-
The European Commission approved funding under the European Chips Act for the Infineon Technologies AG Smart Power Fab in Dresden. The official funding approval from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), which is responsible for the disbursement of EU Chips Act funding, is still pending and is expected within the next few months.
Additionally, the Smart Power Fab is already receiving support under the European Commission’s IPCEI ME/CT (“Important Project of Common European Interest on Microelectronics and Communication Technologies”) innovation program. The total funding for the Dresden site amounts to around one billion euros. Construction began in March 2023 and is progressing successfully. The Fab opening is planned for 2026.
“This government-supported investment by Infineon strengthens the position of Dresden, Germany and Europe as a semiconductor hub and promotes a state-of-the-art innovation and production ecosystem for microelectronics,” says Jochen Hanebeck, CEO of Infineon. “We are increasing semiconductor capacity in Europe and thus helping secure stable supply chains in automotive, security and industrial fields.”
Infineon is investing a total of five billion euros in the expansion of its Dresden site. The German federal government previously approved the early start of the project. The new development will create up to 1,000 new jobs, not including the additional jobs created in the ecosystem of the investment. Experts assume a positive job effect of 1:6. The core of the Smart Power Fab will focus on technologies that further accelerate decarbonization and digitalization for example by driving energy-efficient power solutions for Artificial Intelligence.
In addition to the funding for the expansion of manufacturing in Dresden, Infineon is also leveraging the IPCEI ME/CT innovation program to drive investments in research and development at other corporate locations. Between 2022 and 2027 Infineon will have invested 2.3 billion euros in innovation projects at its sites in Germany and Austria, concentrated in the fields of power electronics, analog/mixed-signal technologies, sensor technologies and radio frequency applications.
As part of the EU funding programs, Infineon is furthermore planning comprehensive measures to promote partnership between science and industry. A central element is close collaboration with European universities, research institutions and start-ups. Infineon offers talented young individuals a platform for developing and advancing sustainable innovations. These activities promote the hands-on application of scientific knowledge and strengthen Europe’s position as an innovation hub.
Original – Infineon Technologies
-
Navitas Semiconductor is set to unveil a breakthrough in power conversion that will create a paradigm shift across multiple major end markets. These developments include both semiconductor and system innovations which are expected to drive major improvements in energy efficiency & power density and further accelerate the adoption of gallium nitride and silicon carbide technologies to displace silicon.
The live-streamed event will take place on March 12th at 8 am PST and will be re-streamed (in both Chinese and English) at 6 pm PST.
Co-founders, Gene Sheridan (CEO), Dan Kinzer (CTO, COO) and Jason Zhang (VP Engineering) will uncover this next inflection in power conversion, including technology details, specific application examples and describe the expected market impacts & business opportunities from these innovations.
- Register now, 8 am Pacific: https://bit.ly/NavitasLiveEvent-8am-PT
- Register now, 6 pm Pacific: https://bit.ly/NavitasLiveEvent-6pm-PT
Original – Navitas Semiconductor
-
Infineon Technologies AG has made significant progress on its 200 mm silicon carbide (SiC) roadmap. The company will already release the first products based on the advanced 200 mm SiC technology to customers in Q1 2025. The products, manufactured in Villach, Austria, provide first-class SiC power technology for high-voltage applications, including renewable energies, trains, and electric vehicles. Additionally, the transition of Infineon’s manufacturing site in Kulim, Malaysia, from 150-millimeter wafers to the larger and more efficient 200-millimeter diameter wafers is fully on track. The newly built Module 3 is poised to commence high-volume production aligned with market demand.
“The implementation of our SiC production is progressing as planned and we are proud of the first product releases to customers,” said Dr. Rutger Wijburg, Chief Operations Officer of Infineon. “By ramping up SiC production in Villach and Kulim in phases, we are improving cost-efficiency and continuing to ensure product quality. At the same time, we are making sure our manufacturing capacities can meet the demand for SiC-based power semiconductors.”
SiC semiconductors have revolutionized high-power applications by switching electricity even more efficiently, demonstrating high reliability and robustness under extreme conditions, and by making even smaller designs possible. Infineon’s SiC products let customers develop energy-efficient solutions for electric vehicles, fast charging stations and trains as well as renewable energy systems and AI data centers.
