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Polar Semiconductor, the only U.S.-based manufacturer specializing in sensor, power, and high-voltage semiconductors, announced plans to expand its Bloomington, Minnesota manufacturing facility and branch into innovative technologies to serve new customers and markets. Polar expects to invest approximately $525 million in the expansion of the facility over the next two years, subject to receipt of appropriate approvals and federal, state, and local incentives.
Polar has signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms with the Department of Commerce, under which it would receive $120 million in proposed direct funding as part of the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act, and a $75 million investment from the State of Minnesota. In addition, Polar has entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which Niobrara Capital and Prysm Capital are leading an equity investment of $175 million, enabling Polar to transition to a U.S.-owned merchant foundry. Polar plans to claim the Department of the Treasury’s Investment Tax Credit, which is expected to be up to 25% of qualified capital expenditures.
Through these investments, Polar expects to:
- Double its current U.S. production capacity of 200mm semiconductor wafers, increasing production from approximately 20,000 wafers per month to nearly 40,000 wafers per month;
- Expand and modernize its facility with new automation and AI capabilities to become globally competitive through economies of scale;
- Better serve customers in automotive, aerospace and defense, optoelectronics, MEMS, and medical devices in the U.S. with cutting-edge semiconductor products; and
- Create over 160 new jobs to further strengthen Polar’s support of its community.
Surya Iyer, President and COO of Polar Semiconductor, said, “We are very pleased to announce this historic investment in Minnesota semiconductor manufacturing. Our expanded manufacturing facility will allow us to increase capacity and branch into innovative technologies to serve new customers and markets. Polar and its employees are grateful to the U.S. Department of Commerce and the State of Minnesota for their commitment to the future of American semiconductor manufacturing and appreciate the strong collaboration with the CHIPS Program Office, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (“DEED”), and the City of Bloomington, Minnesota, throughout this process. Polar is also pleased to welcome a significant equity investment from Niobrara Capital and Prysm Capital, which will allow the Company to become U.S.-owned, and for the continued support of our long-term partners, Sanken Electric and Allegro MicroSystems.”
Chip Schorr, Founder and Managing Partner of Niobrara Capital, said, “Polar is positioned to enable many of America’s most critical industries, such as aerospace and defense, automotive and medical, to have a dedicated, high performance, low cost, onshore source of power semiconductors and sensors. We are pleased to be partnering with the company to support its growth and the growth of U.S. technology manufacturing leadership.”
Jay Park, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Prysm Capital, said “The public and private investment in Polar is a testament to the strength of Polar’s offering and team and a significant event for onshore technology investment in America. We are already seeing robust demand for Polar’s planned capacity that exceeds our expectations and reinforces our confidence in Polar.”
“Thanks to President Biden’s leadership, with this announcement we are making taxpayer dollars go as far as possible to create jobs, secure our supply chains, and bolster manufacturing in Minnesota,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This proposed investment in Polar will crowd in private capital, which will help make Polar a U.S.-based, independent foundry. They will be able to expand their customer base and create a stable domestic supply of critical chips, made in America’s heartland.”
“When President Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act, he put a stake in the ground about the importance of semiconductor manufacturing in the United States,” said Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Arati Prabhakar. “This is where the President’s leadership changes communities and changes lives. This proposed federal investment will catalyze $525 million from private companies and the state of Minnesota to create a healthy supply of made-in-Minnesota semiconductors that are essential to producing cars, electrical grids, defense systems, and more.”
“The future of the semiconductor industry is being built right here in the United States, and Polar will be part of that innovation boom. Their high-voltage technology has critical customer end uses across the aerospace, automotive, and defense sectors, and this proposed investment would help them introduce new capabilities to manufacture the next generation of semiconductors,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and National Institute of Standards and Technology Director Laurie E. Locascio.
“If we want our country to continue leading the global economy, we must stay on the cutting edge of manufacturing. This landmark investment in Polar Semiconductor’s Bloomington facility will be a game changer for domestic semiconductor manufacturing,” said Senator Amy Klobuchar. “I’m proud to have worked with Polar Semiconductor to secure the resources needed to ensure Minnesota continues to be a leader in advanced manufacturing for decades to come.”
