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Axcelis Technologies, Inc. arranged multiple shipments of the Purion Power Series™ ion implanter systems to leading silicon carbide (SiC) power device chipmakers worldwide. The shipments, all shipped in the first quarter, included the Purion H200™ SiC high current, the Purion XE™ SiC high energy and the Purion M™ SiC medium current implanters.
The 150mm and 200mm systems will be used in high volume production of power devices supporting automotive, industrial, energy, and other power intensive applications.
President and CEO Russell Low commented, “We continue to win new customers and expand our footprint at existing customers globally. The Purion Power Series is the market leader due to its highly differentiated features and process control capabilities that are enabling for power device applications. Axcelis is the only ion implant company that can deliver complete recipe coverage for all power device applications.”
Original – Axcelis Technologies
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Chicony Power Technology, a worldwide leading manufacturer of power supplies and a pioneer in power electronics, has announced the winners of its Annual Partner Awards, honoring Infineon Technologies AG as its 2023 “GaN Strategic Partner of the Year”.
Infineon has been recognized by Chicony Power as its top partner for gallium nitride (GaN)-based power supplies, including notebook adapters, as well as ICT applications in gaming, storage and servers. This acknowledgment is the result of Infineon’s high standards for product selection, application expertise, high reliability and cost-effectiveness.
GaN stands out as one of the most crucial technologies which are essential for improving the efficiency of power supplies and reducing their product size. Pooling Infineon’s leading GaN expertise and Chicony Power’s remarkable capabilities in power supply system design, the win-win collaboration has helped push the boundaries of innovation and further strengthened both companies’ leading positions in energy-efficient power solutions. As of today, the GaN adoption rate in Chicony Power’s high-watt adapters has reached 20 percent, and this rate is rapidly increasing.
“Unrivalled R&D resources, a comprehensive application understanding and a large number of customer projects let Infineon continuously drive its roadmap for becoming a leading GaN Powerhouse,” said Adam White, Division President Power & Sensor Systems at Infineon Technologies. “The Strategic Partner of the Year award from Chicony Power is a great honor for us. We see this as part of our common mission to drive decarbonization and digitalization together.”
“We’re pleased to honor Infineon, which has played a pivotal role in driving customer success throughout 2023, as our GaN Strategic Partner of the Year,” said Peter Tseng, President of Chicony Power Technology. “Our Vision is to be a global pioneer in the implementation of new technology that enhances power supply efficiency, reduces the carbon footprint of power supplies and helps create a greener world. We would like our Annual Partner Awards to encourage Infineon and all other partners to maintain the momentum in jointly promoting GaN technology in the market alongside Chicony Power, making the power industry greener and cleaner.”
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Coherent Corp. announced that it secured $15 million in funding from the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act of 2022 that provided the Department of Defense (DoD) with $2 billion to strengthen and revitalize the U.S. semiconductor supply chain.
One of the key objectives of the CHIPS program is to nurture ecosystems that reduce risk, incentivizing large-scale private investment in production, breakthrough technologies, and workers. To that end, the DoD, through the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division and the National Security Technology Accelerator, established eight Microelectronics Commons regional innovation hubs in September, including the Commercial Leap Ahead for Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors (CLAWS) Hub based in North Carolina and led by NC State University.
As a member of the CLAWS Hub, Coherent will receive $15 million to accelerate the commercialization of next-generation wide- and ultrawide-bandgap semiconductors, namely, silicon carbide and single-crystal diamond, respectively.
“We are excited to be recipients of funding from the CHIPS Act, delighted to be part of the CLAWS Hub, and proud to help the U.S. establish a strategic, long-term leadership position in these critical next-generation semiconductor technologies,” said Sohail Khan, Executive Vice President, Wide-Bandgap Electronics.
“Wide- and ultrawide-bandgap semiconductors enable the electrification of transportation, including road vehicles, high-speed trains, and mobile industrial machinery. They also enable smart power grids to efficiently respond to fluctuations in energy demands by regulating the delivery of electricity from conventional and renewable sources to distribution networks, as well as to and from utility-scale power storage and microgrids.”
In addition to DoD requirements for high-voltage, high-power applications and systems including hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), more electric aircraft (MEA) components, directed energy, Navy vessel power systems, and all-electric ships, silicon carbide power electronics are increasingly recognized for their potential to greatly improve the energy efficiency of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and traditional hyperscale data centers, where power consumption is growing rapidly due to the exploding demand for data- and compute-intensive workloads from AI, cryptocurrency mining, and blockchain applications.
Single-crystal diamond promises to exceed the performance of silicon carbide and greatly expand the applications universe with quantum computing, quantum encryption, and quantum sensing.