The release to customers of the first SiC products based on the 200-millimeter wafer technology marks a substantial step forward in Infineon’s SiC roadmap, with a strong focus on providing customers with a comprehensive portfolio of high-performance power semiconductors that promote green energy and contribute to CO 2 reduction.
As “Infineon One Virtual Fab” for highly innovative wide-bandgap (WBG) technologies, Infineon’s production sites in Villach and Kulim share technologies and processes which allow for fast ramping and smooth and highly efficient operations in SiC and gallium nitride (GaN) manufacturing. The 200-millimeter SiC manufacturing activities now add to Infineon’s strong track record of delivering industry-leading semiconductor technology and power system solutions and strengthen the company’s technology leadership across the entire spectrum of power semiconductors, in silicon as well as in SiC and GaN.
Original – Infineon Technologies
-
The electronics industry is experiencing a significant shift towards more compact and powerful systems. To support this trend and further drive innovation at the system level, Infineon Technologies AG is expanding its portfolio of discrete CoolSiC™ MOSFETs 650 V with two new product families housed in Q-DPAK and TOLL packages.
These diverse product families, with top- and bottom-side cooling, are based on the CoolSiC™ Generation 2 (G2) technology and offer significantly improved performance, reliability, and ease of use. The product families target high- and medium-power switched-mode power supplies (SMPS) including AI servers, renewable energy, chargers for electric vehicles, e-mobility and humanoid robots, televisions, drives and solid-state circuit breakers.
The TOLL package offers outstanding Thermal Cycling on Board (TCoB) capability, enabling compact system designs by reducing the printed circuit board (PCB) footprint. When used in SMPS, it can also reduce system-level manufacturing costs. The TOLL package now fits an extended list of target applications, enabling PCB designers to further reduce costs and better meet market demands.
The introduction of the Q-DPAK package complements the ongoing development of Infineon’s new family of Topside Cooled (TSC) products, which includes CoolMOS™ 8, CoolSiC™, CoolGaN™ and OptiMOS™. The TSC family enables customers to achieve excellent robustness with maximum power density and system efficiency at low cost. It also enables direct heat dissipation of 95 percent, allowing the use of both sides of the PCB for better space management and reduction of parasitic effects.
The CoolSiC™ MOSFETs 650 V G2 in TOLL are now available in R DS(on) from 10 to 60 mΩ, while the Q-DPAK variant is available in 7, 10, 15 and 20 mΩ.
Original – Infineon Technologies
-
SemiQ Inc has announced the QSiC 1200V MOSFET, a third-generation SiC device that shrinks the die size while improving switching speeds and efficiency.
The device is 20% smaller versus QSiC’s second-generation SiC MOSFETs and has been developed to increase performance and cut switching losses in high-voltage applications. SemiQ is targeting a diverse range of markets including EV‑charging stations, solar inverters, industrial power supplies and induction heating.
It will be on display for the first time at the Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC), on March 16-20, 2025.
In addition to having a drain-to-source voltage (VDS) of 1200 V, the MOSFET reduces total switching losses to 1646 µJ and has a low on-resistance (RDS,on) of 16.1 mΩ. It is available as a bare die or in a four-pin TO-247 4L discrete package measuring 31.4 x 16.1 x 4.8 mm, which includes a reliable body diode and a driver-source pin for gate driving.
High-quality Known Good Die (KGD) testing has been conducted using UV tape and Tape & Reels, with all parts undergoing testing and verification at voltages exceeding 1400V, as well as being avalanche tested to 800 mJ. Reliability is further improved through the device’s 100% wafer-level gate oxide burn-in screening and 100% UIL testing of discrete packaged devices.
The device has been developed to have a low reverse recovery charge (QRR 470 nC) and lower capacitance, improving switching speed, switching losses, EMI and overall efficiency; to be easy to parallel; and with a longer creepage distance (9 mm), improving electrical insulation, voltage tolerance and reliability.
Dr. Timothy Han, President at SemiQ said: “The move to Gen3 SiC further increases the benefits of SiC MOSFETs over IGBTs. These devices not only deliver vastly improved performance, but cut die size and cost versus previous generations. As a result, the launch of the QSiC 1200V opens the technology, and its benefits, to a far greater range of applications. The device delivers industry leading performance figures, notably on gate threshold voltage, and we’re delighted to be demonstrating this first at APEC.”