Governor Tim Walz said, “As a top state for innovation, education, and workforce training, Minnesota has an established reputation as a leader in the growing high-tech economy. We have been consistent and creative in our support for companies like Polar that want to establish and grow their businesses here in Minnesota. We’re grateful to the Commerce Department for its commitment to Minnesota’s future and its partnership with our state.”
The $75 million state award is through the Minnesota Forward Fund, a new DEED program Gov. Walz signed into law last year to invest $400 million in business growth and attract new companies to Minnesota. It also provides matching funds for companies seeking federal resources like CHIPS Act funding. This is the Minnesota Forward Fund’s first award.
“The Minnesota Forward Fund is one of the ways the Walz-Flanagan Administration is supporting innovative companies like Polar Semiconductor that are helping build Minnesota’s cutting-edge economy,” said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. “The number of semiconductor companies in Minnesota is growing, and they’re creating hundreds of new, high-paying jobs every year. I appreciate the Commerce Department’s support as we make this innovative industry even stronger.”
Polar Semiconductor is a leader of the Minnesota CHIPS Coalition, formed by the GREATER Minneapolis–Saint Paul Partnership, the economic development partnership for the 15-county region, in late 2022 after the passage of the federal CHIPS and Science Act. Composed of more than 70 organizations, including manufacturers, supply-chain partners, education and training providers, labor organizations, and state and local governments, the coalition is determined to reinvigorate the region’s legacy in technology and establish the Midwest’s semiconductor industry as a national leader.
“As a key leader in the Minnesota CHIPS Coalition, Polar Semiconductor is accelerating the growth of Minnesota’s existing semiconductor and microelectronics industry with their investment in Bloomington,” said Peter Frosch, President and CEO of the GREATER MSP Partnership. “Together with Polar and more than 70 organizations across industry, government, academia, and community, we have a shared ambition to double the size of the semiconductor and microelectronics industry in Minnesota by adding 10,000 more great jobs. The State of Minnesota’s $250 million match funds for CHIPS, along with federal grants, makes us ready to scale the industry here in Minnesota.”
Polar is leading the Minnesota CHIPS Coalition Workforce Partnership, in collaboration with semiconductor ecosystem companies, educational institutions, employment and training organizations, the Governor’s Workforce Development Board (GWDB), and DEED to develop the high-tech manufacturing workforce of the next generation.
Educational institution partners include the University of Minnesota, University of St. Thomas, Minnesota State College and University System, private technical colleges, and several high school systems in the state. The workforce partnership is already creating impact through training, upskilling, and apprenticeship programs, and will continue to build on its successful collaborative model, partially supported by investments from the State and CHIPS funding.
$1.6 million of Polar’s CHIPS award will be allocated towards its workforce development efforts. Additionally, the workforce partnership expects to leverage preeminent nationwide programs, for example SCALE (Indiana-based DoD program), to boost and supplement local efforts.
“Bloomington has always been a place where innovation thrives. Polar Semiconductor’s significant private investment in expanding its facilities, with potential direct funding from the CHIPS and Science Act and a substantial investment by the State of Minnesota, will boost our local economy and will contribute to the growth and vibrancy of semiconductor manufacturing in Bloomington,” said Bloomington Mayor Tim Busse. “We’re excited to see the tangible benefits of these investments right here in our city, bringing jobs and new opportunities for our workforce and community.”
Original – Polar Semiconductor
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Power Integrations announced an agreement to acquire the assets of Odyssey Semiconductor Technologies, a developer of vertical gallium-nitride (GaN) transistor technology. The transaction is expected to close in July 2024, after which all key Odyssey employees are expected to join Power Integrations’ technology organization.
