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The electronics industry is witnessing a significant shift towards more compact and powerful systems, driven by technological advancements and a growing focus on decarbonization efforts. With the introduction of the Thin-TOLL 8×8 and TOLT packages, Infineon Technologies AG is actively accelerating and supporting these trends. They enable a maximum utilization of the PCB mainboard and daughter cards, while also taking the system’s thermal requirements and space restrictions into account.
The company is now expanding its portfolio of CoolSiC™ MOSFET discretes 650 V with two new product families housed in the Thin-TOLL 8×8 and TOLT packages. They are based on the CoolSiC Generation 2 (G2) technology, offering significantly improved figures-of-merit, reliability, and ease-of-use. Both product families specifically target high and medium switching-mode power supplies (SMPS), including AI servers, renewable energy, EV chargers, and large home appliances.
The Thin-TOLL package has a form factor of 8×8 mm and offers the best-in-class Thermal Cycling on Board (TCoB) capability on the market. The TOLT package is a top-side cooled (TSC) enclosure with a similar form factor to TOLL. Both package types offer developers several benefits: Using them in AI and server power supply units (PSU), for example, reduces the thickness and length of the daughter cards and allows for a flat heat sink.
When used in microinverters, 5G PSU, TV PSU and SMPS, the Thin-TOLL 8×8 package allows for a minimization of the PCB area occupied by the power supply devices on the mainboard, while TOLT keeps the junction temperature of the devices under control, given that these applications typically use convection cooling. In addition, TOLT devices complete Infineon’s top-side cooled CoolSiC industrial portfolio, namely CoolSiC 750 V in Q-DPAK. They enable developers to reduce the PCB footprint occupied by SiC MOSFETs when the power to be delivered to the devices does not require a Q-DPAK package.
The CoolSiC MOSFETs 650 V G2 in ThinTOLL 8×8 and TOLT are now available in R DS(on) from 20, 40, 50 and 60 mΩ. Additionally, the TOLT variant is also available with an R DS(on) of 15 mΩ. The product family will be expanded by a more granular portfolio by the end of 2024. More information is available at www.infineon.com/coolsic-gen2. Infineon will showcase the CoolSiC MOSFET 650 V Generation 2 at the PCIM in Nuremberg.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation has developed a Schottky barrier diode (SBD) embedded metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), a significant improvement over the current device structure, while maintaining high reliability and short-circuit ruggedness.
A successful design modification introduces a barrier structure with varying depths in the device structure that maintains the reliability of the reverse conduction operation, the function of an integrated SBD, while suppressing the current leakage from the SBD part that causes destruction during short-circuiting. By making use of new design technology and optimizing the device structure, the new MOSFET achieves lower on-resistance (RonA), with about a 26% improvement over the current structure.
Power semiconductors play a central role in electricity supply and control. They cut energy consumption in all kinds of electronic equipment, and are an important tool for the realization of carbon neutrality. Continued demand expansion is expected from vehicle electrification and the miniaturization of industrial equipment.
Against this background, SiC MOSFETs are seen as next-generation power semiconductors. They deliver better power energy conversion efficiency than Si MOSFETs, and their use has expanded rapidly in recent years. However, SiC MOSFETs have a reliability problem: increased RonA due to reverse conduction operation. Toshiba has now developed an SBD-embedded SiC MOSFET that operates in reverse conduction without increasing RonA.
Reducing the RonA of SiC MOSFET simultaneously causes excess current flow through the MOSFET part during short-circuit operation, reducing the durability of short-circuit operation. However, enhancing the conduction of the embedded SBD to improve the reliability of reverse conduction operation increases its current leakage during short-circuit operation, which also decreases the durability of short-circuit operation.
Introducing a deep barrier structure can suppress both the excess current of the MOSFET and SBD current leakage during short-circuit operation, but it also obstructs current flow from the SBD, raising concerns about decreased reliability in diode conduction.
This led Toshiba to consider a barrier structure divided into shallow and deep areas. The deep barrier area successfully suppresses excess current from the MOSFET part during short-circuit operation, and reduces SBD current leakage, while leaving a shallow area effectively spreads current from the SBD without any obstruction by the barrier.
