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onsemi announced the completed expansion of its state-of-the-art, world-largest silicon carbide (SiC) fabrication facility in Bucheon, South Korea. At full capacity, this fab will be able to manufacture more than one million 200 mm SiC wafers per year.
To support the ramp in SiC manufacturing capacity, onsemi plans to hire up to 1,000 local employees over the next three years to fill the mostly highly technical positions – a more than 40% increase over the present workforce of about 2,300.
Silicon carbide devices are a critical component for power conversion in electric vehicles (EVs), energy infrastructure and high-power EV chargers. The rapidly growing demand for these products has created a surge in demand for SiC chips, with demand outpacing supply for the foreseeable future. The expansion of the Bucheon fab addresses the pressing need for additional production capacity, allowing onsemi to continue to provide supply assurance for its customers and strengthen its leadership in intelligent power solutions.
Construction of the new advanced 150 mm/200 mm SiC fab line along with the high-tech utility building and adjacent parking garage began in the middle of 2022 and was completed in September 2023. The expansion of the 150 mm/200 mm SiC Epi and wafer fab emphasizes onsemi’s focus on building out its vertically integrated silicon carbide manufacturing supply chain at brownfield locations. The Bucheon SiC line is starting with the production of 150 mm wafers and will be converted to 200 mm in 2025 upon qualification of the 200 mm SiC process.
onsemi’s leadership was joined by a delegation of dignitaries led by Vice Governor for Economy of the Gyeonggi-Do Taeyoung Yeom; followed by Bucheon City Mayor YongEek Cho; National Assembly delegates; and Bucheon Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman JongHuem Kim. Also in attendance were representatives from local communities, customers, suppliers and the semiconductor industry.
onsemi CEO Hassane El-Khoury opened the event, noting, “The 150 mm/200 mm SiC wafer fab in Bucheon is critical to the continued success of our fully integrated SiC supply chain, enabling us to support the acceleration of electrification globally. The last five years have shown what extraordinary performance our Bucheon team is capable of, and what we can achieve when we work together with governmental agencies toward the common goal of a more sustainable future.”
“I am truly impressed by onsemi’s diligent and yet fast execution of its strategic plan to expand the Bucheon SiC wafer fab,” said Bucheon City Mayor YongEek Cho. “Not only will the city of Bucheon benefit from the creation of new employment opportunities in technology, but it will also be a part of laying the foundation for a sustainable ecosystem through electrification.”
Original – onsemi
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GaN Systems announced that it will demonstrate the latest breakthroughs of GaN for sustainable and cost-effective power designs at the 2023 China Power Electronics and Energy Conversion Congress and the 26th China Power Supply Society Annual Conference & Exhibition (CPEEC & CPSSC 2023), taking place on November 10-13, 2023, in Guangzhou, China.
Finals of the Annual “GaN Systems Cup” Power Electronics Application Design Competition will kick off concurrently. GaN Systems, as the primary sponsor for nine consecutive years, will participate in the opening ceremony and recognize the winners at the award ceremony.
While power efficiency is at the forefront of global policymaking, advancements in power electronics have gained importance, and talent remains the cornerstone of these advancements. The “GaN Systems Cup” Competition provides a podium for aspiring young engineers to challenge themselves and unlock the full potential of power electronics with GaN power semiconductors.
This year, out of the 68 teams from 46 colleges and universities that participated, 24 qualify for finals. The finalists will present prototype designs for a three-phase inverter using GaN Systems’ power transistors. The panel of judges comprised of experts from the industry and academia will evaluate these prototype designs based on performance in efficiency and power density.
Explore New Opportunities for Power Electronics at the CPEEC & CPSSC 2023
GaN Systems will showcase the latest reference designs for automotive, data center, and consumer industries at Booth 3-026. Its representatives will also be available to discuss the step-function performance boost and industry-leading figures of merit of recently released Gen4 power platform.
Original – GaN Systems
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GaN Valley™ is a connected ecosystem along the value chain of GaN technologies, products and electrical systems. It spans research and innovation (such as top-notch universities & RTOs), IDMs, Fabless Companies (including a growing industry of GaN start-ups & scale-ups), GaN Foundries, multi-market customers, as well as various Government Innovation instances.
Okmetic is now a part of GaN Valley™ community and looks forward to cooperation with other members in the GaN ecosystem!
Okmetic supplies substrate wafers for both RF and Power GaN devices. Its silicon substrate wafers are designed to endure the demanding GaN epitaxial process conditions and provide reduced wafer bow and warpage.