The acquisition supports the company’s ongoing development roadmap for its proprietary PowiGaN™ technology, which is featured in many of the company’s product families including InnoSwitch™ ICs, HiperPFS™-5 power-factor-correction ICs and the recently launched InnoMux™-2 family of single-stage, multiple-output ICs. The company introduced 900- and 1250-volt versions of PowiGaN technology and products in 2023.
Commented Dr. Radu Barsan, Power Integrations’ vice president of technology: “Power Integrations has been at the forefront of GaN development and commercialization since we began shipping products with PowiGaN technology in 2018. We are executing on an ambitious roadmap that includes driving toward cost parity with silicon MOSFETs and expanding the voltage and power capabilities of PowiGaN.
Our goal is to commercialize a cost-effective high-current and high-voltage GaN technology to support higher-power applications currently served by silicon carbide (SiC), at a much lower cost and higher performance enabled by the fundamental material advantages of GaN over SiC. The experience of the Odyssey team in high-current vertical GaN will augment and accelerate these efforts, and we are delighted to add them to our team.”
Added Dr. Richard Brown, Odyssey co-founder and CEO: “The Odyssey team and I are excited to join Power Integrations in accelerating their GaN technology roadmap. As the first company to commercialize high-voltage GaN, Power Integrations continues to lead the industry in driving the technology forward in terms of cost, voltage and current, as well as the design of system-level products that take full advantage of the capabilities of GaN.”
Original – Power Integrations
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Infineon Technologies AG will provide silicon carbide (SiC) power modules HybridPACK™ Drive G2 CoolSiC™ and bare die products to Xiaomi EV for its recently announced SU7 until 2027. Infineon’s CoolSiC-based power modules allow for higher operating temperatures, resulting in best-in-class performance, driving dynamics and lifetime.
Traction inverters based on the technology can, for example, further increase electric vehicle range. The HybridPACK Drive is Infineon’s market-leading power module family for electric vehicles, with almost 8.5 million units sold since 2017.
Infineon provides two HybridPACK Drive G2 CoolSiC 1200 V modules for the Xiaomi SU7 Max. In addition, Infineon supplies Xiaomi EV with a broad range of products per car, including, for example, EiceDRIVER TM gate drivers and more than ten microcontrollers in various applications. The two companies also agreed to further cooperate on SiC automotive applications to fully utilize the benefits of Infineon’s SiC portfolio.
Zhenyu Huang, Vice President of Xiaomi EV and General Manager of the Supply Chain Department, said: “Infineon is an important partner with leading technologies and resilient manufacturing capabilities in power semiconductors as well as a highly scalable microcontroller product portfolio. The cooperation between the two companies will not only help stabilize the supply of silicon carbide for Xiaomi EV, but also help us build a high-performance, safe and reliable luxury car with leading-edge features for our customers.”
Peter Schiefer, President of Infineon’s Automotive division, said: “We are very pleased to work with dynamic players such as Xiaomi EV and provide them with silicon carbide products designed to enhance the performance of electric cars even further. As the leading partner to the automotive industry, we are well positioned with our broad product portfolio, system understanding and multi-site manufacturing base to shape the mobility of the future.”
This collaboration contributes to Infineon’s position as the number one partner of the global automotive industry. According to the latest data from TechInsights, Infineon is the largest semiconductor supplier to the automotive industry. In addition to its number one position in automotive power semiconductors, Infineon also took the lead in the field of automotive microcontrollers last year.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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SemiQ has begun a known-good-die (KGD) screening program that delivers high-quality, electrically sorted and optically inspected advanced SiC MOSFET technology ready for back-end processing and direct die attachment.
Known-good-die from SemiQ ensures consistent electrical parameters, enabling customers to rely on repeatable performance for high end-of-line yield when building equipment such as high-voltage supplies, traction inverters, and power conditioning systems. Uniform die parameters also simplify the connection of multiple devices in high-power modules.
“SiC is a powerful technology aiding the global drive for sustainability and our known-good-die SiC MOSFETs from SemiQ provide important performance advantages, such as near-constant junction capacitance, low insertion loss, and high isolation needed for high-frequency applications,” says Michael Tsang, VP, Product Engineering and Operations at SemiQ. “Thanks to this program, customers can receive quality-assured dies that will streamline and improve productivity and deliver predictable and repeatable performance in high-efficiency applications.”
