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Infineon Technologies AG launched a new automotive power module: The HybridPACK™ Drive G2. It builds on the well-established HybridPACK Drive G1 concept of an integrated B6 package, offering scalability within the same footprint and extending it to higher power and ease-of-use. The HybridPACK Drive G2 will be available with different current ratings, voltage levels (750V and 1200V) and Infineon’s next generation chip technologies EDT3 (Si IGBT) and CoolSiC™ G2 MOSFET.
With a power range of up to 300 kW within the 750 V and 1200 V classes, the HybridPACK Drive G2 provides high ease-of-use and new features, such as an integration option for next-generation phase current sensor and on-chip temperature sensing, which enable system cost improvements. The power module achieves higher performance and power density through improved assembly and interconnect technology. The adoption of new interconnect technology (chip sintering) and of new materials (new black plastic housing) enables higher temperature rating, resulting in higher performance and longer product life.
The first generation (G1) of HybridPACK Drive was introduced in 2017, using silicon EDT2 technology. It offers a power range of 100 kW to 180 kW in the 750 V class. In 2021, Infineon expanded its product family with the first generation of HybridPACK Drive Automotive CoolSiC MOSFETs, which allowed the inverter design to achieve higher power up to 250 kW within the 1200 V class, longer driving range, smaller battery size and optimized system size and cost. With a track record of nearly 3 million units sold in various global electric vehicle platforms, the HybridPACK Drive is now Infineon’s market-leading power module.
The lead products (FS1150R08, FS01MR08, FS02MR12) of the new HybridPACK Drive G2 are in production and will be available starting May 2023, with additional product variants to follow in 2023 and 2024. More information is available at www.infineon.com/hybridpackdrive.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Bosch is expanding its semiconductor business with silicon carbide chips. The technology company plans to acquire assets of the U.S. chipmaker TSI Semiconductors, based in Roseville, California. With a workforce of 250, the company is a foundry for application-specific integrated circuits, or ASICs. Currently, it mainly develops and produces large volumes of chips on 200-millimeter silicon wafers for applications in the mobility, telecommunications, energy, and life sciences industries. Over the next years, Bosch intends to invest more than 1.5 billion USD in the Roseville site and convert the TSI Semiconductors manufacturing facilities to state-of-the-art processes. Starting in 2026, the first chips will be produced on 200-millimeter wafers based on the innovative material silicon carbide (SiC).
In this way, Bosch is systematically reinforcing its semiconductor business, and will have significantly extended its global portfolio of SiC chips by the end of 2030. Above all, the global boom and ramp-up of electromobility are resulting in huge demand for such special semiconductors. The full scope of the planned investment will be heavily dependent on federal funding opportunities available via the CHIPS and Science Act as well as economic development opportunities within the State of California. Bosch and TSI Semiconductors have reached an agreement to not to disclose any financial details of the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval.
“With the acquisition of TSI Semiconductors, we are establishing manufacturing capacity for SiC chips in an important sales market while also increasing our semiconductor manufacturing, globally. The existing clean-room facilities and expert personnel in Roseville will allow us to manufacture SiC chips for electromobility on an even larger scale,” says Dr. Stefan Hartung, the chairman of the Bosch board of management. “The location in Roseville has existed since 1984. Over nearly 40 years, the U.S. company has built up vast expertise in semiconductor production. We will now be integrating this expertise into the Bosch semiconductor manufacturing network,” says Dr. Markus Heyn, member of the Bosch board of management and chairman of the Mobility Solutions business sector. “We are pleased to join a globally operating technology company with extensive semiconductor expertise. We are confident that our Roseville location will be a significant addition to Bosch’s SiC chipmaking operations,” says Oded Tal, CEO at TSI Semiconductors.
The new location in Roseville will reinforce Bosch’s international semiconductor manufacturing network. Starting in 2026, following a retooling phase, first SiC chips will be produced on 200-millimeter wafers in a facility offering roughly 10,000 square meters of clean-room space. At an early stage, Bosch invested in the development and production of SiC chips. Since 2021, it has been using its own proprietary, highly complex processes to mass-produce them at its Reutlingen location near Stuttgart. In the future, Reutlingen will also produce them on 200-millimeters wafers. By the end of 2025, the company will have extended its clean-room space in Reutlingen from roughly 35,000 to more than 44,000 square meters. “SiC chips are a key component for electrified mobility. By extending our semiconductor operations internationally, we are strengthening our local presence in an important electric vehicle market,” Heyn says.