Original – Okmetic
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In the world of electric vehicles (EVs), performance and efficiency are paramount. As the EV industry grows, power designers constantly strive to provide more power, reduce losses, minimize heat, and shrink system sizes. These requirements stem from the ongoing pursuit of lighter vehicles with extended ranges, reduced battery size, and lower overall system costs.
The continuous drive for improvement has led to accelerated adoption of a pivotal technology transforming the landscape of EV traction design: Gallium Nitride (GaN). Particularly noteworthy are the benefits of GaN in 400V and 800V battery traction inverter designs. The growing recognition of GaN’s exceptional performance, compared to conventional silicon and SiC alternatives, underscores its critical role in the future of the EV industry.
GaN-Powered 400V Battery Traction Inverters
GaN stands out as a transformative force for 400V battery-based traction inverters—delivering the benefits that designers expect. With GaN, efficiency increases, resulting in nearly 40% reduction in power loss. Additionally, GaN power semiconductors enable a 33% increase in power density, reducing the overall size and weight of the traction inverter. Altogether, the reduced losses and smaller size result in EVs with lower costs and longer driving range, meeting critical consumer requirements.
GaN’s Emergence in 800V Battery Traction Inverters
In 800V battery-based traction inverters, the adoption of GaN-based three-level topology (3LT) is a growing trend. The demonstrated benefits are numerous.
- Higher Overall Efficiency: In addition to minimizing switching losses and increasing efficiency in the inverter, the GaN 3LT solution also reduces high-frequency copper and iron losses in the filters and motor. The inverter plus motor combined efficiency gains translates to incrementally higher efficiency compared to two-level solutions.
- Lower Noise, Harshness, and EMI Interference: The GaN 3LT generates an output voltage with a sinusoidal-like shape, resulting in reduced dV/dt and lower harmonics. The 3LT output reduces filtering requirements and minimizes high-frequency losses in filters and motors, resulting in lower noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) characteristics. It also operates with a low common voltage, reducing insulation stress and electromagnetic interference (EMI).
- Increased Durability and Reliability: Operating at a lower common voltage also means the peak common mode voltage is suppressed, which reduces the potential for common mode voltage spikes, ensuring a smoother and more stable circuit operation. Furthermore, the 3LT decreases the strain on electric motor bearings. These operating characteristics contribute to a prolonged lifespan with increased durability and reliability.
The EV Market
EVs are at their tipping point, with more than 10 million electric cars sold worldwide in 2022, and sales are expected to grow by 35% this year to reach 14 million cars. Meeting consumer, regulatory, and OEM expectations means peak performance is critical, and this requires a holistic approach that factors in both the inverter and motor considerations. Multi-level GaN is emerging as the lynchpin, offering a range of advantages. Notably, GaN fosters high efficiency at the system level while bolstering overall system reliability.
For example, consider the all-GaN vehicle developed in collaboration with Toyota and Nagoya University teams. The All GaN Vehicle features multiple power applications of GaN in the car: in the traction inverter, the On-Board Charger (OBC), and the DC-DC converter. GaN increased power density and improved efficiency by 20% over silicon, extending the car’s driving range.
Meanwhile, Ricardo, a highly regarded global engineering firm, designed and compared a GaN inverter to a SIC-based inverter. Their test results of the 30kW inverter application demonstrated a 25% reduction in power loss and a 33% increase in power density with GaN compared to SiC. Several Tier1 and OEM automotive companies have realized similar results with traction designs up to 250kW.
In an era of EV innovation, GaN is a driving force accelerating performance and efficiency in both 400V and 800V traction inverters. With the EV industry advancing towards worldwide mass acceptance, the time for GaN adoption is now. The compelling results from rigorous testing and real-world applications point to GaN as the technology well-positioned to reshape the electric mobility landscape.
Original – GaN Systems
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Navitas Semiconductor announced its continued sponsorship of the 2023 China Power Electronics and Energy Conversion Congress & the 26th China Power Supply Society (CPSS) Conference and Exhibition (CPSSC 2023), revealing major next-generation gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductor platforms, including GaNSafe™ – the world’s safest GaN power semiconductor.
Hosted in Guangzhou from November 10th-13th, CPSSC 2023 celebrates its 40th anniversary and promotes academic and technical exchange in the fields of power electronics, energy conversion, and power technology, to foster technical innovation and related industries.