The KGD program is active now and applies to the complete portfolio of SemiQ’s QSiC™ 1200V SiC MOSFETs, ranging from 20mΩ to 80mΩ. This portfolio supports robust and efficient electrification across automotive, eMobility, renewable energy, industrial power, and other applications.
KGD devices are supplied post-singulation on a choice of carrier media including blue tape, pre-cured UV tape, and tape and reel to ease integration with customers’ processes. For more information, please visit SemiQ’s KGD page.
Original – SemiQ
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Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation has launched a newly developed press pack IEGT “ST1000GXH35” with ratings of 4500 V/1000 A for use in high-voltage converters such as DC power transmission systems and industrial motor controllers.
The new product ST1000GXH35 employs trench-type IEGT chips and high-speed diode chips. The IEGT chips reduce collector-emitter saturation-voltage and improve shutdown tolerance, short-circuit tolerance, and high-temperature tolerance. Therefore, collector-emitter saturation-voltage (VCE(sat) ) has been reduced by approximately 28 % from 3.00 V to 2.15 V (typical) compared with the existing product ST750GXH24.
The high-speed diode chips suppress voltage oscillation during reverse recovery and improve reverse recovery tolerance and high-temperature tolerance. The new product can be used at a higher turn-on speed than the existing product, therefore the turn-on switching loss (Eon) has been reduced by approximately 34 % from 4.15 J to 2.75 J (typical).
Furthermore, the test voltage for shutdown tests and short-circuit tests has been enhanced to 3400 V in response to applications requiring high voltage. In addition, the junction temperature rating has been increased from 125 °C to 150 °C (maximum) by improving the high-temperature tolerance of the diode.
ST1000GXH35 contributes to size reduction and high output for high-voltage converters such as DC power transmissions, static VAR compensators, and industrial motor controllers.
Applications
- DC power transmissions
- Static VAR compensators
- Industrial motor controllers
Features
- Low collector-emitter saturation voltage and low turn-on switching loss
- Enhanced to test-voltage 3400 V for shutdown and short-circuit tests
- Maximum junction temperature rating: Tj(max)=150 °C
Original – Toshiba
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ROHM and STMicroelectronics announced the expansion of the existing multi-year, long-term 150mm silicon carbide (SiC) substrate wafers supply agreement with SiCrystal, a ROHM group company. The new multi-year agreement governs the supply of larger volumes of SiC substrate wafers manufactured in Nuremberg, Germany, for a minimum expected value of $230 million.
Geoff West, EVP and Chief Procurement Officer, STMicroelectronics, commented “This expanded agreement with SiCrystal will bring additional volumes of 150mm SiC substrate wafers to support our devices manufacturing capacity ramp-up for automotive and industrial customers worldwide. It helps strengthen our supply chain resilience for future growth, with a balanced mix of in-house and commercial supply across regions”.
“SiCrystal is a group company of ROHM, a leading company of SiC, and has been manufacturing SiC substrate wafers for many years. We are very pleased to extend this supply agreement with our longstanding customer ST. We will continue to support our partner to expand SiC business by ramping up 150mm SiC substrate wafer quantities continuously and by always providing reliable quality”.said Dr. Robert Eckstein, President and CEO of SiCrystal, a ROHM group company.
Energy-efficient SiC power semiconductors enable electrification in the automotive and industrial sectors in a more sustainable way. By facilitating more efficient energy generation, distribution and storage, SiC supports the transition to cleaner mobility solutions, lower emissions industrial processes and a greener energy future, as well as more reliable power supplies for resource-intensive infrastructure like data centers dedicated to AI applications.
Original – STMicroelectronics
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Semilab Zrt. and Fraunhofer IISB announced the official kick-off of their strategic partnership.
Within their new joint lab, located at the IISB in Erlangen, the partners develop state-of-the-art metrology and inspection solutions for (ultra-) wide-bandgap semiconductor materials.
