to liquid-cooled charging stations.
This means that in the future, higher-power megawatt-level charging stations will gradually become a reality. As long as your electric vehicle supports supercharging, it will be as convenient as refueling at a gas station.
Charging Module Technology Analysis
In fact, WeEn Semiconductors has long focused its business on the “low-carbon” track, while acknowledging that charging stations, as crucial supporting infrastructure, will evolve towards directions of higher power, greater efficiency, full liquid cooling, and comprehensive supercharging capabilities.
WeEn’s latest research and development effort, the BYC100MW-600PT2, will enable customers to achieve designs for 40kW+ high-power, high-efficiency charging modules. The WND60P20W will offer customers a higher voltage design margin to meet the demands of more complex and challenging application scenarios, thereby supporting the rapid development of new energy vehicles and the achievement of low-carbon objectives.
A charging module is essentially a power electronics converter that converts alternating current (AC) from power grid into direct current (DC) that can be stored in the battery of an electric vehicle.
Charging module converters typically have a two-stage topology. The first stage is usually a three-phase Power Factor Correction (PFC), most often using the Vienna PFC topology. Its main function is to convert AC to DC and to correct the power factor.
Figure 1: Vienna PFC Topology Architecture
The second stage typically involves a DC-DC conversion, most often using the high-efficiency LLC topology. This stage primarily converts the high voltage DC output from the PFC (800Vdc) into a wide range of adjustable DC voltages from 200Vdc to 1000Vdc, to match the needs of different battery voltage levels. Additionally, the DC-DC stage also achieves electrical isolation from the power grid through a high-frequency transformer.
Since the current charging modules are primarily used for delivering power to electric vehicles, the output rectification in the DC-DC stage commonly employs Fast Recovery Diodes (FRD). Benefiting from the negative temperature coefficient characteristics of Fast Recovery Diodes (FRD), and given that the LLC topology generally does not require stringent reverse recovery performance, FRDs are particularly suitable for use in charging modules that operate under high temperature and high current conditions.
Benefiting from the negative temperature coefficient characteristics of Fast Recovery Diodes (FRD), and given that the LLC topology generally does not require stringent reverse recovery performance, FRDs are particularly suitable for use in charging modules that operate under high temperature and high current conditions.
Figure 2: LLC DC- DC Topology Architecture
Currently, the mainstream power ratings for charging modules on the market range from 20kW to 40kW. Superchargers typically operate by outputting through several charging modules connected in parallel. Therefore, to ensure that each module is not affected by others during startup, Oring diodes are essential. When functioning normally, these diodes are in a conducting state, primarily incurring conduction losses. Consequently, standard rectifier diodes with low forward voltage (VF) are the best choice.
WeEn’s Professional Solutions
WeEn semiconductors, including the BYC75W-600P for LLC secondary-side rectification and the Oring diode WND60P16W, have been mass-produced reliably for years in leading charging module manufacturers’ 30kW models. With the recent trend towards higher power in charging modules and the need to accommodate for the harsh operating environments of charging stations, we have responded to our customers’ actual needs by launching the BYC100MW-600PT2 for 40kW charging modules and the higher voltage-resistant WND60P20W, helping our customers solve practical application issues.
#BYC100MW-600PT2 Features:
- Maximum current up to 100A
- Extremely low reverse leakage current
- Optimal VF-QRR trade-off performance
- Robust Eas capability
#WND60P20W Features:
- Maximum reverse voltage up to 2000 Vdc
- Extremely low forward conduction voltage drop
- Enhanced forward surge current capability
- Robust Eas capability
By comparing the specifications of the BYC100MW-600PT2 and BYC75W-600PT2, we find that the BYC100MW-600PT2 offers significant improvements in forward voltage (VF) while maintaining the same reverse recovery charge. As a result, it is more suitable for applications in 40kW high-power charging modules. Customers using the 40kW modules have observed an actual temperature rise reduction of 8°C to 10°C, which substantially enhances the thermal design of the system.