This improves ruggedness during short-circuit operation while maintaining excellent reliability in reverse conduction operation. Toshiba has provided some customers with test samples of SiC MOSFETs with embedded SBD that apply the new technology since December 2023 for evaluation, toward further enhancing performance.
By making use of its new design technology and optimizing the device structure, Toshiba has developed a prototype 1.2 kV class SBD-integrated MOSFET. This achieves a low RonA of 2.0 mΩcm2, about a 26% improvement over the current structure. Toshiba will present the details of this technology at The 36th International Symposium on Power Semiconductor Devices and ICs (ISPSD) 2024, an international conference on power semiconductors, which is being held in Bremen, Germany from June 2 to 6.
Original – Toshiba
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STMicroelectronics announced a new high-volume 200mm silicon carbide (“SiC”) manufacturing facility for power devices and modules, as well as test and packaging, to be built in Catania, Italy. Combined with the SiC substrate manufacturing facility being readied on the same site, these facilities will form ST’s Silicon Carbide Campus, realizing the Company’s vision of a fully vertically integrated manufacturing facility for the mass production of SiC on one site.
The creation of the new Silicon Carbide Campus is a key milestone to support customers for SiC devices across automotive, industrial and cloud infrastructure applications, as they transition to electrification and seek higher efficiency.
“The fully integrated capabilities unlocked by the Silicon Carbide Campus in Catania will contribute significantly to ST’s SiC technology leadership for automotive and industrial customers through the next decades,” said Jean-Marc Chery, President and Chief Executive Officer of STMicroelectronics. “The scale and synergies offered by this project will enable us to better innovate with high-volume manufacturing capacity, to the benefit of our European and global customers as they transition to electrification and seek more energy efficient solutions to meet their decarbonization goals.”
The Silicon Carbide Campus will serve as the center of ST’s global SiC ecosystem, integrating all steps in the production flow, including SiC substrate development, epitaxial growth processes, 200mm front-end wafer fabrication and module back-end assembly, as well as process R&D, product design, advanced R&D labs for dies, power systems and modules, and full packaging capabilities. This will achieve a first of a kind in Europe for the mass production of 200mm SiC wafers with each step of the process – substrate, epitaxy & front-end, and back-end – using 200 mm technologies for enhanced yields and performances.
The new facility is targeted to start production in 2026 and to ramp to full capacity by 2033, with up to 15,000 wafers per week at full build-out. The total investment is expected to be around five billion euros, with a support of around two billion euros provided by the State of Italy within the framework of the EU Chips Act. Sustainable practices are integral to the design, development, and operation of the Silicon Carbide Campus to ensure the responsible consumption of resources including water and power.
Original – STMicroelectronics
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Infineon Technologies AG is on schedule with the construction of the Smart Power Fab in Dresden and is initiating the final construction phase. During a visit, the Prime Minister of the Free State of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, officially handed over the last outstanding building permit for the new fab issued by the State Directorate of Saxony.
The excavation of the building pit has now been completed. The shell and building construction are currently progressing on the concrete foundation, which is up to two meters thick. Infineon officially broke ground for the new plant in Dresden in May 2023. Manufacturing is scheduled to start in 2026. The production will focus on semiconductors that promote decarbonization and digitalization.
With a total investment of five billion euros, the company is making a significant contribution to the European Commission goal to increase the EU’s share of global semiconductor production to 20 percent by 2030. The semiconductors manufactured in Dresden will secure future value chains in key European industries. The products manufactured in the new production facility will be used in the automotive and renewable energy industries. The interaction of power semiconductors and analog/mixed-signal components enables particularly energy-efficient and intelligent system solutions – hence the name Smart Power Fab.
“The construction of the Smart Power Fab is a big win for Dresden, Saxony, Germany and Europe,” says Michael Kretschmer, Prime Minister of the Free State of Saxony. “Infineon’s fourth production module in Dresden is another important building block in strengthening Europe’s resilience in the field of microelectronics. It is a further step towards achieving the European Commission’s goal of increasing Europe’s share of global chip production to 20 percent. Thanks to a thoughtful cooperation between the company, the Free State of Saxony, the local authorities, and the federal government, it has been possible to get the investment off the ground and to issue the relevant permits quickly. As a result, the semiconductors that we urgently need for the mobility and energy transition can be produced in the new fab starting in 2026.”