The goal is to take semiconductor metrology to a next level along the value chain, from base material to die. By bringing new features and tools from lab to market, new standards for SiC, GaN and other (U)WBG semiconductors will be set.Original – Fraunhofer IISB
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Infineon Technologies AG supplies its power semiconductor devices to FOXESS, a fast-growing leader in the green energy industry and a manufacturer of inverters and energy storage systems. The two sides aim at promoting the development of green energy.
Infineon will provide FOXESS with its CoolSiC™ MOSFETs 1200 V, which will be used with EiceDRIVER™ gate drivers for industrial energy storage applications. At the same time, FOXESS’ string PV inverters will use Infineon’s IGBT7 H7 1200 V power semiconductor devices.
The global market for photovoltaic energy storage systems (PV-ES) has grown at a high speed in the last years. As competition in the PV-ES market accelerates, improving power density has become key to success, and how to improve efficiency and power density for energy storage applications has attracted much attention. Infineon’s CoolSiC MOSFET 1200 V and IGBT7 H7 1200 V series power semiconductor devices adopt the latest semiconductor technologies and design concepts that are tailored to industrial applications.
Mr. Yu Daihui, Senior Vice President and Head of Industrial & Infrastructure of Infineon Technologies Greater China said, “As an industry leader in power semiconductors, we are proud to work closely with FOXESS. We will continue to drive decarbonization by enabling higher power density and more reliable systems for PV-ES applications.”
Mr. Zhu Jingcheng, Chairman of FOXESS, said, “Thanks to the support of Infineon’s advanced components, FOXESS’ products have been significantly improved in terms of reliability and efficiency. This has been an important driving force for FOXESS’ growth. Infineon’s technical support and product quality have not only strengthened our competitiveness, but also expanded our presence in the market. We are confident about the future and look forward to further cooperation with Infineon to jointly promote the development of the industry and create greater value for our customers.”
With a high power density, Infineon’s CoolSiC MOSFETs 1200 V can reduce losses by 50 percent and provide ~2 percent additional energy without increasing the battery size, which is especially beneficial for high-performance, lightweight, and compact energy storage solutions. FOXESS’ H3PRO 15 kW-30 kW energy storage series uses Infineon’s CoolSiC MOSFETs 1200 V for all models. Thanks to Infineon’s excellent performance, the H3PRO series has achieved an efficiency of up to 98.1 percent and excellent EMC performance; with superior performance and reliability, the H3PRO series has seen rapid sales growth in the global market.
Infineon’s TRENCHSTOP IGBT7 H7 650 V / 1200 V series has lower losses and helps improve the overall efficiency and power density of inverters. In high-power inverter projects, high-current mold packaged discrete devices with current handling capability above 100 A can reduce the number of IGBTs in parallel and replace the IGBT module solution, further improving system reliability and reducing costs; in addition, the H7 series has become an industry benchmark for its high-quality performance and greater resistance to humidity.
At present, FOXESS’ main industrial and commercial model, the R Series 75-110 kW, redefines the overall design of the 100 kW model by using IGBT7 H7 series discretes, and the efficiency of the whole machine can reach up to 98.6 percent. Thanks to the low power loss and high power density of the IGBT7 H7 series in discrete packages, technical problems such as current sharing in the paralleling process can be simplified and optimized.
Every power device needs a driver, and the right driver can make the design a lot easier. Infineon offers more than 500 EiceDRIVER gate drivers with typical output currents of 0.1 A~18 A and comprehensive protection functions including fast short-circuit protection (DESAT), active Miller clamp, shoot-through protection, fault reporting, shutdown, and overcurrent protection, suitable for all power devices including CoolSiC and IGBTs.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation has launched two 150 V N-channel power MOSFET products that use the new generation process “U-MOSX-H series” and are suitable for switching power supplies for industrial equipment—used for such as data centers and communication base stations—and has expanded the lineup. The new products use the surface mount type SOP Advance(N) package and their drain-source On-resistance (max) is 11.1 mΩ for “TPH1100CQ5” and 14.1 mΩ for “TPH1400CQ5.”