Figure 3: BYC100MW-600PT2 VF Curve
Figure 4: BYC100MW-600PT2 Qrr Curve
In the context of charging station applications, considering that there is quite a distance from the output of the charging module to the high-voltage power battery, potentially up to 30-40 meters, it is important to note that at the moment the charging module begins outputting, stray inductance in the charging cable and capacitors within the system will oscillate. This causes the diode to endure a spike in reverse voltage. If the voltage exceeds the diode’s avalanche voltage, it will cause avalanche breakdown; if the diode’s avalanche energy is insufficient, it will be damaged.
The WND60P20W is an enhancement of the existing WND60P16W product from WeEn Semiconductors, with the reverse withstand voltage increased to 2000Vdc while also improving its capability to withstand avalanche breakdown. The WND60P20W can meet the increasingly complex and harsh working environments of charging modules, providing greater safety margins for customer module designs.
Figure 5: Voltage Oscillation Across Oring Diode
Original – WeEn Semiconductors
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Navitas Semiconductor announced unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024.
“I am very pleased with our first quarter revenue growth of over 70% from the prior year, despite an overall market slowdown,” said Gene Sheridan, CEO and co-founder. “Response to our latest technologies – GaNSafe™, Gen-3 Fast GeneSiC™ and now GaNSlim technology – has been impressive. Our customer pipeline – which has grown to $1.6 billion – shows that future demand for electrification and energy savings is stronger than ever.”
1Q24 Financial Highlights
- Revenue: Total revenue grew to $23.2 million in the first quarter of 2024, a 73% increase from $13.4 million in the first quarter of 2023.
- Loss from Operations: GAAP loss from operations for the quarter was $31.6 million, compared to a loss of $35.5 million for the first quarter of 2023. On a non-GAAP basis, loss from operations for the quarter was $11.8 million compared to a loss of $12.3 million for the first quarter of 2023.
- Cash: Cash and cash equivalents were $129.7 million as of March 31, 2024.
Market, Customer and Technology Highlights
- AI Data Center: Leading-edge GaNSafe and Gen-3 Fast GeneSiC technologies with unique system design-center solutions enable 3x increase in power capability to support AI-based data centers. Announcing 3 major design wins at the world’s largest power-supply companies, in combination with over 30 customer projects in development. In the coming quarters, we expect to power data centers at AWS, Azure, Google, Supermicro, Inspur and Baidu.
- EV: New 22 kW on-board charger (OBC) platform delivers up to 3x faster charging, 2x power density, 30% greater energy savings and 40% lighter weight relative to current solutions. Now engaged with over 160 EV-related customers across all major regions and increased total pipeline by over 50% since the $400 million reported in December.
- Solar / Energy Storage: Won 6 new designs across US, Europe and Asia for solar optimizers, micro-inverters, string inverters and energy-storage applications for 2025 ramp, with significant increase in pipeline.
- Home Appliance / Industrial: Latest, motor-optimized GaNSense™ half-bridge power ICs in over 15 customer developments. Gen-3 Fast GeneSiC and GaNSafe technologies are achieving rapid industrial adoption with over 25 customer developments.
- Mobile / Consumer: Over 20 new fast chargers added in the last quarter, taking the total released customer products to over 450, across all 10 of the top 10 mobile OEMs. New gen-4 GaN IC projects include Xiaomi launching another two smartphone models (Mi 14 Ultra and the CIVI 4Pro) to support ultra-fast charging, and Lenovo with the ThinkBook 170W desktop 5-port charger and docking station.
Business Outlook
- Second quarter 2024 net revenues are expected to be $20 million plus or minus $500 thousand. Non-GAAP gross margin for the second 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 in the second quarter of 2024.
Original – Navitas Semiconductor
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The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), released a report on the global chip supply chain that projects the United States will triple its domestic semiconductor manufacturing capacity from 2022—when the CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS) was enacted—to 2032. The projected 203% growth is the largest projected percent increase in the world over that time.
