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Power Integrations announced an agreement to acquire the assets of Odyssey Semiconductor Technologies, a developer of vertical gallium-nitride (GaN) transistor technology. The transaction is expected to close in July 2024, after which all key Odyssey employees are expected to join Power Integrations’ technology organization.
The acquisition supports the company’s ongoing development roadmap for its proprietary PowiGaN™ technology, which is featured in many of the company’s product families including InnoSwitch™ ICs, HiperPFS™-5 power-factor-correction ICs and the recently launched InnoMux™-2 family of single-stage, multiple-output ICs. The company introduced 900- and 1250-volt versions of PowiGaN technology and products in 2023.
Commented Dr. Radu Barsan, Power Integrations’ vice president of technology: “Power Integrations has been at the forefront of GaN development and commercialization since we began shipping products with PowiGaN technology in 2018. We are executing on an ambitious roadmap that includes driving toward cost parity with silicon MOSFETs and expanding the voltage and power capabilities of PowiGaN.
Our goal is to commercialize a cost-effective high-current and high-voltage GaN technology to support higher-power applications currently served by silicon carbide (SiC), at a much lower cost and higher performance enabled by the fundamental material advantages of GaN over SiC. The experience of the Odyssey team in high-current vertical GaN will augment and accelerate these efforts, and we are delighted to add them to our team.”
Added Dr. Richard Brown, Odyssey co-founder and CEO: “The Odyssey team and I are excited to join Power Integrations in accelerating their GaN technology roadmap. As the first company to commercialize high-voltage GaN, Power Integrations continues to lead the industry in driving the technology forward in terms of cost, voltage and current, as well as the design of system-level products that take full advantage of the capabilities of GaN.”
Original – Power Integrations
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Efficient Power Conversion Corp (“EPC”) announced that the China National Intellectual Property Administration (“CNIPA”) has validated the claims of EPC patent titled “Compensated gate MISFET and method for fabricating the same” (Chinese Patent No. ZL201080015425.X) for enhancement-mode GaN semiconductor devices.
The decision on April 30, 2024 follows an April 2, 2024 announcement from the CNIPA that confirmed the validity of key claims of EPC’s Chinese patent titled “Enhancement mode GaN HEMT device and method for fabricating the same” (Chinese Patent No. ZL201080015388.2). Both EPC patents were challenged by Innoscience (Suzhou) Technology Co., Ltd. (“Innoscience”).
Compared with traditional silicon-based power devices, GaN technology represents a transformational leap with higher efficiency, faster switching speeds and smaller size. GaN devices are used in artificial intelligence servers, self-driving vehicles, next-generation rapid chargers, drones, e-bikes, and humanoid robots, among other applications. Chinese Patent No. ZL201080015425.X covers the fundamental design and configuration of EPC’s proprietary enhancement mode GaN field effect transistors (FETs) with reduced gate leakage. Most industry participants employ the GaN gate technology covered by this patent.
“These are two of the foundational patents supporting our broad portfolio of innovations, and we are pleased that the CNIPA has again confirmed the validity of our valuable intellectual property,” said Alex Lidow, CEO and Co-founder of EPC. “Quick, fair and efficient decisions such as these reinforce the confidence in legal systems that companies need to operate globally.”
In May 2023, EPC filed complaints in the U.S. federal court in Los Angeles and in the U.S. International Trade Commission, asserting that Innoscience (Zhuhai) Technology Co., Ltd. and its affiliates infringe patents of its foundational patent portfolio, which include the U.S. counterparts of EPC’s Chinese Patent Nos. ZL201080015425.X and ZL201080015388.2. In response, Innoscience had petitioned the CNIPA to invalidate the two Chinese patents.
Original – Efficient Power Conversion
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Infineon Technologies AG will provide silicon carbide (SiC) power modules HybridPACK™ Drive G2 CoolSiC™ and bare die products to Xiaomi EV for its recently announced SU7 until 2027. Infineon’s CoolSiC-based power modules allow for higher operating temperatures, resulting in best-in-class performance, driving dynamics and lifetime.
Traction inverters based on the technology can, for example, further increase electric vehicle range. The HybridPACK Drive is Infineon’s market-leading power module family for electric vehicles, with almost 8.5 million units sold since 2017.
Infineon provides two HybridPACK Drive G2 CoolSiC 1200 V modules for the Xiaomi SU7 Max. In addition, Infineon supplies Xiaomi EV with a broad range of products per car, including, for example, EiceDRIVER TM gate drivers and more than ten microcontrollers in various applications. The two companies also agreed to further cooperate on SiC automotive applications to fully utilize the benefits of Infineon’s SiC portfolio.