The QSiC 1200V MOSFETs has a continuous operational and storage temperature of -55oC to 175oC. It has a recommended operational gate-source voltage of -4/18 V, with a VGSmax of -8/22 V, and a power dissipation of 484 W (core and junction temperature 25oC).
For static electrical characteristics, the device has a junction-to-case thermal resistance of 0.26oC per watt (40oC per watt junction to ambient). Its Zero gate voltage drain current is 100 nA, with a gate-source voltage current of 10 nA. Its AC characteristics include a turn-on delay time of 21 ns with rise time of 25 ns; its turn-off delay time is 65 ns with a fall time of 20 ns.
An increased range of resistances is available in bare-die and TO-247 4L packages with the following options:
- 16 mΩ: GP3T016A120X / GP3T016A120H
- 20 mΩ: GP3T020A120X / GP3T020A120H
- 40 mΩ: GP3T040A120X / GP3T040A120H
- 80 mΩ: GP3T080A120X / GP3T040A120H
Both the 16 mΩ (AS3T016A120X / AS3T016A120H) and 40 mΩ (AS3T040A120X / AS3T040A120H) options have been qualified for Automotive Applications Product Validation according to AEC-Q101.
The SemiQ QSiC 1200V will be on display at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, from March 16 to 20, 2025. Visitors to SemiQ’s booth #1348 will have the opportunity to explore the new third-generation MOSFETs.
Original – SemiQ
-
SUMCO Corporation announced plans to transfer wafer production from the Miyazaki Plant of consolidated subsidiary SUMCO TECHXIV Corporation to other manufacturing facilities, with the aim of improving profitability by reorganizing the production of silicon wafers of 200 mm and smaller.
The current silicon wafer market environment is in a prolonged sluggish demand phase, due to such factors as the drop-off from extraordinary demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, and structural changes in the semiconductor supply chain occasioned by US-China friction.
Drawdown of 300 mm wafer inventories by customers is taking time, as semiconductor production adjustments continue; but overall demand is expected to recover gradually thanks to strong needs for leadingedge products for AI semiconductors and high-performance memory. Demand remains sluggish, however, for small-diameter wafers mainly for consumer, industrial, and automotive uses. Wafers of 150 mm and smaller, in particular, are expected to see falling demand, with customers shifting to 200 mm wafers or lowering their production capacity as manufacturing equipment reaches its end of life.
In this market environment, the SUMCO Group has decided to reorganize the Miyazaki Plant to improve efficiency through consolidation of the production capacity of small wafers. The Miyazaki Plant will become a factory solely for monocrystalline production, while wafer production will be transferred to other domestic plants in the SUMCO Group and to Indonesia, ending wafer production in Miyazaki by the end of 2026.
SUMCO intends to reassign employees affected by the reorganization to 300 mm wafer operations after the end of wafer production in Miyazaki. With this reorganization, expenses for business structural reforms have been posted for fiscal 2024 as extraordinary losses totaling 5.8 billion yen, consisting of an impairment loss on non-current assets of 4.6 billion yen and an inventory write-down, etc., of 1.2 billion yen.
The SUMCO Group is committed to ongoing efficiency-raising initiatives, including reorganization of production facilities. Moreover, with the accelerating pace of innovation in semiconductor technology, in addition to strategically making use of advanced manufacturing equipment currently under preparation for operation, we will focus management resources on modernizing equipment in existing 300 mm plants and boost our capacity for supplying leading-edge products for AI with their remarkable growth, as we strive to further raise our corporate value.
Original – SUMCO
-
Navitas Semiconductor announced its adoption of both technologies into Dell’s family of notebook adapters, from 60 W to 360 W.
Enabled by over 20 years of SiC technology leadership, GeneSiC leads on performance of SiC MOSFETs with patented ‘trench-assisted planar’ technology and 5th-gen GeneSiC silicon carbide (SiC) diodes to deliver high-speed, high-efficiency performance with proprietary ’low-knee’ technology for cool operation.
Navitas’ GaNFast power ICs enable high-frequency, high-efficiency power conversion, achieving 3x more power and 3x faster charging in half the size and weight compared to prior designs with legacy silicon power devices.