Demand for chips for the automotive industry remains high. By 2025, Bosch expects to have an average of 25 of its chips integrated in every new vehicle. The market for SiC chips is also continuing to grow fast – by 30 percent a year on average. The main drivers of this growth are the global boom and ramp-up of electromobility. In electric vehicles, SiC chips enable greater range and more efficient recharging, as they use up to 50 percent less energy. Installed in these vehicles’ power electronics, they ensure that a vehicle can drive a significantly longer distance on one battery charge – on average, the possible range is 6 percent greater than with silicon-based chips.
Semiconductors are key to the success of all Bosch business areas. The company recognized the potential of this technology early on, and has been producing semiconductors for more than 60 years. Bosch is one of the few companies to have not only electronic and software expertise but also a profound understanding of microelectronics. It can combine this decisive competitive advantage with its strength in semiconductor manufacturing. The supplier of technology and services has been manufacturing semiconductors in Reutlingen since 1970. They are used both in the automotive sphere and in consumer electronics. Modern electronics in vehicles is also the basis for reducing traffic emissions, preventing road accidents, and efficient powertrains. Production at the Bosch wafer fab in Dresden (300-millimeter wafers) started in July 2021. At nearly one billion euros, the wafer fab is the biggest single investment in the company’s history.
In its wafer fabs in Reutlingen and Dresden, Bosch has invested more than 2.5 billion euros in total since 200-millimeter technology was introduced in 2010. On top of this, billions of euros have been invested in developing microelectronics. Independently of the investment now planned in the United States, the company announced in summer last year that it will be investing a further 3 billion euros in its semiconductor business in Europe, both as part of its investment planning and with the aid of the EU’s “Important Project of Common European Interest on Microelectronics and Communication Technologies” program.
Original – Bosch
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Infineon Technologies AG and Schweizer Electronic AG are collaborating on an innovative way to further increase the efficiency of chips based on silicon carbide (SiC). Both partners are developing a solution to embed Infineon’s 1200 V CoolSiC™ chips directly onto printed circuit boards (PCB). This will increase the range of electric vehicles and reduce the total system costs.
The two companies have already demonstrated the potential of this new approach: They were able to embed a 48 V MOSFET in the PCB. This resulted in a 35 percent increase in performance. SCHWEIZER contributes to this success with its innovative p²Pack® solution which enables power semiconductors to be embedded in PCBs.
“Our joint goal is to take automotive power electronics to the next level,” said Robert Hermann, Product Line Head Automotive High-Voltage Discretes and Chips, of Infineon. “The low-inductive environment of a PCB allows clean and fast switching. Combined with the leading performance of 1200 V CoolSiC™ devices, chip embedding enables highly integrated and efficient inverters that reduce overall system costs.”
“With Infineon’s 100 percent electrically tested standard cells (S-Cell), we can achieve high overall yields in the p² Pack manufacturing process,” said Thomas Gottwald, Vice President Technology at Schweizer Electronic AG. “The fast-switching characteristics of the CoolSiC chips are optimally supported by the low-inductance interconnection that can be achieved with the p² Pack. This leads to increased efficiency and improved reliability of power conversion units such as traction inverters, DC-DC converters, or on-board chargers.”
Original – Infineon Technologies
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onsemi, a leader in intelligent power and sensing technologies, and premium electric mobility brand ZEEKR announced a long-term supply agreement (LTSA) between the two companies. onsemi will provide its EliteSiC silicon carbide (SiC) power devices to increase the powertrain efficiency of ZEEKR’s smart electric vehicles (EVs), resulting in improved performance, faster charging speeds and extended driving range.
To support its expanding portfolio of high-performance EVs, ZEEKR will adopt onsemi EliteSiC MOSFET, 1200V, M3E with enhanced electrical and mechanical performance and reliability. These power devices deliver improved power and thermal efficiency, which reduces the size and weight of the traction inverter and enhances the range of the automaker’s EVs.
“With cutting-edge technologies such as advanced SiC, ZEEKR will be able to offer electric vehicles with improved performance and even lower carbon emissions,” said Andy An, CEO of ZEEKR Intelligent Technology. “As a brand committed to sustainability, ZEEKR will continue to explore different ways to accelerate the transition towards new energy vehicles.”