“We are making excellent progress with the construction of our state-of-the-art Smart Power Fab in Dresden. We are right on schedule also thanks to the excellent cooperation with the authorities,” says Dr. Rutger Wijburg, Member of the Management Board and Chief Operations Officer of Infineon. “With our strategic decision to continue investing in Dresden, we are securing the long-term future of the site and strengthening the manufacturing base for semiconductors in Europe.”
The dimensions of the construction site are impressive. On average, construction workers have removed around 8,000 tons of soil every day since the start of work. A total of 450,000 cubic meters of excavated soil has been produced, which corresponds to the volume of 180 Olympic swimming pools.
The soil is being temporarily stored in a specially prepared area near the Dresden Airport freeway junction. The 22-metre-deep pit not only compensates for the natural gradient, but also provides a firm foundation for the 150- to 190-centimetre-thick base plate, which is intended to reduce vibrations – from passing streetcars, for example – to a minimum. Even minimal vibrations can affect the sensitive semiconductor production.
In the next construction phase, the basement levels will be built, along with other levels. The clean room – the heart of the Smart Power Fab – is planned for the fourth level. Once completed, it will be at the exact same height as the site’s three existing production rooms. This will optimize an integrated production. The future construction phase of the project includes a total of ten tower cranes, some of them 80 meters high to support up to 1,200 construction workers who will be working on the site every day in multiple shifts.
The investment in Dresden is part of the company’s strategy to reach CO 2-neutrality by 2030. The Smart Power Fab sets new efficiency standards for the consumption of important resources such as energy and water. This has a positive impact on the carbon footprint of Infineon. Even today, Infineon’s products, which are used in solar and wind power plants, reduce 34 times the amount of CO 2 emitted during their production over their lifetime.
With the investment in the new plant, Infineon is creating an additional 1,000 jobs in the Saxon state capital. The company currently employs approximately 3,250 people in Dresden. The number of trainees has already been significantly increased with the new Fab. Subject to the European Commission’s state aid decision and the national grant procedure, the project is to be funded in accordance with the objectives of the European Chips Act. Infineon is aiming for public funding of around one billion euros.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Infineon Technologies AG announced two new generations of high voltage (HV) and medium voltage (MV) CoolGaN TM devices which now enable customers to use Gallium Nitride (GaN) in voltage classes from 40 V to 700 V in a broader array of applications that help drive digitalization and decarbonization.
These two product families are manufactured on high performance 8-inch in-house foundry processes in Kulim (Malaysia) and Villach (Austria). With this, Infineon expands its CoolGaN advantages and capacity to ensure a robust supply chain in the GaN devices market, which is estimated to grow with an average annual growth rate (CAGR) of 46 percent over the next five years according to Yole Group.
“Today’s announcement builds nicely on our acquisition of GaN Systems last year and brings to market a whole new level of efficiency and performance for our customers,” said Adam White, Division President of Power & Sensor Systems at Infineon. “The new generations of our Infineon CoolGaN family in high and medium voltage demonstrate our product advantages and are manufactured entirely on 8 inch, demonstrating the fast scalability of GaN to larger wafer diameters. I am excited to see all of the disruptive applications our customers unleash with these new generations of GaN.”
The new 650 V G5 family addresses applications in consumer, data center, industrial and solar. These products are the next generation of GIT-based high voltage products from Infineon. The second new family manufactured on the 8-inch process is the medium voltage G3 devices which include CoolGaN Transistor voltage classes 60 V, 80 V, 100 V and 120 V; and 40 V bidirectional switch (BDS) devices. The medium voltage G3 products are targeted at motor drive, telecom, data center, solar and consumer applications.
The CoolGaN 650 V G5 will be available in Q4 2024 and the medium voltage CoolGaN G3 will be available in Q3 2024. Samples are available now.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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With the increasing power requirements of Artificial Intelligence (AI) processors, server power supplies (PSUs) must deliver more and more power without exceeding the defined dimensions of the server racks. This is driven by a surge in energy demand of high-level GPUs, which could consume 2 kW and more per chip by the end of the decade.