Navitas GaN & SiC technology together enables Dell to provide high-speed charging, with highest efficiency, coolest temperature, smallest size, and lowest material count. Dell’s latest line-up of AI notebooks includes Neural Processor Units (NPUs), which are dedicated AI engines, to manage sustained AI and AI offload. This builds on Dell’s portfolio as the broadest GaN adapter offering for notebooks in the industry.
The new adapters will also help Dell achieve its advanced sustainability goals, with a focus on CO2 reduction and energy reduction. The adapter cases require up to 50% less plastic and are made with post-recycled materials, significantly reducing energy waste, and improving resource utilization. Navitas’ GaNFast and GeneSiC technologies increase the level of system integration and switching frequency, which reduces the number of components, as well as the size, resulting in a ‘dematerialization’ that lowers carbon footprint throughout the production, packaging, and logistics processes. Each GaNFast power IC shipped saves 4 kg CO2 and every SiC MOSFET shipped saves 25 kg CO2 vs. legacy silicon power chips.
“Since Dell’s first GaN adapter was enabled by Navitas back in 2020, we’ve worked closely with Dell engineering to further improve charging speed, efficiency, size, weight, and now environmental footprint”, said Gene Sheridan, CEO and co-founder of Navitas. “Dell’s new adapters are an optimal solution for speed, portability, and sustainability. Our clients achieve a win-win for both the market and environment by deploying Navitas GaNFast power ICs and GeneSiC power devices.”
Original – Navitas Semiconductor
-
Vincotech announced the release of flow E3BP, an advancement of the company’s widely adopted flow 2 and flow E3 housing. Engineered to meet the increasingly challenging requirements for next-gen systems, the flow E3BP is the next step up the evolutionary ladder in power module technology across applications.
Designed to boost thermal performance and maximize power density, this advanced housing is the go-to option for high-power systems and next-generation applications. Featuring a specially treated surface, its convex baseplate provides a superior thermal contact to better disperse heat and handle more power with a smaller footprint.
The module’s CTI600 housing material holds up well to higher system voltages. Its isolation walls increase creepage and clearance distances. Pre-applied thermal interface material is optionally available, as are Press-fit pins. Rolling efficiency, reliability, and innovation into one exceptionally useful housing, the new flow E3BP meets demand for faster time to market, higher power ratings, and greater power density. An excellent fit for many different applications, it marks another stride towards a more sustainable future.
Developed with the increasingly challenging demands of renewable energy systems in mind, the flow E3BP is a remarkably efficient power module. Among others, it enables customers to design 350+ kW utility string PV inverters with just a single housing per phase, cutting 30% of the cost for a dual-module solution. It also serves to reduce the heatsink area by as much as 34% compared to flow E3, thereby increasing power density to 51%.
Chosen for its low inductivity, the new flow E3BP figures prominently in solar and ESS inverters for the utility and commercial segments. Today’s flow E3BP housing meets tomorrow’s 2000 V systems’ high voltage requirements, and the company aims to extend this product portfolio to address further applications such as motion control, industrial drives, and EV charging stations.
Determined to enable customers to bring their ideas to life, Vincotech continues to develop its range of power module housings, which now encompasses 24 options rated from less than 10 kW up to MW. The flow 2, flow S3, and flow E3 housings see wide use in solar and ESS applications. The latest addition to the line, the leading-edge flow E3BP, supports beyond 350 kW and pushes the envelope for PV and ESS solutions.
Original – Vincotech
-
As the world continues to face the challenges of climate change and environmental sustainability, Infineon Technologies AG is at the forefront of innovation, harnessing the power of all relevant semiconductor materials including silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), and gallium nitride (GaN) to drive meaningful progress towards decarbonization and digitalization.
In its 2025 predictions – GaN power semiconductors, Infineon highlights that gallium nitride will be a game-changing semiconductor material revolutionizing the way we approach energy efficiency and decarbonization across consumer, mobility, residential solar, telecommunication, and AI data center industries. GaN provides significant benefits in end customers’ applications enabling efficient performance, smaller size, lighter weight, and lower overall cost. While USB-C chargers and adapters have been the forerunners, GaN is now on its way to reaching tipping points in its adoption in further industries, substantially driving the market for GaN-based power semiconductors.
