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Power semiconductors companies continue to invest heavily in new factories, production capacity expansions, and R&D centers. Thus, recently the total value of the active investment projects launched since 2021 has surpassed 70 billion USD.
Driven by the pandemic and geopolitics, major power semiconductors companies started to invest more in new factories and joint ventures to have more confidence in their own supply chain in the future.
As of today, it is obvious to see the major split of power semiconductors into three geographical regions – the USA, Europe, and Asia. Asia may as well be divided into several regions with China being the leading investor of all.
Despite the ongoing tensions and export restrictions between the US, Europe, and China related to advanced semiconductors, when it comes to power semiconductors European companies continue to invest in the Chinese market expanding their product capacity or establishing new joint ventures like STMicroelectronics and Sanan Optoelectronics did recently.
Even with some delay, Japanese companies like ROHM, Mitsubishi Electric, Fuji Electric, Renesas Electronics, Toshiba, and others, pushed by their US and European competitors, announced their own projects aimed to secure the capacity on the wafer and device level to correspond to the growing demand for Si and SiC based power semiconductors coming from the electric vehicle and charging, photovoltaics, battery energy storage systems, and the other emerging applications.
If we take a closer look at all projects announced, SiC is the leading technology with over 60% of total investment. Over 25 market leaders announced their plans to invest in silicon carbide.
Thus, ROHM is investing in new production to multiply its SiC capacity in the coming years. Mitsubishi Electric teams up with Coherent to scale manufacturing of SiC power devices on a 200 mm SiC technology platform as one of the steps of their 260 billion yen investment project planned till March 2026.
Infineon Technologies continues to bet on both local European and Asian markets investing in their new fab in Dresden and expanding backend operations in Indonesia. STMicroelectronics continues to invest in WBG semiconductors with the ongoing construction of a new wafer fab in Sicily announced in 2022.
With a global total number of new investment projects of over 80, the US companies Wolfspeed, onsemi, and Microchip Technology, similar to their European counterparts, invest locally, in Europe and Asian markets. Totally the US semiconductor companies announced new projects valued at almost 9 billion USD.
With the US and EU Chips Acts, and similar initiatives in China, Japan, South Korea, and some other countries, it is clear that the investment into power semiconductors industry will continue to reach 100 billion USD soon.
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As digitalization, urbanization, and the rise of electro-mobility continue to shape the rapidly evolving world, the demand for power consumption is reaching unprecedented levels. Acknowledging energy efficiency as an important concern, Infineon Technologies AG addresses these megatrends with its silicon carbide (SiC) CoolSiC™ MOSFET 650 V in TO leadless (TOLL) packaging. The new SiC MOSFETs are enhancing Infineon’s comprehensive CoolSiC portfolio and are optimized for the lowest losses, the highest reliability, and ease-of-use in applications such as SMPS for servers, telecom infrastructure as well as energy storage systems and battery formation solutions.
The CoolSiC 650 V high-performance trench-based power SiC MOSFETs are offered in a very granular portfolio to best suit different target applications. The new family comes in a JEDEC-qualified TOLL package featuring a low parasitic inductance, allowing for higher switching frequency, reduced switching losses, good thermal management, and automated assembly. The compact form factor enables efficient and effective usage of the board space, empowering system designers to achieve exceptional power density.
The CoolSiC MOSFETs 650 V showcase remarkable reliability even in harsh environments, making them an ideal choice for topologies with repetitive hard commutation. The inclusion of the innovative .XT interconnect technology further enhances the devices’ thermal performance by reducing the thermal resistance (R th) and thermal impedance (Z th). In addition, the new devices feature a gate threshold voltage (V GS(th)) greater than 4 V for robustness against parasitic turn-on, a robust body diode, and the strongest gate oxide (GOX) in the market resulting in extremely low FIT (failures in time) rates.
While a cut-off voltage (V GS(off)) of 0 V is generally recommended to simplify the driving circuit (unipolar driving), the new portfolio supports a wide driving interval of V GS voltage within the range of -5 V (turn-off) to 23 V (turn-on). This ensures ease-of-use and compatibility with other SiC MOSFETs and standard MOSFET gate-driver ICs. This is paired with higher reliability, reduced system complexity, and the enablement of automated assembly, reducing system and production costs and accelerating time-to-market.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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NoMIS Power has achieved its latest major milestone with an award from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to develop rugged Silicon Carbide (SiC) power devices to support the electrical power systems of aircraft.