The new products TPH1100CQ5 and TPH1400CQ5 have improved the reverse recovery characteristics that are critical in synchronous rectification applications. In the case of TPH1400CQ5, the reverse recovery charge is reduced by approximately 73 % and the reverse recovery time is approximately 45 % faster compared with Toshiba’s existing TPH1400CQH.
Used in synchronous rectification applications, TPH1400CQ5 reduces the power loss of switching power supplies and helps improve efficiency. The new products reduce the drain source spike voltage generated between the drain and source when MOSFET is switched, helping to lower EMI in switching power supplies.
Toshiba will expand its lineup of products and help to reduce power consumption for equipment.
Applications
- Switching power supplies (high efficiency AC-DC converters, high efficiency DC-DC converters, etc.)
- Motor control equipment (motor drives, etc.)
Features
- Low reverse recovery charge:
TPH1100CQ5 Qrr=32 nC (typ.) (-dIDR/dt=100 A/μs)
TPH1400CQ5 Qrr=27 nC (typ.) (-dIDR/dt=100 A/μs) - Fast reverse recovery time:
TPH1100CQ5 trr=38 ns (typ.) (-dIDR/dt=100 A/μs)
TPH1400CQ5 trr=36 ns (typ.) (-dIDR/dt=100 A/μs) - High channel temperature rating: Tch (max)=175 °C
Original – Toshiba
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The aviation industry’s requirements for the latest, most efficient and lowest-emission aircraft is propelled by an overarching goal towards sustainability and decarbonization. To satisfy these goals, aviation power systems developers are transitioning to electric actuation systems as the trend towards More Electric Aircraft (MEA) continues to grow.
To provide the aviation industry with a comprehensive electric actuation solution, Microchip Technology announced a new integrated actuation power solution that combines companion gate driver boards with the expansive Hybrid Power Drive (HPD) modules in silicon carbide or silicon technology with a power range of 5 kVA to 20 kVA.
The new integrated actuation power solution maintains the same footprint regardless of the power output. The companion gate driver boards are designed to be integrated with Microchip’s HPD modules to provide an all-in-one motor drive solution for the electrification of systems such as flight controls, braking and landing gear. Microchip’s power solutions are designed to scale based on the requirements of the end application, from smaller actuation systems for drones to high-power actuation systems for Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, MEA and all-electric aircraft.
“We developed the companion gate driver boards to be used with our existing HPD modules to bring to market a plug-and-play power solution for MEA,” said Leon Gross, vice president of Microchip’s discrete product group. “With this solution, customers no longer need to design and develop their own drive circuitry, which can reduce design time, resources and cost.”
These high-reliability devices are tested to conditions outlined in DO-160, “Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment.” There are multiple protection features including shoot-through detection, short circuit protection, desaturation protection, Under Voltage Lock Out (UVLO) and active miller clamping.
The gate driver boards are designed to be driven with external PWM signals based on Low Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS) compliant with TIA/EIA-644 for low Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and good noise immunity. The gate driver board provides differential outputs for telemetry signals like DC bus current, phase current and solenoid current by taking feedback from shunts present in the HPD module and DC bus voltage. It also provides direct output of two PT1000 temperature sensors available in the HPD power module.
The companion gate driver boards are low-weight, low-profile and compact solutions to optimize size and power efficiency of actuation systems. The gate drivers are designed to operate throughout the temperature range of −55°C to +110°C, which is critical for aviation applications that are often exposed to harsh environments.
The isolated companion gate driver boards only require a single 15V DC input for the control and drive circuit; additional voltages needed can be generated on the card. This significantly reduces the number of system components and simplifies system cabling.
Microchip provides comprehensive solutions for MEA by integrating power products with FPGAs, microcontrollers, security, memory and timing. Microchip’s solutions are designed to help customers speed up their development, reduce costs and get to market faster.
Original – Microchip Technology
