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Navitas Semiconductor and Plexim GmbH announced a partnership to release GeneSiC G3™ SiC MOSFET and Gen 5 MPS diode PLECS thermal loss models for highly-accurate simulations of complete power electronics systems.
Power designers can simulate power and thermal losses in various soft- and hard-switching applications. Proprietary GeneSiC trench-assisted planar-gate MOSFET technology delivers the lowest RDS(ON) at high temperature and the highest efficiency at high speeds, and new MPS diodes with ‘low-knee’ characteristics drive unprecedented, industry-leading levels of performance, robustness and quality.
“Accurate, empirically-based simulation models maximize the chance of first-time-accurate designs, accelerating time-to-market and time-to-revenue,” noted Dr. Ranbir Singh, Navitas EVP for the GeneSiC business line. “For the power designer, understanding the leading-edge performance of GeneSiC MOSFETs and MPS diodes with detailed device characteristics, plus power, efficiency and thermal analysis is a critical competitive advantage.”
“The intuitive and highly-efficient PLECS lookup-table based approach to simulating thermal semiconductor losses in complex power electronic circuits is key,” said Kristofer Eberle, Plexim, North America. “Unlike legacy modeling approaches that are not well-suited to new wide bandgap materials, PLECS uses a simplified, but accurate behavioral description to highlight the superior performance of the GeneSiC MOSFETs.”
PLECS models for GeneSiC MOSFETs and MPS diodes are available via genesicsemi.com.
Original – Navitas Semiconductor
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Elmos Semiconductor SE, one of the world’s leading suppliers of mixed-signal automotive semiconductors, and Littelfuse, Inc., USA, entered into a definitive agreement on the sale of the Elmos wafer fab at the Dortmund site to Littelfuse. Elmos has agreed to sell the wafer fab at a net purchase price of approximately 93 million Euro. Under the agreement, Littelfuse will acquire the Dortmund wafer fab with a highly skilled technology team of approximately 225 employees. All other activities, including testing operations, will remain with Elmos.
In acquiring the Dortmund wafer fab, Littelfuse enhances its capabilities in power semiconductors for high-growth power conversion applications like renewables, energy storage, and e-Mobility charging infrastructure.
“Today’s agreement is a milestone for semiconductor production in Dortmund and it will strengthen Germany’s standing as a high-tech location. As a fabless company, Elmos will make even greater use of advanced technologies to deliver groundbreaking innovations in mixed-signal semiconductors. Elmos is already the global market leader for certain applications in the automotive industry. We want to use this strong position to shape our future growth,” says Dr. Arne Schneider, CEO of Elmos Semiconductor SE.
Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States, Littelfuse, Inc. is a diversified, industrial technology manufacturing company empowering a sustainable, connected and safer world. The company operates across more than 20 countries, and with approximately 18,000 global associates. Its products are found in a variety of industrial, transportation and electronics end markets. In Germany, Littelfuse operates various manufacturing, sales and R&D sites.
The closing of the transaction is expected to be effective December 31, 2024, and is subject to certain closing conditions and regulatory approvals, among them the investment control procedure under foreign trade law conducted by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. Elmos will retain full operational control over the wafer fab until the closing date.
In addition, Elmos and Littelfuse have agreed to enter into a defined multi-year capacity sharing arrangement with an initial term lasting through 2029, with Elmos buying defined volumes of wafers produced at the fab. This long-term agreement supplements the existing supply arrangements with Elmos’ other foundry partners and ensures that Elmos has the necessary capacities to meet projected customer demand.
“This is good news for the Elmos wafer fab team. We are delighted for Littelfuse to further develop the wafer fab in Dortmund for power semiconductors. Our employees are now expecting a quick review procedure by the relevant authorities,” says Dr. Schneider.
Following regulatory approvals of the transaction, the buyer will make a payment of approximately 37 million Euro. The remainder of the purchase price will be paid at closing. The transaction has no major effects on EBIT in fiscal year 2023, which is why the current forecast for the full-year EBIT margin in 2023 (25% ± 2 percentage points) continues to apply.
