• Ideal Power Announced Pricing of $15.0 Million Public Offering

    Ideal Power Announced Pricing of $15.0 Million Public Offering

    2 Min Read

    Ideal Power Inc. announced that it has priced its previously announced underwritten public offering of 2,000,000 shares of its common stock (or pre-funded warrants in lieu thereof) at an offering price of $7.50 per share of common stock. Ideal Power has granted the underwriter a 30-day option to purchase up to 300,000 additional shares of its common stock on the same terms and conditions. The Company expects to close the offering on March 28, 2024, subject to customary conditions.

    Titan Partners Group, a division of American Capital Partners, is acting as sole book-running manager for the offering.

    The gross proceeds to the Company from the offering are expected to be approximately $15 million, before deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and other estimated offering expenses payable by the Company. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate and working capital purposes.

    The offering is being made pursuant to an effective “shelf” registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-269060) previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on December 29, 2022, and declared effective by the SEC on January 9, 2023.

    The securities may be offered only by means of a prospectus and prospectus supplement that form a part of the registration statement. A preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to and describing the terms of the offering have been filed with the SEC. The final terms of the offering will be disclosed in a final prospectus supplement to be filed with the SEC.

    Electronic copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the offering, when available, may be obtained by visiting the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or by contacting Titan Partners Group, LLC, a division of American Capital Partners, LLC, 4 World Trade Center, 29th Floor, New York, New York 10007, by phone at (929) 833-1246 or by email at prospectus@titanpartnersgrp.com.

    Original – Ideal Power

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  • Infineon Technologies to Demonstrate Innovative Semiconductors and Microcontrollers at embedded world 2024

    Infineon Technologies to Demonstrate Innovative Semiconductors and Microcontrollers at embedded world 2024

    5 Min Read

    Decarbonization and digitalization are the two central challenges of our time, but they rely on new and advanced technologies. At embedded world 2024 in Nuremberg, Infineon Technologies AG will demonstrate how its innovative semiconductor solutions support and drive these advancements.

    Microcontrollers in particular play an important role as they are at the heart of a wide range of applications, from electric vehicles and renewable energy systems to smart homes and industrial automation. For this reason, Infineon showcases high-quality microcontrollers designed with the latest technologies and innovative features such as enhanced security and high accuracy, offering excellent performance with low power consumption. 

    Under the motto “Driving decarbonization and digitalization. Together.” Infineon invites its customers to embedded world 2024 to demonstrate innovative semiconductor solutions that contribute to a more sustainable future. In addition, customers can register for Infineon’s digital platform – the perfect place to dive deeper into the various technologies presented at EW during and after the event. The Infineon booth in Hall 4A (booth #138) will present highlights from the consumer and IoT, automotive, and industrial sectors. 

    Consumer and IoT: With its broad portfolio of IoT solutions, Infineon supports manufacturers in providing consumers with more comfortable, secure, and energy-efficient homes and buildings by utilizing the company’s latest microcontroller, sensor, security, and connectivity solutions. In this area, visitors will discover:

    • Robotics development platform: The platform includes hardware and software solutions for key robotics subsystems such as main and motor controllers, battery management systems and sensors, which enable developers to get robots up and running faster and easier.
    • Better sleep quality with XENSIV™: Leveraging Infineon’s 60 GHz radar, PSoC™ and Wi-Fi® technologies, the XENSIV Sleep Quality Service is designed to measure and optimize the user’s sleep based on their individual needs.
    • Simplifying air quality monitoring and optimizing energy efficiency with the new XENSIV PAS CO2 5V kits: The XENSIV PAS CO2 5V Sensor2Go kit provides developers with seamless CO 2 sensor integration and a plug-and-play solution. The effortless connection to the graphical user interface (GUI) allows users to accurately analyze CO 2 data in real time from multiple kits.
    • Land a rocket on the Edge: This fun game demonstrates the PSoC Edge device’s ability to integrate multiple functions such as high-performance computing, graphics processing and display, acoustic activity recognition, speech recognition, sensing and gesture recognition with ML in the same chip and application.