Original – Coherent
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Teledyne e2v HiRel Electronics announced the release of the TDGM650LS60, the first product in its innovative new 650V power module family. This new module utilizes a Teledyne high voltage Gallium Nitride (GaN) transistor and integrates an isolated driver in one package.
Designed to serve as a load switch or solid-state switch, the TDGM650LS60 offers unparalleled performance and versatility. With the driver providing 5KV isolation and a GaN transistor boasting a minimum breakdown voltage of 650V, this module ensures robust and dependable operation in diverse environments.
One of the standout features of the TDGM650LS60 is its lightning-fast switching time coupled with the absence of moving parts. This unique combination not only enhances operational efficiency but also significantly elevates the reliability of the device. As a result, the TDGM650LS60 is ideally suited for high-reliability applications, including but not limited to Space, Avionics, and Military sectors.
“This launch marks a significant milestone in Teledyne’s commitment to innovation” said Mont Taylor, Vice President and Business Development Manager at Teledyne e2v HiRel. “The TDGM650LS60 represents the culmination of our dedication to pushing the boundaries of technology, offering our customers performance, reliability, and versatility in their applications.”
Original – Teledyne e2v HiRel Electronics
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SemiQ has opened its newest office in Taiwan. This strategic move underscores SemiQ’s commitment to providing enhanced ground support to its valued customers in the region while further solidifying its presence in the Asia-Pacific market.
As a Product Engineering and Global Sourcing Center, the new office, located near the Taiwan High Speed Rail Hsinchu Station, will serve as a vital hub, facilitating seamless interfacing with key stakeholders including Hsinchu Foundry, Miaoli Test Facility, Far East OSATs, and Taiwan Sales Office.
“Expanding our presence in Taiwan represents a significant milestone for SemiQ as we continue to strengthen our global operations and better serve our customers,” said Michael Tsang, VP, Product Engineering and Operations at SemiQ. “The opening of this office underscores our dedication to providing unparalleled support and resources to our customer base in the region.”
Mr. Tsang, a seasoned professional with extensive experience in semiconductor industry dynamics, will lead the Taiwan office. His expertise will be instrumental in managing demand, fostering partnerships, and ensuring the highest level of service delivery to SemiQ’s customers.
The strategic location of the new office near key industry players and transportation hubs will enhance SemiQ’s ability to collaborate effectively with its partners, streamline operations and expedite response times to customer needs.
“We are excited about the opportunities that the Taiwan office brings in terms of strengthening relationships with our partners and better understanding the evolving needs of the market,” added Mr. Tsang. “This expansion aligns with our vision of driving innovation and delivering value-added solutions to our customers.”
Establishing the Taiwan office complements SemiQ’s existing wafer processing facilities in the region. It underscores its commitment to providing superior SiC solutions for ultra-efficient, high-performance, and high-voltage applications.
Original – SemiQ
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Axcelis Technologies, Inc. announced a shipment of the Company’s Purion EXE™ SiC high energy implanter as well as a successful Purion H200™ SiC medium energy implanter evaluation closure at leading power device chipmakers located in Japan. The systems will be used for 150mm and 200mm production of silicon carbide power devices supporting automotive, industrial, energy, and other power intensive applications.
Greg Redinbo, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Applications remarked, “The successful evaluation closure of the 200mm Purion H200 SiC system enables it to join an existing 200mm Purion EXE SiC in production at a leading power device customer in Japan.” Dr. Redinbo continued, “The shipment of an additional Purion EXE SiC to a new 150mm customer in Japan highlights growing customer requirements for even higher energy ion implant recipes on advanced SiC power devices, which the Purion Power Series provides.”
President and CEO, Russell Low commented, “We look forward to supporting our growing installed base in Japan and remain focused on expanding our market share by providing customers with the most innovative implant technology and support solutions to ensure their success. The Purion Power Series is the market leader due to its highly differentiated features and process control capabilities that are enabling for power device applications. Axcelis is the only ion implant company that can deliver complete recipe coverage for all power device applications.”
Original – Axcelis Technologies
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Aehr Test Systems announced it has received an initial customer order for a FOX-NP™ wafer level test and burn-in system, multiple WaferPak™ Contactors, and a FOX WaferPak Aligner to be used for engineering, qualification, and small lot production wafer level test and burn-in of their silicon carbide devices.
The customer is multiple billion dollar per year global semiconductor company with locations across Europe, Asia, and the Americas that serves various industries including automotive, industrial, mobile, and consumer applications. The FOX-NP system, including the FOX WaferPak Aligner and initial WaferPaks, are scheduled to ship over the next few months.
The FOX-NP system is configured with the new Bipolar Voltage Channel Module (BVCM) and Very High Voltage Channel Module (VHVCM) options that enable new advanced test and burn-in capabilities for silicon carbide power semiconductors using Aehr’s proprietary WaferPak full wafer Contactors.