Zhenyu Huang, Vice President of Xiaomi EV and General Manager of the Supply Chain Department, said: “Infineon is an important partner with leading technologies and resilient manufacturing capabilities in power semiconductors as well as a highly scalable microcontroller product portfolio. The cooperation between the two companies will not only help stabilize the supply of silicon carbide for Xiaomi EV, but also help us build a high-performance, safe and reliable luxury car with leading-edge features for our customers.”
Peter Schiefer, President of Infineon’s Automotive division, said: “We are very pleased to work with dynamic players such as Xiaomi EV and provide them with silicon carbide products designed to enhance the performance of electric cars even further. As the leading partner to the automotive industry, we are well positioned with our broad product portfolio, system understanding and multi-site manufacturing base to shape the mobility of the future.”
This collaboration contributes to Infineon’s position as the number one partner of the global automotive industry. According to the latest data from TechInsights, Infineon is the largest semiconductor supplier to the automotive industry. In addition to its number one position in automotive power semiconductors, Infineon also took the lead in the field of automotive microcontrollers last year.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Nexperia announced its financial results for 2023, including strong growth in its key market segment automotive as well as increased R&D investments. With a total revenue of US$2.15bn, (US$2.36bn in 2022) Nexperia’s financial performance also reflects a challenging year for the semiconductor industry. Despite the slight decline in revenue and weak market demand, the product revenue in the traditionally strong automotive segment grew significantly.
In 2023, Nexperia had, in many ways, a strong focus on the green energy transition. For one, the company solidified its dedication to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles with the release of its inaugural ESG report. Another milestone was that Nexperia secured its first $800 million Senior Sustainability-Linked Loan (SLL), directly supporting its aim of achieving carbon neutrality by 2035 for scope 1 and 2 emissions. Additionally, in April 2024, Nexperia was awarded a Gold Medal by EcoVadis, placing it in the top 5% of assessed companies within its industry, reaffirming its commitment to driving positive industry change.
Moreover, the introduction of industry-leading wide-bandgap semiconductors, energy harvesting devices, and the continuous investments in its power semiconductors, ensure improved efficiency of technologies that shape a greener future. The longer-term outlook remains strongly positive given the essential role of semiconductors in the global megatrends of electrification, digitalization, automation, and green energy transition. Despite facing cyclical effects, Nexperia remains steadfast in its commitment to innovation, leveraging its 70-year semiconductor heritage.
“2023 marked a significant investment year for Nexperia, towards upgrading and expanding our product portfolio in Power Discretes, Modules, Analog & Power ICs. This investment represents 13% of our revenue, aligning us with industry standards and emphasizes our commitment to long term growth. Looking ahead to 2024, while uncertainties persist in Europe and North America, we are encouraged by increasing demand levels in Asia. Despite market fluctuations, we remain dedicated to delivering value to our stakeholders.” – Stefan Tilger, CFO, Nexperia
“TeamNexperia has shown remarkable resilience in navigating the challenges of the past year, reaffirming the underlying strength and progress of our company. Despite the challenges, we remain committed to investment and innovation, laying the groundwork for a promising future. Together, we are poised to seize the vast opportunities ahead” – Wing Zhang, CEO, Nexperia.
Original – Nexperia
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LATEST NEWS / PROJECTSSemikron Danfoss to Build Semiconductor Processing to Packaging Center at SUNY Polytechnic Institute
May 3, 2024
3 Min ReadSemikron Danfoss announced its collaboration with SUNY Polytechnic Institute and other industry partners to build a Semiconductor Processing to Packaging Center that will focus on research, education and training. The facility will be established at the Semikron Danfoss office in Utica, located in the Quad C building on the SUNY Poly campus and will train 100-150 students per year in semiconductor processing, packaging and testing capabilities.
The official announcement came on Tuesday at the site of the future facility at a ceremony attended by over 100 people, including New York’s Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado and other state and local business leaders and elected officials. “The cornerstone of our regional economic development process is collaborative, community-led projects that will build a stronger future for New Yorkers statewide,” said Delgado.
The center will be funded in part with the $4 million Empire State Development grant, announced Tuesday, as well as a larger economic development package announced by New York Governor Kathy Hochul for SUNY Poly last fall. In addition to supplying space for two classrooms and a 5,000 square-foot clean room, Danfoss will provide multiple pieces of equipment used in the semiconductor manufacturing process.