    Automotive: As a leading supplier of automotive solutions, Infineon focuses on making smart cars a reality with proven microcontroller, connectivity, security, and sensor technologies for the industry. The company’s microelectronics play a critical role in delivering zero-emission vehicles that are smart, connected, safe and reliable.

    • AI-based siren recognition: Infineon showcases an autonomous car that recognizes emergency vehicles by their characteristic siren sound and reacts accordingly without violating traffic regulations. This system solution combines MEMS microphones, a microcontroller unit (MCU), and AI software from Imagimob.
    • Next generation eMobility: Infineon enables next-generation vehicles with the AURIX™ TC4x microcontroller family and the AURIX Development Studio (ADS). With these solutions, manufacturers can easily implement modern ADAS, advanced automotive E/E architectures and affordable Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications.
    • TRAVEO™ T2G Cluster 6M Lite Kit: With the TRAVEO T2G CYT4DL device prototypes can be implemented in the shortest possible time and at minimal cost.

    Industrial: Infineon supports smart factories and provides manufacturers with a broad sensor portfolio and an extensive partner network. In this way, the company enables reliable data acquisition and processing that enables condition monitoring and predictive maintenance in various Industry 4.0 use cases:

    • Predictive maintenance: In this sector, Infineon will present a portable HVAC system equipped with the XENSIV Predictive Maintenance Evaluation Kit. The demo includes a TinyML model and a cloud-based AI service solution generator.

    At the Infineon booth, the company has set up a comprehensive series of TechTalks. The seven presentations will cover a wide range of different topics, from software to products, and from consumers to industry. Full details of all Infineon conference presentations, technical workshops and TechTalks can be found here.

    Daily program of the Tech Talks

    • “Ambient sensing: Infineon radar solutions: How Infineon’s tools and enablement can accelerate your time to market” at 10:00 a.m. presented by Firas Labidi
    • “Embedded AI and safety – Embedded AI will enable the innovations for next generation of electric vehicle and autonomous driving” at 11:00 a.m. presented by Jürgen Schäfer
    • “Accelerate your product development with system reference designs” at 12:00 p.m. presented by Jaya Bindra
    • “Addressing the next generation of Edge AI devices with PSoC Edge” at 1:00 p.m. presented by Rebecca Phillips
    • “TRAVEO T2G MCUs for automotive HD front lighting” at 2:00 p.m. presented by Maniacherry Devassy Anu
    • “Unlocking the power of Edge AI with Imagimob and ModusToolbox™” at 3:00 p.m. presented by Alexander Samuelsson
    • “Infineon’s solutions for robotics” at 4:00 p.m. presented by Nenad Belancic

    Original – Infineon Technologies

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  • EFI Factory of Vishay Intertechnology Certified to the IATF 169492016 Quality Standard

    EFI Factory of Vishay Intertechnology Certified to the IATF 16949:2016 Quality Standard

    1 Min Read

    The Specialty Thin Film (STF) division of Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. announced that its Electro-Films (EFI) factory in Warwick, Rhode Island, has been certified to the IATF 16949:2016 quality standard for the IGBR family of back contact wirebondable gate resistors, designed to reduce noise in silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET power modules.

    Based on ISO 9001:2015 — with additional automotive customer-specific requirements — IATF 16949:2016 is the global technical specification and quality management standard for the automotive industry. With this certification, the quality management system at the EFI Warwick factory is now certified to ISO 9001:2015 for all products, and IATF 16949:2016  for IGBR resistors. In addition, its environmental management system is certified to ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018.

    Original – Vishay Intertechnology

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  • Sibasish Laha of Fraunhofer IISB Wins Young Engineer Award of the ECPE

    Sibasish Laha of Fraunhofer IISB Wins Young Engineer Award of the ECPE

    2 Min Read

    In the paper “Milliseconds Power Cycling (PCmsec) Driving Bipolar Degradation in Silicon Carbide Power Devices”, Sibasish Laha from Fraunhofer IISB and his co-authors Jürgen Leib, Andreas Schletz, Martin Maerz, Christian Liguda, Firas Faisal and Davood Momeni describe an innovative approach to silicon carbide (SiC) power cycling.