Navitas is the technology and market leader in GaN, with over 100 million GaNFast™ power ICs shipped, and over 12 million GeneSiC™ power MOSFETs and diodes shipped into a $22 billion per year total market opportunity.
With GaNSafe, Navitas has optimized its 4th-generation GaN technology for demanding, high-power applications in data centers, solar / energy storage and EV markets, where efficiency, power density and robust & reliable operation are critical. Adopting a novel, robust, and cool-running surface-mount TOLL package, GaNSafe integrates features and functions, including:
- Protected, regulated, integrated gate-drive control, with zero gate-source loop inductance for reliable high-speed 2 MHz switching to maximize power density.
- High-speed short-circuit protection, with autonomous ‘detect and protect’ within 50 ns – 4x faster than competing discrete solutions.
- Electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection of 2 kV, vs. zero for discrete GaN transistors.
- 650/ 800 V capability to aid survival during extraordinary application conditions.
- Easy-to-use, complete, high-power, high-reliability, high-performance power IC with only 4 pins, accelerating customer designs.
- Programmable turn-on and turn-off (dV/dt) to simplify EMI regulatory requirements.
Navitas’ CPSSC 2023 program includes comprehensive, in-depth technology, application and market presentations include a plenary keynote speech, full conference paper, four industrial sessions, a guest PSMA presentation, an in-depth 3.5-hour technology seminar and full GaNSafe launch. Visitors to the exhibition will discover ground-breaking technology demonstrations and complete power system platform designs at the Navitas booth.
Original – Navitas Semiconductor
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Designing state-of-the-art heat pumps and HVAC systems is not easy. Finding a way to overcome demands, such as giving more power in a smaller footprint requires a lot from a power module.
Vincotech’s new 1200 V PIM+PFC is the answer. Its integrated three-phase ANPFC and inverter stage resolve contradiction to boost efficiency and cut systems costs. More compact designs at higher power ranges is not a problem any more.
Samples are available through our usual channels.
Main benefits
- All-in-one solution: 3-phase PFC with inverter stage in a compact flow1 housing allows for more compact designs and higher power density
- High efficient AN-PFC topology with SiC diodes for switching frequencies up to 150 kHz reduces systems costs
- High speed IGBT’s in the inverter stage for high switching frequency operation
- Thin Al2O3 substrate eases the system’s thermal design
- Integrated thermal sensor simplifies temperature measurement
Applications
- Embedded drives
- Industrial drives
Original – Vincotech
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Power Integrations™ is providing advanced PowiGaN™ gallium-nitride (GaN) technology, expert design support, and financial sponsorship for Team aCentauri in the 3,000 km Bridgestone World Solar Challenge later this month. Power Integrations’ Mr. Green will follow Team aCentauri and the 37 other entrants across the Australian Outback as they push the boundaries of innovation in efficiency, aerodynamics, speed and range for solar-powered cars.
“After studying Power Integrations’ extensive list of reference designs, Team aCentauri asked us to help them design a power converter based on the 750-volt, InnoSwitch™3-EP with PowiGaN technology,” said Trevor Hiatt, director of marketing at Power Integrations. “With our IC and expert design support, the team not only boosted energy efficiency to 95.7 percent while the system operates at maximum power, but also improved efficiency by more than 50 percent while the system drives light loads – which is most of the time.”
The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge begins in Darwin on October 22 and is expected to conclude in Adelaide on October 29.
Original – Power Integrations
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GlobalFoundries has been awarded $35 million in federal funding from the U.S. government to accelerate the manufacturing of GF’s differentiated gallium nitride (GaN) on silicon semiconductors at its facility in Essex Junction, Vermont. This funding brings GF closer to large-scale production of GaN chips, which are unique in their ability to handle high voltages and temperatures.
These chips are positioned to enable game-changing performance and efficiency in 5G and 6G cellular communications for infrastructure and handsets, automotive and industrial Internet of things (IoT), as well as power grids and other critical infrastructure.
With the new $35 million in funding, awarded by the Department of Defense’s Trusted Access Program Office (TAPO), GF plans to purchase additional tools to expand development and prototyping capabilities, moving closer to at-scale 200mm GaN-on-silicon semiconductor manufacturing.
As part of the investment, GF plans to implement new capabilities for reducing the exposure of GF and its customers to supply chain constraints of gallium, while improving the speed of development, assurance of supply and competitiveness of U.S-made GaN chips.