These needs, as well as the emergence of increasingly demanding applications and the associated specific customer requirements have prompted Infineon Technologies AG to extend the development of SiC MOSFETs to voltages below 650 V. The company is now launching the new CoolSiC™ MOSFET 400 V family, which is based on the second generation (G2) CoolSiC technology introduced earlier this year.
The new MOSFET portfolio was specially developed for use in the AC/DC stage of AI servers, complementing Infineon’s recently announced PSU roadmap. The devices are also ideal for solar and energy storage systems (ESS), inverter motor control, industrial and auxiliary power supplies (SMPS) as well as solid-state circuit breakers for residential buildings.
“Infineon offers an extensive portfolio of high-performance MOSFETs and GaN transistors to meet the demanding design and space requirements of AI server power supplies”, said Richard Kuncic, Head of the Power Systems Business Line at Infineon. “We are committed to supporting our customers with advanced products such as the CoolSiC MOSFETs 400 V G2 to drive highest energy efficiency in advanced AI applications.”
The new family features ultra-low conduction and switching losses when compared to existing 650 V SiC and Si MOSFETs. Implemented in a multi-level PFC, the AC/DC stage of the AI Server PSU can attain a power density of more than 100 W/in³ and is proven to reach 99.5 percent efficiency.
This is an efficiency improvement of 0.3 percentage points over solutions using 650 V SiC MOSFETs. In addition, the system solution for AI Server PSUs is completed by implementing CoolGaN™ transistors in the DC/DC stage. With this combination of high-performance MOSFETs and transistors, the power supply can deliver more than 8 kW with an increase in power density by a factor of more than 3 compared to current solutions.
The new MOSFET portfolio comprises a total of 10 products: five R DS(on) classes from 11 to 45 mΩ in Kelvin-source TOLL and D²PAK-7 packages with .XT package interconnect technology. The drain-source breakdown voltage of 400 V at T vj = 25°C. makes them ideal for use in 2- and 3-level converters and for synchronous rectification.
The components offer high robustness under harsh switching conditions and are 100 percent avalanche tested. The highly robust CoolSiC technology in combination with the .XT interconnect technology enables the devices to cope with power peaks and transients caused by sudden changes in the power requirements of the AI processor. Both the connection technology and a low and positive R DS(on) temperature coefficient enable excellent performance under operating conditions with higher junction temperatures.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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The influence of artificial intelligence (AI) is driving up the energy demand of data centers across the globe. This growing demand underscores the need for efficient and reliable energy supply for servers. Infineon Technologies AG opens a new chapter in the energy supply domain for AI systems and unveils a roadmap of energy efficient power supply units (PSU) specifically designed to address the current and future energy need of AI data centers.
By introducing unprecedented PSU performance classes, Infineon enables cloud data center and AI server operators to reduce their energy consumption for system cooling. The innovative PSUs reduce power consumption and CO 2 emissions, resulting in lower lifetime operating costs. The powerful PSUs are not only used in future data centers but can also replace existing power supply units in servers and increase efficiency.
In addition to the current PSUs with an output of 3 kW and 3.3 kW available today, the new 8 kW and 12 kW PSUs will contribute to further increasing energy efficiency in future AI data centers. With the 12 kW reference board, Infineon will offer the world’s first power supply unit that achieves this level of performance and supplies future data centers with power.
“At Infineon, we power AI. We are addressing a critical question of our era – how to efficiently meet the escalating energy demands of data centers,” says Adam White, Division President Power & Sensor Systems at Infineon. “It’s a development that was only possible by Infineon’s expertise in integrating the three semiconductor materials silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), and gallium nitride (GaN) into a single module. Our PSU portfolio is therefore not only an example of Infineon’s innovative strength, which leads to first-class results in terms of performance, efficiency and reliability for data centers and the AI ecosystem. It also reinforces Infineon’s market leadership in power semiconductors.”