    Until now, bipolar degradation (BD) tests have not been sufficiently differentiated in the investigation of failure and fault mechanisms for SiC power devices. SiC power products may experience voltage degradation which stems from the stacking faults (SFs) growth, commonly known as BD. To properly evaluate the BD impact on the electric performance of devices, it is important to distinguish it from other stress-related degradation such as power metal or interconnection.

    This aspect has not yet been addressed, although the BD mechanism is well understood. The paper outlines a methodology by modifying the power cycling test (PCsec) to PCmsec in order to systematically investigate the effect of BD while controlling the impact of thermal degradation. This method enables a thorough evaluation of the distinct influences of both degradation contributors.

    The complete paper will soon be available in the CIPS proceedings. Until then, feel free to download the paper presentation on event page.

    There you can also find all our contributions to CIPS 2024:

    • Modified Approach for the Rainflow Counting Analysis of Temperature Load Signals in Power Electronics Modules – Oral presentation by S. Letz; Co-authors: D. Zhao, J. Leib, B. Eckardt, M. März  

    • Milliseconds Power Cycling (PCmsec) Driving Bipolar Degradation in Silicon Carbide Power Devices – Oral presentation by S. Laha; Co-authors: D. Momeni, J. Leib, A. Schletz, M. März, C. Liguda, F. Faisal

    • Challenges of Junction Temperature Calibration of SiC MOSFETs for Power Cycling – a Dynamic Approach – Poster by J. Breuer, F. Dresel, A. Schletz, J. Klier, J. Leib, M. März, B. Eckardt

    • Wide Bandwidth PCB Rogowski Coil Current Sensor with Droop Suppression and DC Restoration for In-Situ Inverter Measurements – Poster by S. Quergfelder, J. Sax, T. Heckel, B. Eckardt, M. März

    Original – Fraunhofer IISB

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  • Aehr Test Systems Announced Preliminary Financial Results for Its Third Quarter of Fiscal 2024

    Aehr Test Systems Announced Preliminary Financial Results for Its Third Quarter of Fiscal 2024

    4 Min Read

    Aehr Test Systems announced preliminary financial results for its third quarter of fiscal 2024 ended February 29, 2024. Preliminary results reflect delays in wafer level burn-in system orders for semiconductor devices used in electric vehicles that have created a short-term gap in revenue and profitability. Additionally, Aehr provided updated revenue guidance for its full fiscal year ending May 31, 2024.

    For the fiscal third quarter ended February 29, 2024, Aehr expects:

    • Revenue of approximately $7.6 million
    • GAAP net loss of approximately $1.5 million to $1.8 million, or $0.05 to $0.06 per diluted share 
    • Non-GAAP net loss of approximately $0.9 million to $1.2 million, or $0.03 to $0.04 per diluted share, which excludes the impact of stock-based compensation
    • Bookings of $24.5 million
    • Backlog as of February 29, 2024, of $20 million

    For the fiscal 2024 full year ending May 31, 2024, Aehr expects:

    • Total revenue of at least $65 million
    • GAAP net income of approximately $11 million or more, or $0.38 per diluted share
    • Non-GAAP net income of approximately $14 million or more, or $0.48 per diluted share, which excludes the impact of stock-based compensation

    An explanation of the use of non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation of Aehr’s non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures will be included when Aehr releases its full financial results for the fiscal 2024 third quarter on April 9, 2024.