The new LTSA will enable both companies to build a stronger supply chain relationship to support ZEEKR’s growth over the next decade.
“A reliable supply chain is critical to business success and, after significant investments in our SiC end-to-end supply chain, onsemi can offer this strategic value to customers,” said Hassane El-Khoury, president and CEO, onsemi. “This agreement will help our continued ramp of SiC operations, enabling us to offer industry-leading power devices that help our customers deploy the most efficient and highest performing EVs on the market.”
ZEEKR is a premium electric mobility brand built to address the global demand for premium EVs. Utilizing Geely’s advanced Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA), ZEEKR develops in-house battery technologies, battery management systems, electric motor technologies and electric vehicle supply chain support.
Original – onsemi
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Semiconductor Power Electronics Center (SPEC) designed, fabricated, and characterized an implantation-free 3 kV 4H-SiC Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT). With a 40μm-wide Four-step Junction Termination Extension (JTE), an open base breakdown voltage (BVCEO) and an open emitter breakdown voltage (BVCBO) of more than 3000V are measured. The total width of the JTE is less than two times of the drift thickness (23μm), which can be considered as highly area efficient.
The designed BJT has a 1.2μm narrow base width with 1×1017cm-3 doping, where implantation-free Ohmic contact was achieved. The BJT exhibits an excellent on-resistance of 6.7mΩ·cm2 for small-size devices and an on-resistance of 39.7mΩ·cm2 for large-size devices. The measured current gain for devices with additional anneal process is 21.
Original – Semiconductor Power Electronics Center
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Semikron Danfoss and the Kyoto-based company ROHM Semiconductor have been collaborating for more than ten years with regards to the implementation of silicon carbide (SiC) inside power modules. Recently, Semikron Danfoss added ROHM’s new 1200V RGA IGBT to its low power module offering. In doing so, both companies show that they remain committed to serving worldwide motor drive customers’ needs.
The worldwide growth in electrification technologies has created unprecedented demand for power modules. Often, it is the chip supply that limits power module availability. Despite ongoing investments in production capacity by the chip manufacturers, the supply situation remains tight. It is against this backdrop that ROHM has introduced the new 1200V RGA IGBT, targeted as an alternative to the latest Generation 7 IGBT devices in industrial applications. ROHM is now expanding their bare die offering to Semikron Danfoss, positioning themselves as an advanced alternative to traditional chip suppliers.
“The RGA is a newly designed, light punch through, trench gate IGBT with Tj,max = 175°C. The conduction, switching, and thermal characteristics are optimized for new industrial drive applications in the low to medium power range. At the same time, the RGA is intended to remain compatible with existing IGBT solutions, enabling a multiple source approach. In addition, the RGA can also be used to improve transient overcurrent handling during overload conditions in motor drive applications,” says Kazuhide Ino, Member of the Board, Managing Executive Officer, CFO at ROHM.
Semikron Danfoss can offer the 1200V RGA IGBT in a full range of nominal current classes from 10A to 150A. This range, combined with the suitability of the RGA chip in motor drive applications, means that the MiniSKiiP family is the ideal choice for module implementation. The baseplate-less, spring-contact MiniSKiiP is already deeply embedded in the worldwide motor drive market and always equipped with the latest generation IGBTs. Therefore, it is important for this product to have an alternative IGBT source to diversify the supply chain. The uniform-height MiniSKiiP housing family is also offered on the market as a multiple source package, making an alternative IGBT a valuable option for manufacturers.
For press-fit/solder applications, the industry-standard SEMITOP E package will also be available in pin-compatible configurations to existing Generation 7 IGBT module offerings. This housing family will also offer sixpack (“GD”) and converter-inverter-brake (“DGDL”) circuit configurations.
“The power electronics industry continues to recover and learn lessons from the supply issues in recent years. It’s clear that diversification in semiconductor chip and module manufacturing is required to generate true ‘multiple source’ power modules”, says Claus A. Petersen, President, Semikron Danfoss. “In the case of 1200V Generation 7 IGBTs, a reliable equivalent from a reputable manufacturer is now available to address this issue also in the low power range. The 1200V RGA IGBT from ROHM is a perfect alternative to the Generation 7 IGBT and can be made to behave in a remarkably similar manner with small gate resistor adjustment,” continues Peter Sontheimer, Senior Vice President Industry Division & Managing Director at Semikron Danfoss.