The study, titled “Emerging Resilience in the Semiconductor Supply Chain,” also projects the U.S. will grow its share of advanced logic (below 10nm) manufacturing to 28% of global capacity by 2032, up from 0% in 2022. Additionally, America is projected to capture over one-quarter (28%) of total global capital expenditures (capex) from 2024-2032, ranking second only to Taiwan (31%). In the absence of the CHIPS Act, the U.S. would have captured only 9% of global capex by 2032, according to the report.
While the report finds investments from the industry—facilitated by CHIPS incentives—are on track to reinvigorate semiconductor manufacturing in America and reinforce U.S. chip supply chains, it also identifies policy actions that will further strengthen supply chains, support R&D and chip design, grow the semiconductor workforce, and ensure CHIPS delivers maximum benefits to America’s economic and national security.
The report also analyzes the efforts underway in other countries to incentivize chip production and innovation and the criticality of ensuring chip companies have open access to global customers and suppliers, among other topics.
“Effective policies, such as the CHIPS and Science Act, are spurring more investments in the U.S. semiconductor industry. These investments will help America grow its share of global semiconductor production and innovation, furthering economic growth and technological competitiveness,” said Rich Templeton, Chairman of the Board at Texas Instruments and SIA board chair. “Continued and expanded government-industry collaboration will help ensure we build on this momentum and continue our next steps forward.”
Other key report findings:
- America’s world-leading 203% projected increase in fab capacity from 2022 to 2032 stands in stark contrast to its modest 11% increase from the previous decade (2012-2022), which ranked last among all major chip-producing regions, according to the SIA/BCG report.
- The U.S. share of the world’s chip manufacturing capacity will increase from 10% in 2022—when the CHIPS and Science Act was enacted—to 14% by 2032, marking the first time in decades the U.S. has grown its domestic chip manufacturing footprint relative to the rest of the world. In the absence of CHIPS enactment, the U.S. share would have slipped further to 8% by 2032, according to the report.
- The U.S. continues to lead the world in its overall contribution to the global value chain, with strong leadership positions in high value-added areas of semiconductor technology, including chip design, electronic design automation (EDA), and semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
The report also finds industrial policies have the potential to create additional bottlenecks that increase supply chain risk. Certain segments of the semiconductor supply chain are at risk if incentive programs and large-scale industrial policies lead to non-market-based investment, which can result in overconcentration or oversupply. Government incentives should focus on enabling targeted, distributed, market-based investments.
Further, the study highlights the ways in which governments and companies are taking concerted action to increase resilience. The U.S. CHIPS Act committed $39 billion in incentives for semiconductor manufacturing, plus a separate advanced manufacturing investment tax credit. The European Union unveiled the European CHIPS Act, China initiated the third phase of its Integrated Circuit (IC) Industry Investment Fund, and various other incentive programs have emerged in Taiwan, Korea, Japan, India, and around the world. In parallel, companies have made significant investments, in both established and new regions. The report projects around $2.3 trillion in capex in 2024-2032, compared to $720 billion in the decade prior to enactment of the CHIPS Act (2013-2022).
Despite the progress made to strengthen U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturing, additional government policy actions are needed to help ensure America stays on track to address lingering supply chain vulnerabilities and grow its share of fabrication capacity, while also increasing its strength in areas such as advanced logic, design, EDA, and equipment in the face of growing global competition.
“The CHIPS and Science Act has put America on course to significantly strengthen domestic semiconductor production and R&D, but more work is needed to finish the job,” said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO. “We look forward to working with government leaders to advance policies that broaden the STEM talent pipeline, invest in scientific research, promote free trade and access to global markets, and expand and extend critical CHIPS incentives.”
The CHIPS Act’s manufacturing incentives have sparked substantial announced investments in the U.S. In fact, companies in the semiconductor ecosystem have announced more than 80 new projects across 25 U.S. states—totaling nearly $450 billion in private investments—since the CHIPS Act was introduced. These announced projects will create more than 56,000 jobs in the semiconductor ecosystem and support hundreds of thousands of additional U.S. jobs throughout the U.S. economy.