    Aehr Test Systems President and CEO Gayn Erickson commented: “As we discussed in our second quarter earnings call, we had seen several push outs of forecasted orders by current and new customers that impacted our fiscal year revenue. We believe that this was due to two key factors. There is clearly softness in the overall semiconductor capital spending, particularly in automotive applications, related to a glut in inventory driving down near-term orders to these companies and has caused them to push out capital spending and drive cost reductions. Multiple companies including the companies we had expected orders from have publicly discussed inventory related headwinds in their public earnings calls and press releases. In addition, we have seen specific shifts in order timing of our equipment used for wafer level test and burn-in of silicon carbide power semiconductors used in electric vehicles. In just the last two weeks of the quarter, we saw delays in orders for silicon carbide systems with customer-requested ship dates within the quarter as well as a last-minute push out by a customer of a system in our backlog. The net effect of this was a significant shift in revenues out of the third and fourth quarters. Until this time, we had been hearing from those customers that their silicon carbide-based capital investments were not being impacted. 

    “It is now clear that the recent overall softness in semiconductors and the impact of shifts in electric vehicle introductions and ramps are impacting our bookings and revenue forecasts more than we understood only two months ago at our last earnings call. We now expect this to last for another quarter or two before the orders resume based on the latest roll up of direct forecasts from over a dozen silicon carbide companies. We are now forecasting revenue for the full fiscal year to be $65 million or more, representing revenue of at least $15.4 million in our fiscal fourth quarter. We still expect to finish the year with near or above record annual revenue for the year. 

    “Our discussions with customers indicate to us that the key markets Aehr is addressing for semiconductor wafer level test and burn-in have significant long-term growth opportunities that will continue to expand throughout this decade. Despite what we believe are temporary delays in current and new customer orders, we believe Aehr will experience significant order, revenue, and earnings growth from these market opportunities. Our unique, proprietary wafer level test and burn-in offering for semiconductors addresses the need for the critical reliability testing and screening of semiconductors used in the worldwide electrification infrastructure, battery and hybrid electric vehicles, data and telecommunications and data storage, machine learning and Artificial Intelligence processors and communications chips, and in the large and growing semiconductor memory market. We look forward to discussing the impact and timing of these markets and the increase in customer engagements in all these markets on our earnings call planned for April 9th.”

    The foregoing preliminary financial information reflects management’s current views with respect to the Company’s financial results. These preliminary results remain subject to the completion of normal quarter-end accounting procedures and closing adjustments. Aehr plans to release its full financial results for the fiscal 2024 third quarter on April 9, 2024, and will provide the time and conference call details in a later press release. No independent registered public accounting firm has reviewed, examined, or performed any procedures with respect to, nor have they expressed any form of assurance on, these preliminary estimated results.

    Original – Aehr Test Systems

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  • Siltronic to Stop Production of Small Diameter Wafers

    Siltronic to Stop Production of Small Diameter Wafers

    3 Min Read

    Siltronic AG plans to gradually cease production of polished and epitaxial small diameter wafers at its Burghausen site. The process, which excludes unpolished wafers, is set to be completed in the course of 2025.

    Siltronic currently produces wafers with a diameter of 300 mm, 200 mm and wafers with smaller diameters (SD) of up to 150 mm. The SD wafer technology was developed primarily in the 1990s and earlier. The most significant technological breakthroughs in recent decades have been achieved with larger diameters, which also show the highest growth potential. An average volume growth of 6 percent per year is expected for 300 mm wafers.

    “SD wafer production at Siltronic originated in Burghausen in 1968. It has contributed to our success for many years, thanks to the outstanding work of our employees. However, the wafer industry has evolved significantly due to structural changes and innovations. Demand has increasingly shifted to wafers with larger diameters and improved properties, while SD wafers are approaching the end of their life cycle. This has led to a notable decline in volumes, which recently had a negative impact on earnings. As this will likely continue to intensify in the coming years, we have decided, together with the Supervisory Board, to gradually reduce the production of small diameters and to cease it in the course of 2025,” comments Dr. Michael Heckmeier, CEO of Siltronic AG.

    “Despite this decision the Burghausen site remains of crucial importance for Siltronic. Our global technology as well as research and development center, the production of 300 mm wafers and 200 mm hyperpure silicon ingots as well as a large part of our administrative functions are located here,” Michael Heckmeier continues.