NoMIS Power will develop 1200 V SiC power semiconductor devices (PSDs) through the award. The focus will be on metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) with enhanced operational lifetime as well as improved on-state and off-state efficiency at operating temperatures, resulting in lower losses for power electronics engineers to manage.
Solid-state power controllers within aircraft electrical power distribution systems require low on-state losses to enable passive cooling, as well as surge current and voltage overshoot protection during system start-up and fault interrupt. The proposed 1200 V SiC MOSFETs from NoMIS Power will provide airframers and system builders/integrators with the necessary PSD chips capable of high efficiency, long short-circuit withstand time (SCWT), and operational ruggedness for nominal and transient conditions. Moreover, the 1200 V rating will not only support current-generation aircraft utilizing 270 VDC architecture, but also aircraft operating with a +/- 270 VDC (i.e. 540 VDC rail-to-rail) architecture, as well.
NoMIS Power overcomes the limitations of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) Si and SiC-based PSDs via a novel SiC device design that is achievable using disruptive manufacturing techniques. As a result, NoMIS SiC devices can withstand higher voltage spikes and current surges during harsh operating conditions, enabling longer power management product lifetime through superior reliability and ruggedness.
Announcing the new award, NoMIS Power CEO Dr. Adam Morgan said, “Our team is very excited to get the opportunity to support strategic groups working to improve the capabilities of our armed forces. We are confident this novel SiC device technology will also have a significant impact on other critical technology markets, such as electric vehicles and grid infrastructure. These efforts will directly support our company’s near-term product launch of next-generation SiC devices.”
Original – NoMIS Power
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Semiconductors are the linchpin to the performance, safety, and customer features of Stellantis vehicles today and in the new state-of-the-art, BEV-centric STLA vehicle and technology platforms arriving soon. As the auto industry’s demand for semiconductors accelerates, Stellantis is implementing a multifaceted strategy designed to manage and secure the long-term supply of vital microchips. Developed by a cross-functional team, the strategy was created through a rigorous assessment of customer desires for advanced technology features and a keen focus on delivering the objectives laid out in the Stellantis Dare Forward 2030 plan.
The robust strategy, which is refined continuously, includes:
- implementation of a semiconductor database to provide full transparency on the semiconductor content;
- systematic risk assessment to avoid and proactively remove legacy parts;
- long-term chip level demand forecasting to support capacity securitization agreements with chip makers and Silicon Foundries;
- implementation and enforcement of a Green List to reduce chip diversity and – in case of future chip shortages – to put Stellantis in control of the allocation; and,
- the purchasing of mission-critical parts at chip makers including a long-term securitization of chip supply.
Stellantis has started to engage with strategic semiconductor providers like Infineon, NXP® Semiconductors, onsemi, and Qualcomm to further improve its all-new, state-of-the-art STLA platforms and technologies. In addition, Stellantis is working with aiMotive and SiliconAuto to develop its own differentiating semiconductors in the future.
“An effective semiconductor strategy requires a deep understanding of semiconductors and the semiconductor industry,” said Maxime Picat, Chief Purchasing and Supply Chain Officer at Stellantis. “We have hundreds of very different semiconductors in our cars.
We have built a comprehensive ecosystem to mitigate the risk that one missing chip can stop our lines. At the same time, key vehicle capabilities directly depend on the innovation and performance of single devices. SiC MOSFETS extend the range of our electric vehicles while the computation performance of a leading-edge SoC is essential for the customer experience and safety.”
To date, Stellantis has entered into direct agreements for semiconductors with a purchasing value of more than €10 billion through 2030. The supply agreements cover a variety of vital microchips, including:
- Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETS, which are fundamental to the range of EVs.
- Microcontroller Unit (MCU), a key part of the computing zones for the STLA Brain electrical architecture.
- System-on-a-chip (SoC), where performance is essential for the high-performance computing (HPC) units that deliver the in-vehicle infotainment and autonomous driving assist functions.
Semiconductors play key roles in the vehicles that are driving the Stellantis transformation into a sustainable mobility tech company, as outlined in Dare Forward 2030. This includes enabling features and functions in the BEV-native STLA global platforms (Small/Medium/Large/Frame) and the seamless connectivity, remote upgradability, and the flexible service-oriented electrical/electronic architecture that underpins the STLA Brain, STLA SmartCockpit, and STLA AutoDrive artificial intelligence-powered platforms.