Cash flow is expected to be positively influenced in fiscal year 2023 by the payment of approximately 37 million Euro after regulatory approvals. Irrespective of the transaction, Elmos continues to increase its efforts to expand testing capacities for future growth. The company now anticipates capital expenditures of approximately 19% ± 2 percentage points of sales in fiscal year 2023 (previously: 17% ± 2 percentage points). As a result, Elmos now expects a negative operating adjusted free cash flow in 2023.
Original – Elmos Semiconductor
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Bourns, Inc. announced its first 650 V – 1200 V Silicon Carbide (SiC) Schottky Barrier Diodes (SBDs). The Bourns® SiC SBD line consists of six models engineered to provide excellent current carrying and thermal capabilities and high power density for increased performance and reliability. These capabilities make Bourns® SiC SBDs optimal high efficiency power conversion solutions for the growing variety of high frequency applications that need to meet reduced size and lower system cost requirements.
Telecom/Server Switched-Mode Power Supplies (SMPS), photovoltaic inverters, PC power and motor drives are a few of the applications that can benefit from the features provided in the Bourns® BSD Series SiC SBDs.
To address ongoing design demands for ever higher power efficiency, Bourns® SiC SBDs feature low forward voltage (VF) and high thermal conductivity, which increases efficiency while lowering power dissipation, satisfying application requirements of 650 V and 1200 V solutions.
The series also has no reverse recovery current to reduce EMI, enabling these SiC SBDs to significantly lower energy losses. In addition to offering 650 V to 1200 V operation with currents in the 6-10 A range, the six new BSD models of wide band gap diodes from Bourns offer designers various forward voltage, current and package options including TO220-2, TO247-3, TO252, and DFN8x8.
The six Bourns® Model BSD SiC SBDs are available now. These models are RoHS compliant, halogen free, Pb free and their epoxy potting compound is flame retardant to the UL 94V-0 standard.
For more detailed product information, please see: www.bourns.com/products/diodes/silicon-carbide-sic-schottky-barrier-diodes
Original – Bourns
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Diodes Incorporated announced a further enhancement of its wide-bandgap product offering with the release of the DMWSH120H90SM4Q and DMWSH120H28SM4Q automotive-compliant Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs. These N-channel MOSFETs respond to the increasing market demand for SiC solutions that enable better efficiency and higher power density in electric and hybrid-electric vehicle (EV/HEV) automotive subsystems like battery chargers, on-board chargers (OBC), high-efficiency DC-DC converters, motor drivers, and traction inverters.
The DMWSH120H90SM4Q operates safely and reliably up to 1200VDS with a gate-source voltage (Vgs) of +15/-4V and has an RDS(ON) of 75mΩ (typical) at 15Vgs. This device is designed for OBCs, automotive motor drivers, DC-DC converters in EV/HEV, and battery charging systems.
The DMWSH120H28SM4Q operates at up to 1200VDS, +15/-4Vgs, and has a lower RDS(ON) of 20 mΩ (typical) at 15Vgs. This MOSFET has been designed for motor drivers, EV traction inverters, and DC-DC converters in other EV/HEV subsystems. Low RDS(ON) enables these MOSFETs to run cooler in applications that require high power density.
Both products have low thermal conductivity (RθJC=0.6°C/W), enabling drain currents up to 40A in the DMWSH120H90SM4Q and 100A in the DMWSH120H28SM4Q. They also have fast intrinsic and robust body diodes with low reverse recovery charge (Qrr) of 108.52nC in the DMWSH120H90SM4Q and 317.93nC in the DMWSH120H28SM4Q. This enables them to perform fast switching with reduced power losses.
By using the planar manufacturing process, Diodes has created new MOSFETs that offer more robust and reliable performance in automotive applications—and with increased drain current, breakdown voltage, junction temperature, and power rings as compared to previously released versions. The devices are available in a TO247-4 (Type WH) package, which offers an additional Kelvin sense pin. This can be connected to the source to optimize switching performance, enabling even higher power densities.