    Just 25 years ago, more than half of the silicon wafer market consisted of wafers with a diameter of up to 150 mm. Today, it is less than five percent, based on data published by the industry organization SEMI. This is the result of customers reducing or ceasing their production of small wafers due to the dynamic technological developments in the semiconductor industry. In addition, competition, particularly from China, is now clearly felt in the small diameters.

    In the past financial year, SD wafers accounted for a single-digit percentage of the Group’s sales. The impact on earnings has already been clearly negative in recent months. Approximately 400 people are employed in the small diameters, about half of whom are on fixed-term and temporary contracts. The aim is to reduce the core workforce in a socially responsible manner through demographic change and partial retirement, and to avoid layoffs for operational reasons.

    “Due to structural changes in the market, we assume that SD wafers will not recover and that their impact on earnings would be considerably negative in the coming years. We have therefore decided to take this difficult but necessary step. At the same time, our goal is to ensure that workforce reductions at Siltronic are socially responsible and no layoffs are made for operational reasons. After the end of the SD wafer production and the subsequent dismantling measures that may be necessary, our EBITDA margin will improve by around one to two percentage points in the medium term,” adds Claudia Schmitt, CFO of Siltronic AG.

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  • GlobalWafers on Schedule with Sustainability Goals

    GlobalWafers on Schedule with Sustainability Goals

    3 Min Read

    GlobalWafers has been responding to the challenges of global climate risks by dedicating to environmental sustainability in its manufacturing processes, renewable energy adoption and business strategies.

    GlobalWafers took the initiative in 2021 and committed to 100% renewable energy usage by 2050 in its global operations, and formally joined RE100 initiative in 2022 to reaffirm its determination to sustainable operation. As one of the very few semiconductor manufacturers that owns its solar power plants, GlobalWafers actively invests solar power plants to gain more flexibility and advantages in energy use, such as reducing carbon emissions, enhancing operational resilience, and meeting regulatory requirements more effectively. While the demand for clean energy continues to grow, GlobalWafers looks forward to positioning itself for long-term success in a rapidly evolving market.

    GlobalWafers’ commitment to green wafer manufacturing is exemplified by its operation sites in Denmark and Italy. GlobalWafers’ Danish site, Topsil, is poised to become the first semiconductor crystal manufacturing site to utilize its own installed 100% green electricity during 2H of 2024. 

    By constructing a new solar park with an estimated capacity of 10.2MW, the power plant is expected to generate 9,500,000 kWh per year. Accordingly, Topsil is set to produce more electricity than it consumes, marking a significant milestone in GlobalWafers’ green manufacturing process.

    Besides, GlobalWafers’ Italian site, MEMC Electronic Materials S.p.A., is also expected to reach 100% green electricity usage in the 12” new line during the capacity ramp-up stage in 2025. Leveraging power purchase agreements, installation of solar panels, and actively exploring alternative clean energy sources, the Italian site demonstrates GlobalWafers’ multifaceted approach to achieving its RE100 target.

    With its global presence, GlobalWafers emphasizes local supply to minimize transportation distances, consequently reducing the carbon footprint and the potential impact of carbon tariffs, while also mitigating geopolitical risks. In a proactive move, GlobalWafers has implemented Internal Carbon Pricing mechanism, urging each site to consider the environmental impact of its operations. By accounting for the true cost of carbon emissions, GlobalWafers aims to foster a culture of informed decision-making that prioritizes sustainability.

    To showcase solidarity with global transition towards net zero emission, GlobalWafers participates in the “Earth Hour 60” initiative again this year with affiliated group companies. On March 23rd at 8:30 pm, GlobalWafers’ Taiwan sites will switch off unnecessary lights and power-consuming equipment for one hour. This symbolic gesture underscores the GlobalWafers continuous commitment to energy conservation and carbon reduction.

