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Infineon Technologies has once again been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability™ World Index, as announced by S&P Global last Friday in New York, USA.
“We are proud that Infineon has been chosen as one of the world’s most sustainable companies for the 14 th consecutive year“, said Elke Reichart, Member of the Board and Chief Digital Transformation Officer, responsible for Sustainability at Infineon. “Moreover, we feel strongly encouraged to keep up our efforts at making further progress towards our ambitious sustainability goals. Therefore, we are continuously developing our processes and drive innovation within the company and beyond. The green and the digital transformation go hand in hand.”
Infineon is well on track with the implementation of its CO 2-neutrality goal by 2030 (Scope 1 and 2). To date emissions have been reduced by 56.8 percent compared with the base year of 2019 while approximately doubling the business at the same time.
As a leading manufacturer of semiconductors for power electronic systems and the IoT, Infineon makes a significant contribution to decarbonization on the way to a net-zero society. Infineon’s products and solutions help to save 34 times more CO 2 emissions over the course of their usage than were created during their production.
This year, Infineon scored especially well in Privacy Protection and Innovation Management that includes aspects like Research & Development, Product Innovation and also Process Innovation, for instance through digitalization and the application of Industry 4.0 principles.
The Dow Jones Sustainability Index is regarded as one of the most important benchmarks for sustainability and lists the world’s leading companies from 61 industries. The assessment is based on the companies’ economic, environmental and social performance. Its objective is to help investors make informed decisions on how to align their portfolios more clearly with sustainability aspects, and to encourage companies to actively continue their efforts in this regard.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Infineon Technologies AG launches its new CoolMOS™ S7T product family with an integrated temperature sensor to improve the accuracy of junction temperature sensing. The integration of these products has a positive impact on the durability, safety, and efficiency of many electronic applications. The CoolMOS S7T is best suited for solid-state relay (SSR) applications for enhanced performance and reliability due to its superior R DS(on) and the highly accurate, embedded sensor.
Since SSRs are fundamental components in various electronic devices, customers can benefit in many ways from a superjunction MOSFET with an integrated sensor in the same package. Infineon’s innovative approach improves the relay’s performance and ensures reliable operation even under overload conditions. The integrated temperature sensor provides up to 40 percent greater accuracy and ten times faster response time than a standard independent on-board sensor located at the drain. Additionally, the monitoring process can be performed individually within a multi-device system for improved reliability.
The CoolMOS S7T enables optimal utilization of the power transistor, resulting in enhanced performance and precise control of the output stage. Compared to electromechanical relays, the total power dissipation can be improved up to two times, while current solid state triac solutions are more than 5 times less efficient. Improved efficiency and the ability to handle higher loads help in reducing power consumption and energy costs.
Unique output stage performance, coupled with a significant overcurrent threshold, bolster relay reliability and minimizes the risk of failure and downtime. The rugged switching solution also ensures safer operation. As a result of the MOSFETs increased robustness, the life of the relay is improved, leading to less frequent replacement. Ultimately, all of these benefits translate into lower maintenance costs.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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GaN Systems™, an Infineon Technologies Company, announced the winners for the 9th “GaN Systems Cup” Power Electronics Application Design Competition 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. The Xi’an Jiaotong University team’s three-phase inverter prototype design was recognized as the Grand Prize for achieving outstanding efficiency and power density with GaN Systems’ high-performance power transistors.
Since 2015, the Power Electronics Application Design Competition has encouraged over a thousand college students to sharpen their knowledge with practical design experience and explore possibilities in power electronics.
Participation was again unprecedented this year, with 68 teams from 48 top universities submitting project proposals. Out of the 24 teams that entered finals, 10 eventually received recognition. The Xi’an Jiaotong University team earned the Grand Prizes for their outstanding high-efficiency, high-power density three-phase inverter design. With an output power of 500W, an input voltage of 350VDC, and an output voltage of 220VAC with frequency increased from 50Hz to 400Hz and eventually 2000Hz, the team’s design delivered an impressive 15W/in3 power density and average 98% efficiency.
“The power industry is constantly looking for novel approaches to create more powerful, smaller, and faster components that increase overall system power density and efficiency,” said Yunsheng Qu, Senior Manager of Infineon’s Power and Sensor Systems Division, at the award ceremony. “GaN adoption is now at the tipping point in many applications, and developing a pipeline of skilled, talented engineers has become ever-crucial to support such massive market growth potential. I am pleased to see many of the winning entries not only meet the design requirements but go well beyond them.”
Co-located with the GaN Systems Cup, CPEEC & CPSSC 2023 drew a record-breaking 2,600 visitors and nearly 100 exhibitors, making it China’s largest academic event in power electronics. Infineon’s GaN Systems business line showcased an array of groundbreaking power system reference designs for automotive, industrial, and consumer applications. The impressively compact and economical 11kW 800V GaN-based onboard charger reference design was the main attraction in the booth. Visitors also showed a high level of interest in the implementation benefits enabled by the new Gen4 platform and responded positively to the closing of the Infineon acquisition.