Original – Semiconductor Industry Association
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Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) announced that Gene Sheridan, CEO and co-founder of Navitas Semiconductor was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2024 Greater Los Angeles Award finalist. Now in its 38th year, ‘Entrepreneur Of The Year’ is the preeminent competitive business award for audacious leaders who disrupt markets, revolutionize sectors and have a transformational impact on lives. Over the past four decades, the program has recognized daring entrepreneurs with big ideas and bold actions that reshape our world.
Mr. Sheridan was selected as a finalist by an independent panel of judges, and evaluated based on demonstration of building long-term value through entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and impact, among other core contributions and attributes.
“We are at a pivotal time in our planet’s energy transformation, and this recognition from EY highlights the importance of Navitas’ mission to ‘Electrify Our World’ and exploit a $1.3T opportunity as we accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy,” said Mr. Sheridan. “Next-generation gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors enable fast, efficient and sustainable ultra-fast charging and power delivery in AI datacenters, advanced EVs, mobile, solar and industrial applications. EY’s recognition is a significant moment, a motivation and recognition for me and all of the contributors who have made Navitas a great company.”
Entrepreneur Of The Year honors many different types of business leaders for their ingenuity, courage and entrepreneurial spirit. The program celebrates original founders who bootstrapped their business from inception or who raised outside capital to grow their company; transformational CEOs who infused innovation into an existing organization to catapult its trajectory; and multigenerational family business leaders who reimagined a legacy business model to fortify it for the future.
Regional award winners will be announced on June 13, 2024 during a special celebration at The Beverly Hills Hotel and will become lifetime members of an esteemed community of Entrepreneur Of The Year alumni from around the world. The winners will then be considered by the National judges for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards, which will be presented in November at the annual Strategic Growth Forum®, one of the nation’s most prestigious gatherings of high-growth, market-leading companies.
In addition to Entrepreneur Of The Year, EY US supports other entrepreneurs through the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ program and the EY Entrepreneurs Access Network to help connect women founders and Black and Hispanic/Latino entrepreneurs, respectively, with the resources, network and access needed to unlock their full potential.
Original – Navitas Semiconductor
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GlobalFoundries Inc. (GF) announced preliminary financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024.
Key First Quarter Financial Highlights
- Revenue of $1.549 billion
- Gross margin of 25.4% and Non-IFRS gross margin of 26.1%
- Operating margin of 9.5% and Non-IFRS operating margin of 12.1%
- Net income of $134 million and Non-IFRS net income of $174 million
- Non-IFRS EBITDA of $577 million
- Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $4.2 billion
“In the first quarter, GF’s dedicated teams across the world delivered financial results that exceeded the high end of the guidance ranges we provided in our February earnings release,” said Dr. Thomas Caulfield, president and CEO of GF. “As pockets of the semiconductor industry begin to emerge from the inventory correction, our teams are driving foundry innovation and differentiation for our customers across their essential end-markets. We are delighted with the awards from both the U.S. Department of Commerce and New York State to expand our manufacturing capability in the United States, which will complement our unique global capacity offering.”
Recent Business Highlights
- As part of the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced $1.5 billion in planned direct funding for GF’s New York and Vermont facilities. The proposed funding will support expansion and technology diversification, enabling secure capacity for automotive, aerospace and defense and other key markets.
- In addition, New York State announced over $600 million in planned funding under the New York State Green CHIPS and other state benefits for GF’s two Malta, New York projects.
- GF is furthering its commitment to sustainable operations and fighting climate change with the announcement of two new long-term goals to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and 100% carbon neutral power by 2050. The new 2050 goals are aligned with Paris Agreement goals and build upon GF’s Journey to Zero Carbon pledge in 2021.
Original – GlobalFoundries
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Littelfuse, Inc. announced the launch of the IX4352NE Low-side SiC MOSFET and IGBT Gate Driver. This innovative driver is specifically designed to drive Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs and high-power Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) in industrial applications.