Gayn Erickson, President and CEO of Aehr Test Systems, commented, “We are very excited that this new customer selected our FOX-P solution for engineering, qualification, and production of their silicon carbide power devices. After working with the Aehr team and our technology solutions over an extended period of time, they felt secure in our ability to aid them in achieving these goals. A key feature in their selection of our FOX solution is its proven ability to cost-effectively implement their target burn-in and stabilization requirements, including 100% traceability and proof that every device on the wafer is burned in for the needed test duration.
“This customer currently has a wide range of automotive products and is entering the silicon carbide market to address several applications that include automotive, industrial, and electrification infrastructure. Key capabilities of our solution include our ability to scale from engineering and qualification and small lot production with the FOX-NP system to large scale production with the FOX-XP with Automated WaferPak Aligner. They have told us that they plan to transition to our FOX-XP multi-wafer test and burn-in systems for high-volume production. Aehr’s FOX-P technology facilitates a seamless transition from engineering to high-volume production with 100% compatibility between systems.
“This customer sees the enormous opportunity for silicon carbide power devices in industrial and power applications. William Blair forecasts that in addition to the 4.5 million six-inch equivalent wafers that will be needed to meet the demand for electric vehicle related silicon carbide devices in 2030, another 2.8 million wafers are needed to address industrial, solar, electric trains, energy conversion and other applications in 2030. The cost of ownership of our solution proves to be more cost-effective and efficient for these devices than package part burn-in after the die are packaged. This is a strong testimony of the advantage of wafer level burn-in as a better alternative to package part burn-in.
“The FOX family of compatible systems including the FOX-NP and FOX-XP multi-wafer test and burn-in systems and Aehr’s proprietary WaferPak full wafer contactors provide a uniquely cost-effective solution for burning in multiple wafers of devices at a single time to remove early life failures of silicon carbide devices, which is critical to meeting the initial quality and long-term reliability of the automotive, industrial, and electrification infrastructure industry needs.”
The FOX-XP and FOX-NP systems, available with multiple WaferPak Contactors (full wafer test) or multiple DiePakTM Carriers (singulated die/module test) configurations, are capable of functional test and burn-in/cycling of devices such as silicon carbide and gallium nitride power semiconductors, silicon photonics as well as other optical devices, 2D and 3D sensors, flash memories, magnetic sensors, microcontrollers, and other leading-edge ICs in either wafer form factor, before they are assembled into single or multi-die stacked packages, or in singulated die or module form factor.
Original – Aehr Test Systems
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Novel Crystal Technology (NCT), a global leader in Gallium Oxide (Ga2O3) technology, has successfully grown the first 6-inch Ga2O3 single crystal using the advanced Vertical Bridgman (VB) technique. This achievement marks a significant step forward in NCT’s efforts to deliver larger, high-quality semiconductor wafers for Ga2O3-based power devices.
The VB technique offers several advantages over NCT’s existing Edge-defined Film-fed Growth (EFG) method. By growing the crystal in a cylindrical shape, VB significantly reduces costs associated with substrate cutting. Additionally, it allows for production of substrates in various crystalline orientations, unrestricted by limitations imposed by crystal anisotropy.
Furthermore, the controlled thermal environment of VB growth leads to superior crystal quality with minimal defects, compared to EFG. Finally, dopant uniformity within the substrate is expected to improve, aligning with industry standards for other semiconductors like silicon.
NCT carried out a comparative evaluation between VB and EFG crystals with National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) revealed a dramatic improvement in crystal quality. Synchrotron radiation X-ray topography analysis confirmed minimal defects in the VB-grown crystal, compared to the high density of defects observed in the EFG-grown crystal. This clearly demonstrates the superiority of the VB technique for producing high-quality Ga2O3 substrates.
Ga2O3 is a promising material for power electronics due to its ability to significantly reduce power loss compared to commonly used Silicon Carbide (SiC) in high-voltage applications, like electric vehicles and renewable energy systems. Its wide bandgap characteristics hold immense potential for energy conservation and CO2 emission reduction.
Established in 2015, NCT manufactures 2-inch and 100 mm gallium oxide (Ga2O3) substrates and epi-wafers for power devices. These are commercially available and used by universities, institutes, and power device companies worldwide. NCT currently supplies thousands of these substrates annually to support research and development efforts.
NCT is actively developing larger substrates such as 6-inch. Beyond substrates, NCT has a vision for broader Ga2O3 device production. They are already offering samples of their first Ga2O3 Schottky Barrier Diode, with qualification tests expected to be completed in September 2024.