The funding builds on years of collaboration with the U.S. government – including $40 million in support from 2020-2022 – that leverages the talent of GF’s Vermont team and their 200mm semiconductor manufacturing experience, and applies it to GaN-on-silicon manufacturing. 200mm is state-of-the-art for GaN chip technology.
“Vermont is a leader in semiconductor innovation. This federal funding is welcome news, and will solidify our state’s position as a leader at the forefront of manufacturing next-generation chips,” said Senator Peter Welch. “It’s critical we support investment in this industry here in Vermont and in the U.S. – both for our local economic growth and for our national security. I look forward to continuing to fight for our domestic semiconductor and chip manufacturers in the Senate.”
“This strategic investment continues to strengthen our domestic ecosystem of critical dual-use commercial technologies, ensuring they’re readily available and secure for DoD utilization. In concert with key partners, we’re proactively shaping the future of our defense systems,” said The Honorable Christopher J. Lowman, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment.
“GaN on silicon is an ideal technology for high performance radio frequency, high voltage power switching and control applications for emerging markets, and it’s important for 6G wireless communications, industrial IoT, and electric vehicles,” said Dr. Thomas Caulfield, president and CEO of GF.
“GF has a longstanding partnership with the U.S. government, and this funding is critical to move GaN on silicon chips closer to volume production. These chips will enable our customers to realize bold new designs that push the envelope of energy efficiency and performance of critical technologies we rely on every day.”
GF’s facility in Essex Junction, Vermont, near Burlington, was among the first major semiconductor manufacturing sites in the United States. Today around 1,800 GF employees work at the site. Built on GF’s differentiated technologies, these GF-made chips are used in smartphones, automobiles, and communications infrastructure applications around the world.
The facility is a DMEA accredited Trusted Foundry and manufactures secure chips in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense, for use in some of the nation’s most sensitive aerospace and defense systems.
Original – GlobalFoundries
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Axcelis Technologies, Inc. announced the shipment of the Company’s Purion EXE SiC Power Series™ 200mm high energy implanter to a leading SiC power device chipmaker located in Japan. The system will be used in high volume production of SiC power devices for use in automotive applications.
Executive Vice President of Marketing and Applications, Greg Redinbo, commented, “The power device market is one of the fastest growing segments in IC manufacturing, due in part to the robust growth in the electric vehicles market. The power device market is at a critical inflection point as chipmakers transition from 150mm to 200mm SiC wafers.
The Purion Power Series family is uniquely suited to excel at these applications due to its innovative platform that offers the flexibility to handle multiple wafer sizes, various substrate types and operate at various implant temperatures. We look forward to continuing to expand the Purion platform footprint in Japan and supporting our customers’ goals to increase their manufacturing capacity.”
Original – Axcelis Technologies
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Infineon Technologies AG and Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation have signed a multi-year supply agreement for silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon (Si) power semiconductors. Infineon will build and reserve manufacturing capacity to supply SiC as well as Si power modules and chips to Hyundai/Kia until 2030. Hyundai/Kia will support the capacity build-up and capacity reservation with financial contributions.
“Infineon stands as a valued strategic partner, boasting steadfast production capabilities and distinct technological prowess within the power semiconductor market,” said Heung Soo Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Strategy Office (GSO) at Hyundai Motor Group. “This partnership not only empowers Hyundai Motor and Kia to stabilize its semiconductor supply but also positions us to solidify our leadership in the global EV market, underpinned by our competitive product lineups.”
“The future car will be clean, safe and smart and semiconductors are at the heart of this transformation. As a trusted partner, we are proud to advance our long-term partnership with Hyundai/Kia,” said Peter Schiefer, President of Infineon’s Automotive Division. “We contribute premium products of high quality, our system knowledge and application understanding combined with continued investments in manufacturing capacity to address the increasing demand for automotive power electronics.”
Infineon’s power semiconductors are key enablers for the transition to electromobility. This transition will lead to strong market growth for power semiconductors, especially those based on wide bandgap materials like SiC.
With the significant expansion of its Kulim fab, Infineon will build the world’s largest 200-millimeter SiC power fab and further strengthen its market-leading role as a high-quality, high-volume supplier to the automotive industry. In line with Infineon’s multi-site strategy, the Kulim facility will complement Infineon’s current manufacturing capacity in Villach, Austria, and further capacity expansions in Dresden, Germany.
Original – Infineon Technologies