Original – Stellantis
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onsemi and BorgWarner Inc. announced the two companies are expanding their strategic collaboration for silicon carbide (SiC), making the total agreement worth over $1 billion in lifetime value. BorgWarner plans to integrate onsemi EliteSiC 1200 V and 750 V power devices into its VIPER power modules. The EliteSiC devices join a broad portfolio of onsemi products that are part of the long-standing strategic relationship between the two companies.
onsemi provides high-performance EliteSiC technology while maintaining the high standards of quality, reliability and supply assurance needed for the EV traction market. onsemi’s decades of experience in the design, development and manufacturing of power semiconductor products support successful adoption in high-volume automotive applications.
“First and foremost, onsemi’s continuous and strategic investment in ramping SiC manufacturing capacity across its end-to-end supply chain gives us confidence in our ability to support the increasing demand for our solutions, now and in the future,” said Stefan Demmerle, Vice President of BorgWarner Inc. and President and General Manager, PowerDrive Systems.
BorgWarner’s silicon carbide traction inverters already offer higher efficiency, better cooling performance, and faster-charging rates in a more compact package than other options for EVs. By using EliteSiC technology, BorgWarner’s solutions expect to benefit from increased power density and higher efficiency, which increase the range and overall performance of EVs.
“The integration of EliteSiC technology in the traction inverter enables increased gas-equivalent miles per gallon (MPGe), which helps alleviate range anxiety – one of the key barriers to EV adoption,” said Simon Keeton, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Power Solutions Group, onsemi. “With onsemi’s chip-to-system level support and a track record of execution, we are able to provide industry-leading SiC-based solutions to BorgWarner at an accelerated pace to support its go-to-market requirements.”
Original – onsemi
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If you haven’t had a chance to visit a wonderful Lake Maggiore yet, this September you can enjoy one of the most beautiful places in Italy in a company of power semiconductors superstars discussing SiC & GaN technologies. After a successful series of events across the world, International Semiconductor Executive Summits (ISES) returns to Italy with ISES EU Power 2023 edition.
With a regional focus on the power semiconductor market, the EU Power International Semiconductor Executive Summits seeks to strengthen the EU supply chain and promote key executives in the semiconductor manufacturing, design, and research through our networking and conference platform which consists of working with key industry stakeholders to encourage progress and collaboration.
With speakers coming from STMicroelectronics, Infineon Technologies, Semikron Danfoss, onsemi, Wolfspeed, Renesas, ROHM, Nexperia, SK Siltron, Soitec, Okmetic, Aehr Test Systems, Amkor Technology, Innoscience, Cambridge GaN Devices, Ferrari, Volkswagen, Volvo, Škoda, and many more leaders of power electronics and automotive industries, you are about to be a part of the power semiconductors event like never before.
During two days of the event, all participants will be discussing and disclosing the latest news and advances in silicon carbide and gallium nitride technologies, sharing the view of the future and taking a close look at the current state of the industry, supply chain, global collaboration, exhisting problems and emerging opportunities.
You can find the agenda of ISES EU Power 2023 at the event website.
International Semiconductor Executive Summit EU Power provides a unique platform for networking and expanding your knowledge base. Here are just a few topics that will be covered this September:
- SiC and GaN Manufacturability
- Variety of WBG Applications
- SiC Wafer & Materials
- Power Packaging
- Design and Reliability
The event offers various packages for participation:
- Standard Pass
- Member Pass
- Partner Pass
- Virtual Pass
- Numerous Sponsorship Packages and VIP Passes
All interested to participate can register at ISES EU Power 2023 website.
ISES EU Power 2023 will take place at Regina Palace Hotel. Overlooking the shore of Lago Maggiore, the Regina Palace Hotel is located in a favored spot in the center of Stresa, considered the pearl of Lago Maggiore. The hotel represents yesteryear’s charm and prestige enriched by the history and the grace that each epoch has donated.
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Aehr Test Systems announced financial results for its fiscal 2023 fourth quarter and full year ended May 31, 2023.
Fiscal Fourth Quarter Financial Results:
- Net sales were a record $22.3 million, up from $20.3 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022.
- GAAP net income was a record $6.1 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, up from GAAP net income of $5.8 million, or $0.20 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022.
- Non-GAAP net income, which excludes the impact of stock-based compensation, was a record $6.8 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, compared to non-GAAP net income of $6.5 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022.
- Backlog as of May 31, 2023, was $24.5 million. Effective backlog, which includes all orders received since the end of the fourth quarter, is $39.7 million.
- Total cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments as of May 31, 2023 were $47.9 million, up from $31.5 million at May 31, 2022.