Original – Diodes Incorporated
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Airbus, a global pioneer in the aerospace industry, and STMicroelectronics, have signed an agreement to cooperate on power electronics Research & Development to support more efficient and lighter power electronics, essential for future hybrid-powered aircraft and full-electric urban air vehicles.
The collaboration builds on evaluations already conducted by both companies to explore the benefits of wide bandgap semiconductor materials for aircraft electrification. Wide bandgap semiconductors like Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) have superior electrical properties compared with traditional semiconductors like silicon. They enable the development of smaller, lighter and more efficient high-performance electronic devices and systems, particularly in applications requiring high power, high frequency, or high-temperature operations.
The cooperation will focus on developing SiC and GaN devices, packages, and modules adapted for Airbus’ aerospace applications. The companies will assess these components by conducting advanced research and tests on demonstrators, such as e-motor control units, high and low voltage power converters, and wireless power transfer systems.
Original – STMicroelectronics
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Vitesco Technologies, a leading international manufacturer of modern drive technologies and electrification solutions, has secured strategically important capacities in energy-efficient silicon carbide power semiconductors through a long-term supply partnership with ROHM – worth over one billion US dollars until 2030. The development partnership with the manufacturer ROHM, which began in 2020, created the basis for the supply partnership now signed in Regensburg. Vitesco Technologies’ advanced inverters with integrated ROHM SiC chips will be adopted by two customers, to be applied inside electric vehicle powertrains. Vitesco Technologies will start supplying a first series project as early as 2024. The company is thus even ahead of the originally targeted timeline.
SiC devices enable the design of particularly efficient power electronics, such as those needed for electric car inverters. SiC chips are a key technology, particularly for high voltages and for vehicles with demanding range targets and optimum overall efficiency. During the existing development partnership with ROHM the relevant SiC chips were further optimized for use in automotive inverters starting in 2024.
Silicon carbide belongs to the so-called wide bandgap semiconductors, whose wide bandgap (simplified: the energy gap between the non-conductive state and the conductive state of the electrons in the material) enables lower electrical resistance, fast and low loss switching chips for power electronics. At the same time, SiC chips are more thermally resistant, so that the power density of electronics can be increased.
Thanks to these features, SiC electronics have reduced conversion losses compared to conventional silicon (Si). Especially at high voltage levels such as 800 V, SiC inverters are more efficient than Si models. Since 800 V is the prerequisite for fast and thus convenient high-voltage charging, SiC devices are at the beginning of a worldwide boom. Reduced conversion losses in the inverter are also significant for the overall efficiency of electric driving and thus for range. Competition for sufficient capacities in components made of this high-tech material is correspondingly fierce.
Original – Vitesco Technologies
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LATEST NEWS / SiC / TOP STORIES / WBGSK Powertech Adopts Silvaco’s Victory TCAD Solution for the Development of NextGen SiC Power Devices
June 15, 2023
2 Min ReadSilvaco Group, Inc. (“Silvaco”), a provider of TCAD, EDA software, and design IP, announced that SK Powertech has adopted its Victory TCAD (Technology Computer-Aided Design) solution for power devices to accelerate research and development of its next generation SiC (Silicon Carbide) power devices. The Victory TCAD solution enables SK Powertech to achieve significant improvements in its power management technology.
SK Powertech is a leading provider of compact SiC power devices for high voltage/high temperature applications serving growing end markets such as electric vehicles, railways, and alternative energy. SK Powertech’s products are optimal for smaller, light-weight packages with high voltage/high temperature requirements.
“To achieve significant advances in SiC power semiconductor performance, we sought a partner who could assist us in implementing our next-generation SiC power technology. Through our collaboration with Silvaco’s technical team and the utilization of their Victory TCAD Solution for power devices, we successfully transformed conceptual ideas into actual working devices,” said Dr. Changheon Yang, director of R&D center at SK Powertech. “The combination of the advanced feature set in Victory TCAD Solution and Silvaco’s depth of technical capabilities enables us to deliver the best products and to meet our end market requirements.”