The key differentiator of the IX4352NE lies in its separate 9 A source and sink outputs, which enable tailored turn-on and turn-off timing while minimizing switching losses. An internal negative charge regulator also provides a user-selectable negative gate drive bias for improved dV/dt immunity and faster turn-off. With an operating voltage range (VDD – VSS) of up to 35 V, this driver offers exceptional flexibility and performance.
One of the standout features of the IX4352NE is its internal negative charge pump regulator, which eliminates the need for an external auxiliary power supply or DC/DC converter. This feature is particularly valuable for turning off SiC MOSFETs, saving valuable space typically required for external logic level translator circuitry. The logic input’s compatibility with standard TTL or CMOS logic levels further enhances space-saving capabilities.
The IX4352NE is ideally suited for driving SiC MOSFETs in various industrial applications such as:
- on-board and off-board chargers,
- Power Factor Correction (PFC),
- DC/DC converters,
- motor controllers, and
- industrial power inverters.
It’s superior performance makes it ideal for demanding power electronics applications in the electric vehicle, industrial, alternate energy, smart home, and building automation markets.
With its comprehensive features, the IX4352NE simplifies circuit design and offers a higher level of integration. Built-in protection features such as desaturation detection (DESAT) with soft shutdown sink driver, Under Voltage Lockout (UVLO), and thermal shutdown (TSD) ensure the protection of the power device and the gate driver. The integrated open-drain FAULT output signals a fault condition to the microcontroller, enhancing safety and reliability. Furthermore, the IX4352NE saves valuable PCB space and increases circuit density, contributing to overall system efficiency.
Notable improvements over the existing IX4351NE include:
- A safe DESAT-initiated soft turn-off.
- A thermal shutdown with high threshold accuracy.
- The charge pump’s ability to operate during thermal shutdown.
The new IX4352NE is pin-compatible, allowing for a seamless drop-in replacement in designs that specify the existing Littelfuse IX4351NE, which was released in 2020.
“The IX4352NE extends our broad range of low-side gate drivers with a new 9 A sink/source driver, simplifying the gate drive circuitry needed for SiC MOSFETs,” commented June Zhang, Product Manager, Integrated Circuits Division (SBU) at Littelfuse. “Its various built-in protection features and integrated charge pump provide an adjustable negative gate drive voltage for improved dV/dt immunity and faster turn-off. As a result, it can be used to drive any SiC MOSFET or power IGBT, whether it is a Littelfuse device or any other similar component available on the market.”
Original – Littelfuse
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DACO Semiconductor has developed new platforms of Power MOSFET products called Standard HV Power MOSFETs and High Performance HV Power MOSFETs that cover 900V and 1200V range. Those HV MOSFETs are designed with a proprietary chip design and undergo process improvements that dramatically enhance the power handling capability and system efficiency.
High Performance HV Power MOSFETs product family integrates a faster body diode which reverse recovery time (trr) is reduced to suite phase-shift bridge motor control and uninterruptible power supply applications (UPS).
Both standard HV Power MOSFETs and High Performance HV Power MOSFETs include a wide product line and bring the benefits of enhanced performance and cost-effectiveness to key market applications in the mid-voltage range.
Example applications are offline switch-mode power supplies of all sizes, UPS and telecommunication applications. DACO Semiconductor offers a superior market standard SOT-227 and HB-9434 (34mm) packages. Others packages like discrete TO-247 and 62mm modules are under development.
Features:
- International Standard Packages
- Dynamic dv/dt Rating
- Avalanche Rated
- Fast Intrinsic Rectifier
- Low reverse recovery time trr
Applications:
- Switch-Mode and Resonant-Mode Power Supplies
- DC-DC Converters
- Battery Chargers
- UPS
- AC Motor Drives
- High Speed Power Switching Applications
Original – DACO Semiconductor
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Infineon Technologies AG reported the results for the second quarter of the 2024 fiscal year (period ended 31 March 2024).