Fiscal Year Financial Results:
- Net sales were a record $65.0 million, up 28% from $50.8 million in fiscal 2022.
- GAAP net income was a record $14.6 million, or $0.50 per diluted share, up 54% from GAAP net income of $9.5 million, or $0.34 per diluted share, in fiscal 2022.
- Non-GAAP net income, which excludes the impact of stock-based compensation, was a record $17.3 million, or $0.59 per diluted share, up 62% from non-GAAP net income of $10.7 million, or $0.38 per diluted share, in fiscal 2022.
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 can be found in the accompanying tables.
Gayn Erickson, President and CEO of Aehr Test Systems, commented:
“We are pleased to report record financial performance for both the quarter as well as the entire fiscal year ended May 31. For fiscal 2023, total revenue grew 28% to a record $65.0 million, bookings reached a record of $78.3 million, and our GAAP profit of $14.6 million and non-GAAP profit of $17.3 million were also records, growing 54% and 62% year over year, respectively. This record performance was driven by bookings and revenue shipments of our FOX wafer level test and burn-in systems and WaferPak full wafer Contactors for silicon carbide semiconductors used in electric vehicles and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, as well as silicon photonics devices used in data and telecommunications infrastructure and a new application for multichip modules using optical data interconnections.
“We saw fiscal 2023 as a breakout year for our unique and proprietary wafer level test and burn-in products. These products provide complete solutions for semiconductor manufacturers for high-volume test, burn-in, and stabilization of semiconductors such as those used in electric vehicles, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, photovoltaic (solar) power conversion, and data and telecommunications infrastructure. We also see on the horizon a significant new market opportunity for test and burn-in of semiconductors such as silicon photonics devices used in optical input/output (I/O) and co-packaged optics for data farms, computing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) markets.
“In our fiscal fourth quarter just completed, we received the first purchase order from another new silicon carbide semiconductor company for our production FOX-XP solution to be used for volume production wafer level test and burn-in of silicon carbide devices for electric vehicles, trucks, and train traction inverter modules. The train traction inverter application represents an exciting new market driver for our FOX production test solutions due to the extreme reliability and length of service requirements of this application leading to prolonged test times. This new customer, a multinational industrial conglomerate and manufacturer of semiconductors including power semiconductors, is forecasting to grow their silicon carbide business significantly to meet the market demand, which we forecast will in turn drive incremental capacity of our FOX systems as well as our proprietary WaferPak full wafer Contactors.
“With the addition of this latest customer, we have significantly expanded our customer base by adding a total of four new silicon carbide customers this year. Each of these customers is already ramping or plans to ramp our products into high-volume production using our multi wafer test and burn-in systems.
“We also have multiple potential customers inquiring about our systems with the new high voltage option introduced last year to test and burn-in gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors for power conversion applications. The gallium nitride market appears to be a potentially significant growth driver for our systems and WaferPak full wafer Contactors, particularly for automotive and photovoltaic applications where burn-in appears to be critical for meeting the initial quality and reliability needs of those markets.
“We also see a major market opportunity with the upcoming application of silicon photonics integrated circuits for use in optical chip-to-chip communication. This is in addition to the current photonics transceiver market used in data and telecommunications. Multiple companies such as Intel, nVidia, AMD, TSMC, and Global Foundries have made announcements regarding their product roadmaps for co-packaged photonics integrated circuits with microprocessors, graphics processors, chip sets for computing as well as artificial intelligence applications. During the fiscal fourth quarter, we received our first order from a current major silicon photonics customer for a volume production FOX-XP configured to enable cost-effective production test of wafers of next-generation photonic integrated circuits, which can be used in new optical I/O or heterogeneous integrated packages. This customer is one of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturers and we expect to receive orders for additional production systems as they increase production of these devices.
“Another major milestone is that we have now installed both configurations of our new fully automated WaferPak Aligner at multiple customers, with the standalone Aligner already accepted and released into production just this week, and the FOX-XP with integrated Aligner expected to receive acceptance before the end of our current fiscal first quarter. Our new automated WaferPak Aligner allows hands free operation of WaferPak handling and Alignment and is available either as a standalone with movement between the Aligner and portable carts or in full integration with the FOX-XP system. As capacity and volume forecast increase, eliminating all manual interfaces for automated handling can become critical. The added automation capability of our new Aligner gives our wafer level test and burn-in offering even greater value and opens several incremental markets to Aehr, such as high-volume processors and chipsets with integrated photonics transceivers, flash and ultimately DRAM memories. This capability is also important for high volume, high mix devices requiring extremely high reliability and 100% burn-in such as automotive microcontrollers and sensors. We have received positive feedback on our new Aligner from multiple current and prospective customers across several markets and believe it will be an important addition to our product portfolio going forward.