“The expanding markets for power management in solar, automotive, industrial applications and embedded computers are driving the growing adoption of SiC power devices,” said Dr. Babak Taheri, CEO of Silvaco Group. “The success of SK Powertech demonstrates the benefits of using Silvaco Victory TCAD solution for power devices. This solution enables the development of cutting-edge semiconductor products that drive innovation and advancement in the field.”
“Our Victory TCAD solution is recognized in the semiconductor industry for its simulation and analyses capabilities and is widely adopted in the SiC power devices market,” said Eric Guichard, Senior Vice President, and General Manager of the TCAD business unit of Silvaco. “With Silvaco’s TCAD solution, SK Powertech is well-positioned to make significant advancements in SiC power device technology and to contribute to the adoption of its SiC devices in various industries.”
Original – Silvaco
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Infineon presents its new generation of 1200 V CoolSiC™ MOSFETs in TO263-7 for automotive applications. The automotive-graded silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET generation offers high power density and efficiency, enables bi-directional charging and significantly reduces system cost in on-board charging (OBC) and DC-DC applications.
The 1200 V CoolSiC family member offers best-in-class switching performance through 25 percent lower switching losses compared to the first generation. This improvement in switching behavior enables high-frequency operation, leading to smaller system sizes and increased power density. With a Gate-source threshold voltage (V GS(th)) greater than 4 V and a very low Crss/ Ciss ratio, reliable turn-off at V GS = 0 V is achieved without the risk of parasitic turn-ons. This allows for unipolar driving, resulting in reduced system cost and complexity. In addition, the new generation features a low on resistance (R DS(on)), reducing conductive losses over the whole temperature range of -55°C to 175°C.
The advanced diffusion soldering chip mount technology (.XT technology) significantly improves the package’s thermal capabilities, lowering the SiC MOSFET junction temperature by 25 percent compared to the first generation.
Moreover, the MOSFET has a creepage distance of 5.89 mm, meeting 800 V system requirements and reducing coating effort. Infineon is offering a range of R DS(on) options to cater to diverse application demands, including the only 9 mΩ type in the TO263-7 package currently on the market.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced that it will begin shipping samples of its new NX-type full-SiC (silicon carbide) power semiconductor module for industrial equipment on June 14. The module, which reduces internal inductance and incorporates a second-generation SiC chip, is expected to contribute to the realization of more efficient, smaller and lighter-weight industrial equipment.
Power semiconductors are increasingly being utilized to convert electric power extra efficiently and thereby help to lower the carbon footprint of global society. Expectations are particularly high for SiC power semiconductors because of their capability to significantly reduce power loss. The demand is expanding for high-power, high-efficiency power semiconductors capable of improving the power-conversion efficiency of components such as inverters used in industrial equipment.
Mitsubishi Electric began releasing power semiconductor modules equipped with SiC chips in 2010. The new module, which features a low-loss SiC chip and optimized electrode structure, reduces internal inductance by 47% compared to its existing predecessor, enabling reduced power loss. Development of this SiC product have been partially supported by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
Original – Mitsubishi Electric
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Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation (“Toshiba”) has expanded its line-up of N-channel power MOSFETs fabricated with the latest-generation process, with a 600V super junction structure suitable for data centers, switching power supplies, and power conditioners for photovoltaic generators. The new product, “TK055U60Z1,” is the first 600V product in the DTMOSVI series.
By optimizing the gate design and process, 600V DTMOSVI series products reduce drain-source On-resistance per unit area by approximately 13%, and drain-source On-resistance × gate-drain charge, the figure of merit for MOSFET performance, by approximately 52%, compared to Toshiba’s current generation DTMOSIV-H series products with the same drain-source voltage rating. This ensures the series achieve both low conduction loss and low switching loss, and helps to improve efficiency of the switching power supplies.
The new product is housed in a TOLL package that allows Kelvin connection of its signal source terminal for the gate drive. The influence of inductance in the source wire in the package can be reduced to accentuate the high-speed switching performance of the MOSFET, which suppresses oscillation during switching.
Toshiba will continue to expand its 600V DTMOSVI series line-up, and its already released 650V DTMOSVI series products, and support energy conservation by reducing power loss in switching power supplies.