Original – Semikron Danfoss
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Nexperia introduced a 650 V Silicon Carbide (SiC) Schottky diode designed for power applications which require ultra-high performance, low loss, and high efficiency. The 10 A, 650 V SiC Schottky diode is an industrial-grade part that addresses the challenges of demanding high voltage and high current applications. These include switched-mode power supplies, AC-DC and DC-DC converters, battery-charging infrastructure, uninterruptible power supplies and photovoltaic inverters and allow for more sustainable operations. Data centers, for example, equipped with power supplies designed using Nexperia’s PSC1065K SiC Schottky diode will be better placed to meet rigorous energy efficiency standards than those using solely silicon-based solutions.
The PSC1065K delivers leading-edge performance with temperature-independent capacitive switching and zero recovery behavior culminating in an outstanding figure-of-merit (QC x VF). Its excellent switching performance is almost entirely independent of current and switching speed variations. The merged PiN Schottky (MPS) structure of the PSC1065K provides additional benefits, such as outstanding robustness against surge currents that eliminates the need for additional protection circuitry. These features significantly reduce system complexity and enable hardware designers to achieve higher efficiency with smaller form factors in rugged high-power applications. Designers can be further reassured by Nexperia’s proven reputation as a supplier of high-quality products in a range of semiconductor technologies.
This SiC Schottky diode is encapsulated in a Real-2-Pin (R2P) TO-220-2 through-hole power plastic package. Additional package options include the surface mount (DPAK R2P and D2PAK R2P) and through-hole (TO-247-2) with a real 2-pin configuration that enhances reliability in high-voltage applications at temperatures up to 175 °C.
Katrin Feurle, Senior Director of the Product Group SiC at Nexperia, adds: “We are proud to offer a high-performance SiC Schottky diode that ranks among the top tier of currently available solutions. In an increasingly energy-conscious world, we are bringing greater choice and availability to the market as demand for high-volume, high-efficiency applications increases significantly.”
Nexperia plans to continuously augment its portfolio of SiC diodes by including automotive-grade parts that operate at 650 V and 1200 V voltages with currents in the 6-20 A range. Samples and production quantities of the new SiC diodes are available now.
Original – Nexperia
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Power electronics technologies have undergone a radical transformation following the introduction of wide-bandgap (WBG) devices, such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN). These materials, in fact, have characteristics that make them particularly suitable for applications that operate at high voltages and high switching frequencies. To fully exploit the potential offered by wide-bandgap semiconductors, designers must understand the challenges of these materials.
Power electronics design will continue to focus on reducing the size and complexity of devices while increasing their functionality. The design will increasingly incorporate AI and machine learning algorithms to improve performance, monitor system health, and optimize energy management. Future developments will be integrated not only in automotive, industrial, aerospace markets, but also with IoT technologies to create a more connected and automated energy system.
Semiconductor devices are used to drive motors and control power. As efficiency standards for these applications get better, cost-effective and energy-efficient control solutions, test and measurement solutions, and transducers/sensors make design easier and offer a high level of integration, as well as better safety features and certified isolation capabilities.
Moreover, using energy harvesting techniques and new power semiconductors to make electrical and electronic systems work as well as possible is an important part of engineering.
The PowerUP Expo is a three-day virtual conference and exhibition focusing on power electronics. With an exhibition area, live stage, and messaging center, the PowerUP Expo functions similarly to a live exhibition and conference. This technical conference will include a number of sessions including keynotes, panel discussions, technical presentations, and tutorials on a variety of subject matters, including significant technical trends, market demands, and new application areas. The exhibition area will include virtual booths from top power electronics businesses and a Live Chat facility that allows attendees to communicate with booth staff directly.
PowerUP offers an opportunity for engineers, managers, academics, and students from all over the world to learn the latest technological advances and applications in Power Electronics and to connect with each other in our community. The newest trends and advancements in the field of power electronics, from components to intelligent systems, are discussed by leaders in the industry.
Conference Tracks:
- June 27: Tutorial/Lectures, Panel Discussion & Conference Preview
- June 28: Wide Bandgap Semiconductors and Power Applications
- June 29: Power Conversion and Management Design Trends in low and high power
Detailed agenda can be found at PowerUP Expo.