The development of the Vertical Bridgman growth technique for Ga2O3 single crystals was initiated by Shinshu University, successfully achieving growth of 2-inch and 4-inch crystals. NCT acquired and extended their techniques to enable larger diameter crystal development. This research and development program was partially funded by the Adaptable and Seamless Technology Transfer Program through Target Driven R&D (A-STEP) of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST).
Original – Novel Crystal Technology
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Wolfspeed, Inc. hosted Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and other local officials, community partners, and employees at a ceremony to celebrate the topping out of construction at the $5 billion John Palmour Manufacturing Center for Silicon Carbide. Located in Chatham County, North Carolina, the JP will produce 200mm silicon carbide wafers, significantly expanding Wolfspeed’s materials capacity, and meet the demand for next generation semiconductors critical to the energy transition and AI.
“We are excited to mark this critical milestone alongside our hard-working team, loyal customers, community partners, and ardent supporters like Senator Thom Tillis,” said Wolfspeed President and CEO, Gregg Lowe.
“This facility is a testament to Wolfspeed’s commitment to our local community and domestic workforce, furthering our position as the global leader in silicon carbide production. The JP will help maintain America’s lead in energy innovation, and unlock significant benefits for our local community by growing the state’s economy by more than $17.5 billion over the next two decades and creating 1,800 good-paying jobs by 2030.”
“Wolfspeed’s $5 billion investment in Chatham County is another example of why North Carolina is the best state in the country to do business,” said Senator Tillis. “I was proud to vote in favor of the CHIPS and Science Act, which provides critical support for domestic semiconductor manufacturing, and I applaud Wolfspeed’s commitment to developing technology here in North Carolina that supports our national security and economic interests.”
The JP represents a total investment of $5 billion, complemented by public and private support, to help accelerate the transition from silicon to silicon carbide and ramp up supply of this material recently deemed as critical to the energy transition by the U.S. Department of Energy. By the end of 2024, phase one of construction is expected to be completed on the 445-acre site.
The ramp of the JP will support recently signed customer agreements with Renesas, Infineon, and additional companies, while driving meaningful progress towards Wolfspeed’s long-term growth strategy. The JP will primarily produce 200mm silicon carbide wafers, which are 1.7x larger than 150mm wafers, translating to more efficient wafers and ultimately, lower costs. The JP underpins Wolfspeed’s vision of accelerating the adoption of silicon carbide semiconductors across a wide array of end-markets and unlocking a new era of energy efficiency.
Wolfspeed currently produces more than 60% of the world’s silicon carbide materials at its Durham, N.C. headquarters, and is engaged in a $6.5 billion capacity expansion effort to dramatically increase production.
Original – Wolfspeed
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In the paper “Milliseconds Power Cycling (PCmsec) Driving Bipolar Degradation in Silicon Carbide Power Devices”, Sibasish Laha from Fraunhofer IISB and his co-authors Jürgen Leib, Andreas Schletz, Martin Maerz, Christian Liguda, Firas Faisal and Davood Momeni describe an innovative approach to silicon carbide (SiC) power cycling.
Until now, bipolar degradation (BD) tests have not been sufficiently differentiated in the investigation of failure and fault mechanisms for SiC power devices. SiC power products may experience voltage degradation which stems from the stacking faults (SFs) growth, commonly known as BD. To properly evaluate the BD impact on the electric performance of devices, it is important to distinguish it from other stress-related degradation such as power metal or interconnection.
This aspect has not yet been addressed, although the BD mechanism is well understood. The paper outlines a methodology by modifying the power cycling test (PCsec) to PCmsec in order to systematically investigate the effect of BD while controlling the impact of thermal degradation. This method enables a thorough evaluation of the distinct influences of both degradation contributors.
The complete paper will soon be available in the CIPS proceedings. Until then, feel free to download the paper presentation on event page.
There you can also find all our contributions to CIPS 2024:- Modified Approach for the Rainflow Counting Analysis of Temperature Load Signals in Power Electronics Modules – Oral presentation by S. Letz; Co-authors: D. Zhao, J. Leib, B. Eckardt, M. März
- Milliseconds Power Cycling (PCmsec) Driving Bipolar Degradation in Silicon Carbide Power Devices – Oral presentation by S. Laha; Co-authors: D. Momeni, J. Leib, A. Schletz, M. März, C. Liguda, F. Faisal
- Challenges of Junction Temperature Calibration of SiC MOSFETs for Power Cycling – a Dynamic Approach – Poster by J. Breuer, F. Dresel, A. Schletz, J. Klier, J. Leib, M. März, B. Eckardt
- Wide Bandwidth PCB Rogowski Coil Current Sensor with Droop Suppression and DC Restoration for In-Situ Inverter Measurements – Poster by S. Quergfelder, J. Sax, T. Heckel, B. Eckardt, M. März
Original – Fraunhofer IISB