The Center will allow for both silicon device processing as well as SiC, GaN, AlN and their alloys, and Ga2O3 device processing for power electronics, optoelectronics and clean energy applications as well as their unique packaging needs.
It is anticipated that the students will be both traditional and non-traditional students, seeking either degrees or certificates. The goal of the Center is to increase graduates across advanced manufacturing disciplines by 10 percent in the next four years. The Center’s curriculum will offer several workforce development training and upskilling pathways for industry partners and their employees as well as those seeking to gain entrance into the workforce.
“The creation of a single center covering research, education and training capabilities across semiconductor processing to packaging will provide students and the future workforce with both the deep theoretical knowledge as well as the hands-on experience needed to fully understand the workflow and attention to detail needed to produce devices with the required yield and performance functionality,” said Michael Carpenter, Ph.D., Interim Dean of SUNY Poly’s College of Engineering and Associate Provost for Research. “We are looking forward to working with Danfoss and our other industry and community partners on this initiative.”
“Partnering with educational and community organizations in the communities where we operate is an important focus of Danfoss’ mission,” said Michael Godsen, general manager of Semikron Danfoss in the U.S. “We are excited to work with SUNY Poly to develop a skilled workforce in the semiconductor industry.”
Original – Semikron Danfoss
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Siltronic AG continued to be affected by weak demand in Q1 2024 due to increased customer inventory levels, with sales declining nearly 4 percent compared to Q4 2023, primarily due to product mix shifts.
“The start of the year continues to be characterized by weak demand due to increased inventories at our customers. It is still not possible to predict when inventories will return to a normal level. Therefore, 2024 will probably be a transition year on the way to profitable growth,” comments Dr. Michael Heckmeier, CEO of Siltronic AG on the development.
Business Development in Q1 2024
Siltronic generated sales of EUR 343.5 million in Q1 2024, which corresponds to a decrease of 3.7 percent compared to Q4 2023. This development is in line with expectations. While the wafer area sold and sales prices remained nearly stable compared to the previous quarter, the product mix in particular had a slightly negative impact. The Euro/US dollar exchange rate, which averaged 1.09 in Q1 2024 (Q4 2023: 1.08), also impacted sales slightly on a quarterly basis.
Cost of sales decreased by 1.4 percent compared to the previous quarter and therefore could not be reduced at the same level as sales.
As a result, the gross profit in Q1 2024 decreased by EUR 9.1 million compared to the previous quarter. The gross margin decreased from 22.2 percent (Q4 2023) to 20.4 percent (Q1 2024).
The decrease in gross profit was largely offset by positive FX effects and lower selling, administration, and research and development expenses. The FX effects reported in the balance of other operating income and expenses amounted to EUR 5.4 million after EUR -0.8 million in Q4 2023.
EBITDA in Q1 2024 (EUR 90.8 million) was therefore on par with the previous quarter (Q4 2023: EUR 91.1 million). Due to the decline in sales, the EBITDA margin improved from 25.5 percent to 26.4 percent.
EBIT amounted to EUR 36.0 million in Q1 2024 compared to EUR 36.8 million in Q4 2023. The marginal decline is mainly due to a higher depreciation.
Despite continued weak demand, a EUR 27.7 million result for the period was achieved after EUR 32.3 million in the previous quarter. Of this amount, EUR 25.7 million is attributable to the shareholders of Siltronic AG, resulting in earnings per share of EUR 0.86.
Development of equity, net cash flow and net financial assets
With an equity of EUR 2,152.9 million as of March 31, 2024 and an equity ratio of 46.5 percent, Siltronic continues to have a solid balance sheet quality (December 31, 2023: 46.6 percent).
Loan liabilities increased by EUR 53.4 million, mainly due to the partial draw down of a loan. In addition, other provisions and liabilities increased by EUR 31.4 million, mainly due to an investment grant received.
The decrease in cash flow from operating activities compared to the previous quarter is mainly due to reporting date effects in the inflow of trade receivables. In Q4 2023, payments were received from customers shortly before the reporting date, and in Q1 2024 shortly after the reporting date.
In the quarter under review, Siltronic made net payments of EUR 198.7 million for capex including intangible assets. Due to the high capex at the end of 2023, some of which was not due for payment until 2024, capex payments significantly exceeded additions to the balance sheet in the quarter under review. The payments and balance sheet additions were mainly related to the new fab in Singapore.