- Q2 FY 2024: Revenue €3.632 billion, Segment Result €707 million, Segment Result Margin 19.5 percent
- Outlook for FY 2024: Based on an assumed exchange rate of US$1.10 to the euro, Infineon now expects to generate revenue of around €15.1 billion plus or minus €400 million (previously €16 billion plus or minus €500 million), with a Segment Result Margin of around 20 percent (previously in the low to mid-twenties percentage range) at the mid-point of the guided revenue range. Adjusted gross margin will be in the low-forties percentage range (previously in the low to mid-forties percentage range). Investments are planned at around €2.8 (previously around 2.9 billion). Adjusted Free Cash Flow of about €1.6 billion (previously €1.8 billion) and reported Free Cash Flow of about €0 million (previously about €200 million) are now expected
- Outlook for Q3 FY 2024: Based on an assumed exchange rate of US$1.10 to the euro, revenue of around €3.8 billion expected. On this basis, the Segment Result Margin is forecast to be in the high-teens percentage range
„In the prevailing difficult market environment, Infineon delivered a solid second quarter”, says Jochen Hanebeck, CEO of Infineon. “Many end markets have remained weak due to economic conditions, while customers and distributors have continued to reduce semiconductor inventory levels. Weak demand for consumer applications persists. There has also been a noticeable deceleration in growth in the automotive sector. We are therefore taking a cautious approach to the outlook for the rest of the fiscal year and are lowering our forecast. In the medium to long term, decarbonization and digitalization will continue to be strong structural drivers of our profitable growth. In order to realize the full potential of our Company, we will further strengthen our competitiveness. To this end, we are launching the company-wide “Step Up” program. We are aiming to achieve structural improvements in our Segment Result in the high triple-digit million euro range per year.”
For the full version of this news release (incl. financial data), please download the PDF version.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Ideal Power Inc. announced a global leader in circuit protection, industrial fuses and power conversion electronics with over a billion in annual sales entered into an agreement with Ideal Power to test and evaluate B-TRAN™ power semiconductors for circuit protection in industrial markets including industrial fuses, renewable energy and energy storage power conversion, rail/transportation, and electric vehicle (“EV”) power management.
“We are excited to collaborate with a global leader in circuit protection, industrial fuses and power conversion technology interested in B-TRAN™ as an enabling technology,” said Dan Brdar, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ideal Power. “This global supplier presents multiple opportunities for us as they address several of our target markets. We look forward to gathering their feedback on their application-specific requirements to drive our product roadmap and to potentially secure design wins and/or a customer development agreement with them.”
Circuit protection is required for renewable energy grid interfaces and EV power connections. B-TRAN™ technology has clear advantages in applications including EV power transfer, DC microgrids, energy storage systems and railway substations. These applications require fast-acting circuit protection to minimize electrical faults. In addition, B-TRAN™-based circuit protection also provides dramatically lower conduction losses and bidirectional capability thereby enabling greater efficiency while simultaneously lowering component count and system costs.
Ideal Power’s patented semiconductor power switch, B-TRAN™, can reduce power losses by 50% or more over conventional power switches, depending on the application. B-TRAN™’s higher efficiency results in less heat being generated and therefore significantly lower thermal management requirements, requiring significantly smaller surface area to dissipate heat and giving rise to potentially smaller original equipment manufacturer products. B-TRAN™ offers the industry’s only symmetric bidirectional operation, reducing the number of components required for an application by 75% compared to a conventional bidirectional switch utilizing IGBTs and diodes.
This highly efficient and unique symmetric operation provides a strong competitive advantage in bidirectional applications, which are growing rapidly as transportation electrifies and power generation shifts to renewable energy coupled with energy storage. For more information on B-TRAN™, visit here.
Ideal Power plans to continue adding potential customers to the test and evaluation program. The program is expected to remain an embedded process in the Company’s sales and marketing effort and a source of input for its next generation of products. The Company’s outreach continues to generate significant new interest resulting in inquiries from potential customers about B-TRAN™, the SymCool™ power module, the SymCool™ IQ intelligent power module and participation in the test and evaluation program.
Original – Ideal Power