Original – PowerUP Expo
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The technology group ZF will, from 2025, purchase silicon carbide devices from STMicroelectronics. Under the terms of the multi-year contract, ST will supply a volume of double-digit millions of silicon carbide devices to be integrated in ZF’s new modular inverter architecture going into series production in 2025. ZF will leverage ST’s vertically integrated silicon carbide manufacturing in Europe and Asia to secure customer orders in electromobility.
“With this strategically important step, we are strengthening our supply chain to be able to securely supply our customers. Our order book in electromobility until 2030 now amounts to more than thirty billion euros. For this volume, we need several reliable suppliers for silicon carbide devices,” says Stephan von Schuckmann, member of the ZF Board of Management responsible for electromobility as well as materials management. “In STMicroelectronics, we now have a supplier whose experience with complex systems meets our requirements and who, above all, can produce the devices in exceptionally high quality and at the required quantities.” With this agreement, ZF has gained a world-class supplier for silicon carbide technology, in addition to ZF’s existing partnership agreement on silicon carbide technology announced in February.
“As a vertically integrated company, we are investing heavily to expand capacity and develop our silicon carbide supply chain to support our global and European customers across automotive and industrial sectors, as they pursue electrification and decarbonization targets,” says Marco Monti, President Automotive and Discrete Group of STMicroelectronics. “The key to success in electric vehicle technology is greater scalability and modularity with increased efficiency, peak power, and affordability. Our silicon carbide technologies help deliver these benefits and we are proud to work with ZF, a leading automotive supplier for electrification, to help them differentiate and optimize the performance of their inverters.”
ST will manufacture the silicon carbide chips at its production fabs in Italy and Singapore with packaging of the chips into STPAK, an ST-developed advanced package, and testing at its back-end facilities in Morocco and China.
ST will supply ZF from 2025 with a volume of double-digit millions of third generation silicon carbide MOSFET devices. ZF can connect a variable number of such devices together to match customers’ performance requirements without changing the design of the inverter. Among others, ZF will use the technology in inverters for vehicles of a European car manufacturer whose production start is planned for 2025.
The inverter is the brain of electric drivetrains. It manages the flow of energy from battery to e-motor and vice versa. Inverters have become more efficient and more complex with every development step. The combination of the inverter design and the semiconductors, like silicon carbide, is the key to improving electric vehicle performance. Silicon carbide devices significantly reduce power losses in electric car inverters, as well as in wind turbine and photovoltaic inverters. Devices made with silicon carbide have decisive advantages over conventional silicon-based products, such as higher efficiency, power density and reliability. At the same time, they enable smaller and more cost-effective system designs. Simply put, an electric vehicle charges faster, drives further and has more space when equipped with silicon carbide-based semiconductors.
Original – STMicroelectronics
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DENSO CORPORATION announced that it has developed its first-ever inverter with silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors. This inverter, which is incorporated in the eAxle, an electric driving module developed by BluE Nexus Corporation, will be used in the new RZ, Lexus’ first dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV) model has been released on March 30, 2023.
SiC power semiconductors consist of silicon and carbon that significantly reduce power loss compared with silicon (Si) power semiconductors. The verification of cruising test in a certain condition, which test was performed by BEV consisted of SiC semiconductor inverters, demonstrated inverters with SiC power semiconductor reduce power loss less than half of ones with Si semiconductor. As a result, the energy efficiency of BEVs is improved and cruising range is extended.
Key elements of developing the new inverter:
- SiC power semiconductors with DENSO’s unique trench-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structure improve the output per chip due to reducing the power loss caused by heat generated. The unique structure achieved high voltage and low on-resistance operation.
Key elements of manufacturing the new inverter:
- Based on the high-quality technology jointly developed by DENSO and Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc., we utilize SiC epitaxial wafers that incorporate the results of work commissioned by New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). As a result, we have halved the number of crystal defects that prevent the device from operating normally due to the disorder of the atomic arrangement of the crystal.
- By reducing crystal defects, the quality of SiC power semiconductor devices used in vehicles and their stable production are ensured.
DENSO calls its SiC technology “REVOSIC®,” and uses it to comprehensively develop technologies for products ranging from wafers to semiconductor devices and modules such as power cards.
DENSO will contribute to the realization of a carbon-neutral society through development aimed at more efficient energy management for vehicles, while also utilizing the grant from Green Innovation Fund (GI Fund), which was adopted in 2022.
Original – Denso