“The market forecast for wafer level burn-in products is significant. William Blair estimates that the total available market for wafer level burn-in products for silicon carbide alone will be over $400 million by 2027. We believe Aehr has the potential to capture a significant portion of that market based on the level of silicon carbide engagements we have with customers across the globe.
“We start fiscal 2024 with an effective backlog of almost $40 million and a strong forecast from our current and prospective customers. Our engagements with numerous potential customers give us confidence in our growth expectations over the next several years, including record revenue and profit projections for this current fiscal year that ends next May, particularly as the positive momentum in demand for silicon carbide in electric vehicles continues to accelerate.”
Fiscal 2024 Financial Guidance:
For the fiscal year ending May 31, 2024, Aehr expects total revenue to be at least $100 million, representing growth of over 50% year over year, and GAAP net income of at least $28 million, representing earnings growth of greater than 90% year over year.
Management Conference Call and Webcast
Aehr Test Systems will host a conference call and webcast today at 5:00 p.m. Eastern (2:00 p.m. PT) to discuss its fiscal 2023 fourth quarter and full year operating results. To access the live call, dial +1 844-735- 3765 (US and Canada) or +1 412-317-5712 (International) and ask to join the Aehr Test Systems earnings call.
In addition, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available over the Internet at www.aehr.com in the Investor Relations section and may also be accessed by clicking here. A replay of the conference call will also be available via telephone beginning approximately two hours after conclusion of the call and will remain available for one week. To access the call replay, dial +1 877-344-7529 (US and Canada) or +1 412-317-0088 (International) and enter replay passcode 7898611.
Original – Aehr Test Systems
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Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation has launched the “TRSxxx65H series,” the company’s third and latest generation of silicon carbide (SiC) Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) for industrial equipment. Volume shipments of the first 12 products, all 650V, start today, with seven products housed in TO-220-2L packages and five in DFN8×8 packages.
The new products use a new metal in a third generation SiC SBD chip that optimizes the junction barrier Schottky (JBS) structure of the second generation products. They achieve industry-leading low forward voltage of 1.2V (Typ.), 17% lower than the 1.45V (Typ.) of the previous generation.
They also improve the trade-offs between forward voltage and total capacitive charge, and between forward voltage and reverse current, which reduces power dissipation and contributes to high efficiency of equipment.
Applications
- Switching power supplies
- EV charging stations
- Photovoltaic inverters
Features
- Industry-leading low forward voltage: VF＝1.2V (Typ.) (IF=IF(DC))
- Low reverse current:
TRS6E65H IR＝1.1μA (Typ.) (VR=650V) - Low total capacitive charge:
TRS6E65H QC＝17nC (Typ.) (VR=400V, f=1MHz)
Original – Toshiba
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ROHM has reached a basic agreement with Solar Frontier K.K. to acquire the assets of Solar Frontier’s former Kunitomi Plant, located in Japan. The acquisition is scheduled to take place in October 2023 and will belong to the ROHM Group’s main production bases.
The role of semiconductors, one of ROHM’s core business fields is becoming increasingly important to achieving a decarbonized society.
In particular, the automotive and industrial equipment markets are undergoing technological innovation such as electrification in order to reduce environmental impact and achieve carbon neutrality. With this, the demand is increasing – especially for power and analog semiconductors.
As further expansion of the semiconductor market is expected, the ROHM Group intends to expand its production capacity continuously, particularly for silicon carbide (SiC) power devices, and ensure a stable supply to ROHM’s customers.
Original – ROHM
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AdvanSiC has officially launched their project website. The objective of AdvanSiC is to develop, produce, test, and validate cost-effective HV SiC MOSFET semiconductors in MVDC grid applications, a full-scale wind converter, a full-scale solar inverter, and a solid-state circuit breaker for DC converter stations.
The aim is to minimize HV SiC device cost by advancing novel design structures and process optimization. Beyond this, we shall assure an immune and reliable environment to handle SiC fast transients, as well as optimize passives and cooling system to provide cost reduction not only at device level but also at system level.
The goal of AdvanSiC is to provide industrial leadership in key and emerging technologies to SMEs, start-ups, and industry from Europe to Europe, specifically in a technology that will be key to provide clean and affordable energy.
Original – AdvanSiC