Due to the change in working capital and the continued high level of investments, both the free cash flow of EUR -137.2 million and the net cash flow of EUR -158.4 million were negative in Q1 2024. As a result, cash and cash equivalents and financial investments decreased by EUR 88.9 million, while loan liabilities increased at the same time. Accordingly, net financial debt increased from EUR 355.7 million at the end of 2023 to EUR 501.0 million as of March 31, 2024.
Outlook: Mid-term targets for 2028 unchanged, 2024 will be a transition year
Driven by several megatrends, Siltronic expects a significant increase in demand in the medium and long term. However, the start to the 2024 financial year was subdued. Although demand for wafers is increasing in the end markets, Siltronic continues to face weak demand in the coming quarters. This is due to higher customer inventories and the associated further postponement of delivery volumes, which will now primarily affect the second half of the year. Customers’ persistently high inventories are recovering slower than originally expected. As a result, the impact of these elevated inventories is expected to be felt throughout 2024, although visibility remains limited.
In an ad hoc announcement on April 26, 2024, Siltronic therefore adjusted its forecast and expects Group sales to be roughly 10 percent below the previous year. This is mainly due to lower volumes and both slightly negative FX- (EUR/USD 1.10) and price effects. The EBITDA margin is forecast to be between 21 and 25 percent. Capital expenditure will decrease compared to the previous guidance and is expected to be slightly below EUR 550 million. Depreciation and amortization is expected to be below EUR 300 million.
Klaus Buchwald to be appointed Chief Operating Officer as early as June 1, 2024
Klaus Buchwald will take up his position as a new member of the Executive Board and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Siltronic AG on June 1, 2024, two months earlier than originally announced. He will be responsible for Operations and Supply Chain, Engineering as well as IT.
Original – Siltronic
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The U of A celebrated a milestone with the topping-out of the Multi-User Silicon Carbide Research and Fabrication Facility.
More than 100 students, faculty, state leaders and citizens were on hand to sign the steel topping-out beam and hear remarks from Kim Needy, dean of the College of Engineering, and Alan Mantooth, Distinguished Professor of electrical engineering.
The new semiconductor research and fabrication facility will produce microelectronic chips made with silicon carbide, a powerful semiconductor that outperforms basic silicon in several critical ways. The facility will enable the federal government – via national laboratories – businesses of all sizes and other universities to prototype with silicon carbide, a capability that does not presently exist elsewhere in the United States.
Work at the research and fabrication facility will bridge the gap between traditional university research and the needs of private industry and will accelerate technological advancement by providing a single location where chips can go from developmental research to prototyping, testing and fabrication.
The 21,760-square-foot facility, located next to the National Center for Reliable Electrical Power Transmission at the Arkansas Research and Technology Park, will address obstacles to U.S. competitiveness in the development of silicon-carbide electronics used in a wide range of electronic devices, circuits and other consumer applications. The building will feature approximately 8,000 square feet of clean rooms for fabrication and testing.
Education and training within the facility will also accelerate workforce development, helping supply the next generation of engineers and technicians in semiconductor manufacturing.
Original – University of Arkansas
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To provide higher efficiency and power density for telecom, industrial, and computing applications, Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. introduced its first fourth-generation 600 V E Series power MOSFET in the new PowerPAK® 8 x 8LR package.
Compared to previous-generation devices, the Vishay Siliconix n-channel SiHR080N60E slashes on-resistance by 27 % and resistance times gate charge, a key figure of merit (FOM) for 600 V MOSFETs used in power conversion applications, by 60 % while providing higher current in a smaller footprint than devices in the D²PAK package.
Vishay offers a broad line of MOSFET technologies that support all stages of the power conversion process, from high voltage inputs to the low voltage outputs required to power the latest high tech equipment. With the SiHR080N60E and other devices in the fourth-generation 600 V E Series family, the company is addressing the need for efficiency and power density improvements in two of the first stages of the power system architecture — power factor correction (PFC) and subsequent DC/DC converter blocks.
Typical applications will include servers, edge computing, super computers, and data storage; UPS; high intensity discharge (HID) lamps and fluorescent ballast lighting; telecom SMPS; solar inverters; welding equipment; induction heating; motor drives; and battery chargers.
Measuring 10.42 mm by 8 mm by 1.65 mm, the SiHR080N60E’s compact PowerPAK 8 x 8LR package features a 50.8 % smaller footprint than the D²PAK while offering a 66 % lower height. Due to its top-side cooling, the package delivers excellent thermal capability, with an extremely low junction to case (drain) thermal resistance of 0.25 °C/W.