Original – GaN Systems
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The ever-increasing power demand in data centers and computing applications requires advancements in power efficiency and compact power supply design. Infineon Technologies AG responds to trends on the system level by introducing its new OptiMOS™ 7 family, industry’s first 15 V trench power MOSFET technology. The OptiMOS 7 15 V series primarily targets optimized DC-DC conversion for servers, computing, datacenter, and artificial intelligence applications.
The product portfolio includes the latest PQFN 3.3 x 3.3 mm² Source-Down, with bottom- and dual-side cooling variants in standard- and center-gate footprints. The portfolio also includes a robust PQFN 2 x 2 mm² variant with a reinforced clip. The OptiMOS 7 15 V technology is specifically tailored for DC-DC conversions with low output voltages, particularly in server and computing environments. This advancement aligns with emerging shifts towards high ratio DC-DC conversion in data-center power distribution.
Compared to the established OptiMOS5 25 V, the new OptiMOS 7 15 V achieves a reduction of R DS(on) and FOMQ g by ~30 percent, and FOMQ OSS by ~50 percent by lowering the breakdown voltage. The PQFN 3.3 x 3.3 mm² Source-Down package variants provide a more versatile and effective PCB-design. Furthermore, the PQFN 2 x 2 mm² package provides a pulsed current capability higher than 500 A and a typical R thJC of 1.6 K/W.
By minimizing conduction and switching losses and incorporating advanced packaging technology, thermal management becomes easy and effective, setting new benchmarks both for power density and overall efficiency.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Intelligent management of power loads and power sources can make existing power networks more robust in order to handle the growing share of green energy. At the conclusion of the PROGRESSUS research project 22 project partners presented the project’s results in Bari, Italy.
Among other things, a solution was introduced which would make it possible to operate ten to fifteen times more electric car charging stations on a single network connection. In addition, a strategy for tracking electricity from generation all the way to consumption was presented. PROGRESSUS focused on three central topics: Efficient energy conversion, intelligent electricity management and secure network monitoring.
The Electronic Components and Systems for European Leadership Joint Undertaking (ECSEL-JU) and the governments of Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Spain supported PROGRESSUS with almost 20 million euros. A total of 22 project partners from industry and research participated beginning on 1 April 2020; the project was led by Infineon Technologies AG.
“Decarbonization and electrification go hand in hand. Our power grids will have to perform better and become more stable if they are to handle the growing power volumes and fluctuations in the supply and demand of electricity. This means we need new solutions,” said Thomas Zollver, Senior Vice President Technology & Innovation of the Infineon Connected Secure Systems division.
“The joint research project PROGRESSUS has succeeded in developing a significant number of technologies that can make our existing networks more resilient. The project is thus making an important contribution to freeing our modern lives from fossil energy sources and protecting our climate for future generations.”
The project developed highly efficient electric power converters what minimizes loss while integrating battery storage systems and renewable energy sources such as photovoltaics: The converters integrate ultra-fast sensors and SiC MOSFETs which can be switched at considerably higher speeds.
This makes them suitable for use in new, innovative charge management systems for battery-electric vehicles which reduce the peak power consumption at the site level by as much as 90 percent, without significantly longer charging times. As an alternative the intelligent charging algorithm can support ten to fifteen times more charging stations on the same network connection.
Hardware-based security solutions provide the best possible protection of the communications and data in the power network’s critical infrastructure against manipulation. These solutions also serve as a basis for tracking the energy provided from the point of generation all the way to its consumption. This makes it possible for consumers to prove they are using green electricity.
Joint energy management of multiple buildings can also help relieve power networks. PROGRESSUS project partners have simulated this kind of energy management system based on real data from 16 buildings with photovoltaic systems and energy storage systems. The result: This kind of joint energy management could reduce electricity peak demands present in the public network by an average up to 80 percent, without a negative impact on customers’ needs. This value for the case investigated depends on the season, weather conditions and the configuration of the PV and storage systems.
The findings of the PROGRESSUS project constitute an important contribution to the new products and services which support the achievement of European climate targets.
The 22 partners of the PROGRESSUS research project
- Ceus UG (DE)
- Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya (ES)
- devolo AG (DE)
- ElaadNL (NL)
- Enel X Way S.r.l. (IT)
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (DE)
- Greenflux Assets BV (NL)
- Heliox (NL)
- Hybrid Energy Storage Solutions S.L. (ES)
- Infineon Technologies AG (DE)
- Iquadrat Informatica S.L. (ES)
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per la Nanoelettronica (IT)
- Acondicionamiento Tarrasense (LEITAT) (ES)
- Mixed Mode GmbH (new company name: Ingenics Digital GmbH) (DE)
- Politecnico di Bari (IT)
- R-DAS, s.r.o. (SK)
- STMicroelectronics S.r.l. (IT)
- Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (SK)
- TH Köln (DE)
- Delft University of Technology (NL)
- Eindhoven University of Technology (NL)
- University of Messina (IT)
Original – Infineon Technologies
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The accelerated transition to electric vehicles has led to significant innovations in charging systems that demand more cost-efficient and high performing power electronics. Addressing this, Infineon Technologies AG expands its 650 V CoolMOS™ CFD7A portfolio by introducing the QDPAK package.