    As the world grapples with the challenges of climate change, GlobalWafers, as a long-term partner of its customers, not only actively considers implementing SBTi, but also remains steadfast in its pursuit of a sustainable environment. By embracing renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions, and strengthening green wafer manufacturing, GlobalWafers is leading the charge towards a greener, more sustainable future.

    Original – GlobalWafers

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  • Innoscience responds to Infineon's Lawsuit

    Innoscience Responds to Infineon’s Lawsuit

    2 Min Read

    Innoscience Technology firmly denounces the accusations made by Infineon Technologies Austria AG in a recent patent infringement lawsuit against three Innoscience entities. Infineon filed this lawsuit in a U.S. district court in California on March 13, 2024, and asserted a single U.S. patent.

    Innoscience denies Infineon’s allegations of patent infringement as well as the validity of the Infineon patent. Innoscience will vigorously defend itself and is confident that it will prevail. Infineon’s intention with this litigation is also in question, as it has asserted a patent that has significant defects. Particularly, even a cursory review of Infineon’s patent portfolio reveals that the alleged “invention” of the asserted patent was already disclosed in Infineon’s own earlier prior art patents, raising concerns that it may have committed fraud on the United States Patent and Trademark Office, for not making proper disclosures during the prosecution of the asserted defective patent.

    In addition, contrary to Infineon’s wrong characterization that the claims of the asserted defective patent “cover core aspects of GaN power semiconductors,” the lawsuit only concerns a small fraction of Innoscience’s packaged high-voltage (650V-700V) GaN transistors and does not affect the vast majority of its other products (including unpackaged transistors and wafers, low-voltage transistors, and certain packaged transistors).

    Therefore, the lawsuit should have little to no effect on Innoscience’s current ability to make, use, sell, offer to sell, or import into the United States its products for customers. Innoscience respects others’ valid IP rights and is also dedicated to developing its own IP portfolio. Despite being an eight-year old company, Innoscience has filed more than 800 patent applications globally. Innoscience’s R&D team boasts 500+ technical experts across the world.

    Through continuing innovation, Innoscience has produced GaN devices to power a diverse range of products, from power delivery chargers to data centers and smartphones, showcasing its ability to align with evolving application demands and adapt to diverse customer specifications.

    Moreover, Innoscience has always sought a cooperative and mutually beneficial approach to develop the global GaN industry, even among others in the same industry. Innoscience intends to prevail in this pending lawsuit and is determined to remain a trusted and reliable partner for its customers and contribute to their success by offering top-notch and versatile products and solutions based on Innoscience’s home-grown, superior technologies.

    Original – Innoscience Technology

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  • STMicroelectronics Collaborates with Compuware Technology on a SiC-based Reference Design for Server Power

    STMicroelectronics Collaborates with Compuware Technology on a SiC-based Reference Design for Server Power

    2 Min Read

    STMicroelectronics announced a collaboration with Compuware Technology Inc, (Compuware), a leading provider of high-efficiency power supplies, on a reference design for server power using ST’s industry-leading silicon carbide (SiC), galvanic isolation, and microcontroller technologies. This reference design provides unparalleled power-supply options for digital power converter applications including server, datacenter and telecom power.

    As demand for digital services continues to grow, fueled by Artificial Intelligence (AI), 5G, and the Internet of Things (IoT), keeping power usage under control is an important piece of the sustainability puzzle for data centers. The STDES-3KWTLCP reference design is perfect for a 3kW and higher wattage CRPS (Common Redundancy Power Supply) server power supply. This technical advancement comes with superior efficiency, faster switching, reduced energy losses, and better thermal management capabilities. In addition, this total system solution shortens time-to-market.

    Compuware stands as a global power supply leader, holding the world record for the highest number of 80 PLUS Titanium certifications, ensuring unparalleled power efficiency. Engineered for excellence, Compuware power solutions are the ideal choice for HPC, AI, Deep Learning, Cloud, and advanced applications. With high power density, it optimizes space usage without compromising reliability and efficiency, setting a new performance standard in demanding computing environments.