Infineon is responding to the requirements of data center operators for higher system efficiency and lower downtimes. The growth of server and data center applications has led to an increase in power requirements, necessitating the development of power supplies with higher power ratings from 800 W up to 5.5 kW and beyond. This increase is driven by the growing power requirements of Graphic Process Units (GPU) on which AI applications are computed.
High-level GPUs now require up to 1 kW per chip reaching 2 kW and beyond by the end of the decade. This will lead to higher overall energy demand for data centers. Depending on the scenario, data centers will account for up to seven percent of global electricity consumption by 2030; this is an order of magnitude comparable to India’s current electricity consumption.
Infineon’s new PSUs contribute to the efforts to limit the CO 2 footprint of AI data centers despite the rapidly growing energy requirements. This is made possible by a particularly high level of efficiency that minimizes power losses. Infineon’s new generation PSUs achieve an efficiency of 97.5 percent and meet the most stringent performance requirements. The new 8 kW PSU is capable of supporting AI racks with an output of up to 300 kW and more. Efficiency and power density is increased to 100 watts per in³ compared to 32 W/in³ in the available 3 kW PSU, providing further benefits for the system size and cost savings for operators.
From a technical perspective, this is made possible by the unique combination of the three semiconductor materials Si, SiC and GaN. These technologies contribute to the sustainability and reliability of AI server and data center systems. Innovative semiconductors based on wide-bandgap materials such as SiC and GaN are the key to a conscious and efficient use of energy to drive decarbonization.
The 8 kW Power Supply Unit will be available in Q1 2025. For more information about the PSU roadmap, please click here.
Infineon at the PCIM Europe 2024
PCIM Europe will take place in Nuremberg, Germany, from 11 to 13 June 2024. Infineon will present its products and solutions for decarbonization and digitalization in hall 7, booths #470 and #169. Company representatives will also be giving several presentations at the accompanying PCIM Conference and Forums, followed by discussions with the speakers. Information about Infineon’s PCIM 2024 show highlights is available at www.infineon.com/pcim.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation held a ceremony to mark the completion of a new 300-millimeter wafer fabrication facility for power semiconductors and an office building at Kaga Toshiba Electronics Corporation in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, one of Toshiba’s key group companies. The completion of construction is a major milestone for Phase 1 of Toshiba’s multi-year investment program.
Toshiba will now proceed with equipment installation, toward starting mass production in the second half of fiscal year 2024. Once Phase 1 reaches full-scale operation, Toshiba’s production capacity for power semiconductors, mainly MOSFETs and IGBTs, will be 2.5 times that of fiscal 2021, when the investment plan was made. Decisions on the construction and start of operation of Phase 2 will reflect market trends.
The new manufacturing building follows and will make a major contribution to Toshiba’s Business Continuity Plan (BCP): it has a seismic isolation structure that absorbs earthquake shock and redundant power sources. Energy from renewable source and solar panels on the roof of the building (onsite PPA model) will allow the facility to meet 100% of its power requirement with renewable energy.
Product quality and production efficiency will be boosted by the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Toshiba expects to receive a grant from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan to subsidize its investment in part of the manufacturing equipment.Power semiconductors play a crucial role in electricity supply and control, and are essential devices for energy efficiency in all electrical equipment. With the continuing electrification of automobiles and the automation of industrial machinery, they are expected to see continued robust demand growth. Toshiba started power semiconductor production on a new 300-millimeter wafer line in the second half of fiscal 2022 at Kaga Toshiba Electronics’ existing facility. Going forward, the company will expand production with the new fab and further contribute to carbon neutrality.
Overview of Kaga Toshiba Electronics Corporation
Location: 1-1, Iwauchi-machi, Nomi-shi, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan
Established: December, 1984
President and Representative Director: Satoshi Aida
Employees: 1,150 (as of March 31, 2024)
Main Products: Discrete semiconductors (power semiconductors, small-signal devices and optoelectronic devices)
Web: Kaga Toshiba Electronics CorporationOriginal – Toshiba
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Soitec and Tokai Carbon, a comprehensive manufacturer of carbon and graphite products, have entered into a strategic partnership for the development and supply of polycrystalline silicon carbide substrates specifically designed for Soitec SmartSiC™ wafers.