”Infineon is committed to driving decarbonization and digitalization through innovation based on all semiconductor materials Si, SiC, and GaN,” said Johannes Schoiswohl, Head of the GaN Business Line at Infineon. “The relevance of comprehensive power systems will increase with GaN manifesting its role due to its benefits in efficiency, density, and size. Given that cost-parity with silicon is in sight, we will see an increased adoption rate for GaN this year and beyond.
Powering AI will be highly depending on GaN. The rapid increase of required computing power and energy demand in AI data centers will drive the need for advanced solutions capable of handling the substantial loads associated with AI servers. Power supplies that once managed 3.3 kW are now evolving towards 5.5 kW, with projections moving towards 12 kW or more per unit. By leveraging GaN, AI data centers can improve power density, which directly influences the amount of computational power that can be delivered within a given rack space. While GaN presents clear advantages, hybrid approaches combining GaN with Si and SiC are ideal for meeting the requirements of AI data centers and achieving the best trade-offs between efficiency, power density and system cost.
In the home appliance market, Infineon expects GaN to gain significant traction, driven by the need for higher energy efficiency ratings in applications like washing machines, dryers, refrigerators and water/heat pumps. In 800 W applications, for example, GaN can enable a two percent efficiency gain, which can help manufacturers achieve the coveted A ratings. According to Infineon, GaN-based on-board chargers and DC-DC converters in electric vehicles will contribute to a higher charging efficiency, power density, and material sustainability, with a shift towards 20 kW+ systems. Together with high-end SiC solutions, GaN will also enable more efficient traction inverters for both 400 V and 800 V EV systems, contributing to an increased driving range.
In 2025 and beyond, robotics will see widespread adoption of GaN supported by the material’s ability to enhance compactness, driving growth in delivery drones, care robots and humanoid robots. As robotics technology integrates AI advancements like natural language processing and computer vision, GaN will provide the efficiency required for compact, high-performance designs. Integrating inverters within the motor chassis eliminates the inverter heatsink while reducing cabling to each joint/axis and simplifying EMC design.
Infineon is further pushing investment in GaN research and development to overcome the challenges of cost and scalability. With the broadest product and IP portfolio, the highest quality standards, leading-edge innovations such as 300 mm GaN wafer manufacturing and bidirectional switch (BDS) transistors, the company is bolstering its leading role in driving decarbonization and digitalization based on all relevant semiconductor materials including gallium nitride.
Download the “2025 GaN predictions” ebook here.
Original – Infineon Technologies
-
FORVIA HELLA, an international automotive supplier, has selected the new CoolSiC™ Automotive MOSFET 1200 V from Infineon Technologies AG for its next generation 800 V DCDC charging solution. Designed for on-board charger and DCDC applications in 800 V automotive architectures, Infineon’s CoolSiC MOSFET comes in a Q-DPAK package. The device uses top-side cooling (TSC) technology, which enables excellent thermal performance, easier assembly and lower system costs.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with FORVIA HELLA, leveraging our high-efficiency SiC products based on TSC packages,” said Robert Hermann, Vice President of Automotive High-Voltage Chips and Discretes at Infineon. “We are continuously working to take e-mobility to the next level by providing state-of-the-art SiC solutions that meet the automotive industry’s stringent requirements for performance, quality, and system cost.”
“Our customers are at the center of our efforts. That is why we have chosen Infineon’s CoolSiC Automotive MOSFET 1200 V for our next generation of DCDC converters”, said Guido Schütte, Member of the Electronics Executive Board at FORVIA HELLA. “Together with Infineon, we will continue to offer sustainable and innovative products and comprehensive services that exceed our customers’ expectations and drive the development of advanced mobility.”
Infineon’s new CoolSiC Automotive MOSFET 1200 V in the Q-DPAK package is based on Gen1p technology and offers a drive voltage in the range of V GS(off)= 0 V and V GS(on)= 20 V. The 0 V turn-off enables unipolar gate control, which simplifies design by reducing the number of components in the PCB.
With a creepage distance of 4.8 mm, the package achieves an operating voltage of over 900 V without the need for additional insulation coating. Compared to backside cooling, the TSC technology ensures optimized PCB assembly, reducing parasitic effects and resulting in significantly lower leakage inductances. As a result, customers benefit from lower package parasitics and lower switching losses. Heat dissipation is further improved by diffusion soldering the chip with .XT technology.
Original – Infineon Technologies