    “Combining ST’s latest SiC MOSFET, galvanic isolation, and microcontroller technologies with Compuware’s leading-edge power energy expertise is helping Compuware unleash our design creativity to develop high-density and -efficiency solutions. Now we can achieve 89W/in.3 power density, a small size, and high power output, this reference design is a great choice for power-hungry, high-performance computing applications,” according to Robin Cheng, Vice President at Compuware.

    “With a focus on the Industrial market, ST’s Power & Energy Competence Center provides low-power, mid-power, and high-power solutions with the most advanced ST technologies to our customers, and this reference design- STDES-3KWTLCP can help our customers increase energy efficiency and reduce time-to-market using ST’s efficient and reliable power solutions,” said Eric Chou, Head of Power & Energy Competence Center at STMicroelectronics.

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  • Heraeus Invests in Compound Semiconductor (Xiamen) Technology Co. (CSMH), a Material Supplier of Premium Industrial Diamond

    Heraeus Invests in Compound Semiconductor (Xiamen) Technology Co. (CSMH), a Material Supplier of Premium Industrial Diamond

    3 Min Read

    Heraeus is making a multi-million-euro investment in Compound Semiconductor (Xiamen) Technology Co. (CSMH), a China-headquartered material supplier of premium industrial diamond. This strategic partnership aims to drive innovations in the semiconductor industry by leveraging diamond’s unique thermal conductivity and electrical insulation properties.

    Heraeus signed an investment agreement with CSMH and the deal is expected to close in several weeks. As part of the agreement, Heraeus will hold a stake in the company and receive a seat on the board of directors.

    Single-crystal diamond is ultra-wideband gap (UWBG) semiconductor material with the highest known thermal conductivity, surpassing existing thermal solutions such as copper by several times. Typical silicon has a thermal conductivity around 140 W/(m-K), copper is about 400 W/(m-K), and diamond has a much higher thermal conductivity up to 2200 W/(m-K). This allows heat to be dissipated more efficiently, enabling high-performance components to endure with maximum efficiency.

    In addition to its superior heat dissipation properties, diamond also withstands extremely high voltages without causing an electric breakdown. This is critical for advancing miniaturization, efficiency, and robustness in power electronics.

    “This investment reinforces Heraeus’ commitment to cutting-edge material start-ups and emphasizes its strategic focus on the semiconductor market. With CSMH’s outstanding diamond wafer technologies, we expect to set new standards to accelerate AI and cloud computing, as well as revolutionize inverter architecture for EVs,” said Dr. Steffen Metzger, member of the Heraeus Executive Board.

    CSMH’s core business includes the production of polycrystalline and large-sized monocrystalline diamonds, which are particularly important for high-end applications in the semiconductor industry. With already 40 patents – consisting of 23 invention patents and 17 utility models – the company has successfully established itself as an innovator and technical specialist.

    “We are very excited to partner with a global industry leader like Heraeus to realize our vision to be the world’s advanced compound semiconductor material provider. Being coined as ‘the ultimate semiconductor’, diamond has many excellent performance parameters such as high pressure resistance, large radio frequency, and high-temperature resistance,” noted Zhang Xing, CEO of CSMH. “The expertise that Heraeus has in global market resources, technology insights, and industrial-scale production of advanced materials will empower CSMH to promote diamond for more applications in the near future.”

    Due to its exceptional physical and chemical properties, diamond’s other prominent application includes quantum sensors, optics/detection and high-power lasers, among others. CSMH’s target customers include major players in aerospace, power electronics, optical communication, Artificial Intelligence, photovoltaics, electric vehicles, and sensors.

    Industrial diamonds can be produced in a matter of weeks, at a lower cost and with greater environmental friendliness. The cooperation with CSMH aligns with Heraeus’ vision of co-developing next-generation semiconductor solutions and preparing them for use. The combination of CSMH’s specialized expertise in diamond materials and Heraeus’ global market access promises a successful expansion into international markets.

    Original – Heraeus

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