Silicon carbide is a disruptive compound semiconductor and SmartSiC™ engineered substrates accelerate the adoption of silicon carbide for electric mobility, industrial and smart grid applications by delivering superior manufacturing and cost efficiencies with an improved environmental footprint.
Under this partnership, which will see Tokai Carbon supply 150mm and 200mm poly-SiC wafers to Soitec, the two companies are harnessing their advanced R&D capabilities to enhance the SmartSiC™ ecosystem. Tokai Carbon’s advanced technology and manufacturing capacity in polycrystalline silicon carbide (polySiC) combined with the right to use Soitec specifications for polySiC coarse wafers compliant with Soitec SmartSiC™ is expected to make a strategic contribution to the global ramp-up of SmartSiC™ wafer production.
Cyril Menon, Chief Operations Officer of Soitec, stated: “This partnership with Tokai marks yet another key step in the ramp-up of Soitec’s SmartSiC™ technology to address fast-growing markets such as electric mobility and industrial electrification. Tokai’s top quality SiC products and R&D capabilities, combined with Soitec’s innovative SmartSiC™ technology, can help to accelerate global adoption of electric mobility and other SiC technologies. This is an important milestone in terms of perception and value creation for the SmartSiC™ ecosystem.”
Hajime Nagasaka, CEO of Tokai Carbon, commented. “The polycrystalline SiC substrate to be supplied to Soitec is a strategic product in our solid SiC product series. We are pleased to see our long years of research and development come to fruition in this way, and we have high expectations for this product in the SiC semiconductor market, which is expected to expand significantly in the future. The partnership with Soitec is also very meaningful in terms of contributing to the realization of a sustainable society.”
Original – Soitec
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X-FAB and Soitec will begin work to offer Soitec’s SmartSiC™ wafers for the production of silicon carbide power devices at X-FAB’s plant in Lubbock, Texas.
This collaboration follows the successful completion of the assessment phase, during which silicon carbide (SiC) power devices were manufactured at X-FAB Texas on 150mm SmartSiC™ wafers. Soitec will offer X-FAB’s customers easy access to the SmartSiC™ substrate through a joint supply chain consignment model.
X-FAB is the pioneer and leader of the foundry model in the fast-growing SiC market. Silicon carbide (SiC) is a disruptive compound semiconductor material with intrinsic properties providing superior performance and efficiency over silicon in power applications.
SmartSiC™ is a proprietary Soitec technology based on the company’s SmartCut™ process, in which a thin layer of a high-quality monocrystalline (mono-SiC) ‘donor’ wafer is split off and bonded to a low resistivity polycrystalline (poly-SiC) ‘handle’ wafer. The resulting substrate offers improved device performance and manufacturing yields. The process allows multiple re-uses of a single donor wafer, significantly reducing cost and related CO2 emissions.In this fast-growing market, Soitec is ramping production of SmartSiC™ substrates at its new plant of Bernin, near Grenoble (France). X-FAB is increasing production capacity for SiC devices at the Lubbock plant. The use of the SmartSiC™ substrate enables X-FAB’s customers to design smaller devices, resulting in efficiency improvements through an increased number of dies per wafer. The benefit of reduced CO2 emissions from the substrate manufacturing process will also contribute to X-FAB’s initiative to reduce its overall carbon footprint.
Sophie Le-Guyadec VP Procurement of X-FAB, states: “As the leading SiC foundry, we want to provide our customers the full range of opportunities to design innovative and robust SiC devices for electric vehicles, renewable power and industrial applications. To offer the most advanced silicon carbide processes and manufacturing capabilities, we jointly agreed to provide our customers easy access to Soitec’s innovative SmartSiC™ via a consignment model.”
Emmanuel Sabonnadiere, Soitec Executive Vice President Automotive and Industry comments: “Soitec’s SmartSiC substrates and X-FAB’s foundry services are a perfect fit to meet increasing demand for new SiC products. This cooperation is a significant milestone for the deployment of SmartSiC in the U.S. market and internationally, thanks to X-FAB’s global footprint.”Original – X-FAB