This allows for 46 % higher current than the D²PAK at the same on-resistance level, enabling dramatically higher power density. In addition, the package’s gullwing leads provide excellent temperature cycle capability.
Built on Vishay’s latest energy-efficient E Series superjunction technology, the SiHR080N60E features low typical on-resistance of 0.074 Ω at 10 V and ultra low gate charge down to 42 nC. The resulting FOM is an industry-low 3.1 Ω*nC, which translates into reduced conduction and switching losses to save energy and increase efficiency in power systems > 2 kW.
For improved switching performance in hard-switched topologies such as PFC, half-bridge, and two-switch forward designs, the MOSFET released today provides low typical effective output capacitances Co(er) and Co(tr) of 79 pF and 499 pF, respectively. The package also provides a Kelvin connection for improved switching efficiency.
The device is RoHS-compliant and halogen-free, and it is designed to withstand overvoltage transients in avalanche mode with guaranteed limits through 100 % UIS testing.
Original – Vishay Intertechnology
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Magnachip Semiconductor Corporation announced financial results for the first quarter 2024.
YJ Kim, Magnachip’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “In Q1 we started the initial revenue ramp for OLED DDICs for the after-service market, and we were awarded two new designs targeted for a leading China smartphone OEM and also for a leading European EV maker. Our Power Analog Solutions (PAS) business revenue grew 12% sequentially driven by smartphones, e-motors, consumer appliances and server power applications, and we now are launching a slate of next-gen power products to help sustain our momentum. We also are encouraged that the power channel inventory showed signs of improvement in the first quarter.”
YJ continued, “Looking forward, we expect sequential revenue growth in Mixed-Signal Solutions (MSS) and PAS to continue in Q2 and we reiterate our prior full-year guidance for double digit growth in both MSS and PAS businesses.”
Financial Highlights
- Q1 consolidated revenue was $49.1 million, within our guidance range of $46-51 million.
- Q1 standard product business revenue was up 10.6% sequentially.
- Q1 consolidated gross profit margin was 18.3%, within our guidance range of 17-20%.
- Q1 standard product business gross profit margin was down 170 basis points sequentially, mostly due to lower Gumi fab utilization driven by the wind-down of Transitional Foundry Services.
- Ended Q1 with $29.7 million in long-term borrowing and $171.6 million in cash.
- Repurchased approximately $4.1 million or 0.6 million shares during the quarter.
Operational Highlights
- Secured a new high-end smartphone OLED DDIC design for a top tier China smartphone OEM.
- Secured a new EV automotive OLED DDIC design win for a leading European automaker.
- Began operations of our new China entity called Magnachip Technology Company (MTC). Our China headquarters is now up and running.
- Started initial ramp in Q1 for our first-generation OLED DDIC chip for China for the after-service market.
- Captured our first medium voltage MOSFET automotive design-win for an electric cooling fan with a China-based SUV supplier, as well as an additional automotive power steering related win in Korea.
- Began to see initial signs of inventory reductions in the distribution channel for our Power Analog Solutions products.
Original – Magnachip Semiconductor
- Q1 consolidated revenue was $49.1 million, within our guidance range of $46-51 million.
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SemiQ has begun a known-good-die (KGD) screening program that delivers high-quality, electrically sorted and optically inspected advanced SiC MOSFET technology ready for back-end processing and direct die attachment.
Known-good-die from SemiQ ensures consistent electrical parameters, enabling customers to rely on repeatable performance for high end-of-line yield when building equipment such as high-voltage supplies, traction inverters, and power conditioning systems. Uniform die parameters also simplify the connection of multiple devices in high-power modules.
“SiC is a powerful technology aiding the global drive for sustainability and our known-good-die SiC MOSFETs from SemiQ provide important performance advantages, such as near-constant junction capacitance, low insertion loss, and high isolation needed for high-frequency applications,” says Michael Tsang, VP, Product Engineering and Operations at SemiQ. “Thanks to this program, customers can receive quality-assured dies that will streamline and improve productivity and deliver predictable and repeatable performance in high-efficiency applications.”
The KGD program is active now and applies to the complete portfolio of SemiQ’s QSiC™ 1200V SiC MOSFETs, ranging from 20mΩ to 80mΩ. This portfolio supports robust and efficient electrification across automotive, eMobility, renewable energy, industrial power, and other applications.
KGD devices are supplied post-singulation on a choice of carrier media including blue tape, pre-cured UV tape, and tape and reel to ease integration with customers’ processes. For more information, please visit SemiQ’s KGD page.
Original – SemiQ