This package family is designed to provide equivalent thermal capabilities with improved electrical performance over the well-known TO247 THD devices, thus enabling efficient energy utilization in onboard chargers and DC-DC converters.
Efficient and powerful electric vehicle charging systems help reduce charging times and vehicle weight, increasing design flexibility and reduce the total cost of ownership of the vehicle. This new addition complements the existing CoolMOS CFD7A series, offering versatility with top-side and bottom-side cooled packages. The QDPAK TSC (top side cooled), enables designers to achieve higher power densities and optimal PCB space utilization.
The 650 V CoolMOS CFD7A offers several important features for reliable operation in high-voltage applications. Thanks to its reduced parasitic source inductance, the device can minimize electromagnetic interference (EMI), ensuring clear signals and consistent performance.
The Kelvin source pin also provides improved precision for current sensing, ensuring accurate measurements even in challenging conditions. With a creepage distance suitable for high voltage applications, as well as high current capability and high power dissipation (P tot) of up to 694 W at 25°C, it is a versatile and powerful device for a wide range of high-voltage applications.
New system designs using 650 V CoolMOS CFD7A in QDPAK TSC will maximize PCB space use, doubling power density and enhancing thermal management via substrate thermal decoupling. This approach simplifies assembly, eliminates board stacking and reduces the need for connectors, thereby lowering system costs. The power switch reduces thermal resistance by up to 35 percent, providing high power dissipation that outperforms standard cooling solutions.
This feature overcomes the thermal limitations of bottom side cooled SMD designs using FR4 PCBs, resulting in a significant boost in system performance. The optimized power loop design locates drivers near the power switch, improving reliability by reducing stray inductance and chip temperatures. Overall, these features contribute to a cost-effective, robust, and efficient system ideal for modern power needs.
As announced in February 2023, the QDPAK TSC package has been registered as a JEDEC standard for high-power applications, helping to establish a broad adoption of TSC in new designs with one standard package design and footprint. To further to accelerate this transition, Infineon will also release additional Automotive Qualified devices in QDPAK TSC for onboard chargers and DC-DC converters in 2024, such as 750 V and 1200 V CoolSiC™ devices.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Infineon Technologies AG announced the expansion of its CoolSiC 1200 V and 2000 V MOSFET module families with a new industry-standard package. The proven 62mm device is designed in half-bridge topology and is based on the recently introduced and advanced M1H silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET technology.
The package enables the use of SiC for mid-power applications from 250 kW – where silicon reaches the limits of power density with IGBT technology. Compared to a 62mm IGBT module, the list of applications now additionally includes solar, server, energy storage, EV charger, traction, commercial induction cooking and power conversion systems.
The M1H technology enables a significantly wider gate voltage window, ensuring high robustness to driver and layout-induced voltage spikes at the gate without any restrictions even at high switching frequencies. In addition to that, very low switching and transmission losses minimize cooling requirements.
Combined with a high reverse voltage, these devices meet another requirement of modern system design. By using Infineon’s CoolSiC chip technology, converter designs can be made more efficient, the nominal power per inverter can be increased and system costs can be reduced.
With baseplate and screw connections, the package features a very rugged mechanical design optimized for highest system availability, minimum service costs and downtime losses. Outstanding reliability is achieved through high thermal cycling capability and a continuous operating temperature (T vjop) of 150°C. The symmetrical internal package design provides identical switching conditions for the upper and lower switches. Optionally, the thermal performance of the module can be further enhanced with pre-applied thermal interface material (TIM).
The CoolSiC 62mm package MOSFETs are available in 1200 V variants of 5 mΩ/180 A, 2 mΩ/420 A and 1 mΩ/560 A. The 2000 V portfolio will include the 4 mΩ/300 A and 3 mΩ/400 A variants. The portfolio will be completed in Q1 2024 with the 1200 V/3 mΩ and 2000 V/5 mΩ variants.
An evaluation board is available for rapid characterization of the modules (double pulse/continuous operation). For ease of use, it provides flexible adjustment of the gate voltage and gate resistors. At the same time, it can be used as a reference design for driver boards for volume production.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Today, Infineon Technologies AG is reporting results for the fourth quarter and the full fiscal year, both of which ended on 30 September 2023.
“In the 2023 fiscal year, Infineon has set new records for revenue and profitability. The results are an initial confirmation of our more ambitious course we embarked on as a company a year ago,” says Jochen Hanebeck, CEO of Infineon.
“Nevertheless, we find ourselves in an environment that continues to present challenges. We are seeing different trends in our target markets. Structural semiconductor growth in the areas of renewable energy, electromobility – especially in China – and microcontrollers for the automotive industry remains unabated. In contrast, consumer, communication, computing and IoT applications are experiencing a temporary period of low demand. Overall, we are expecting revenue growth to continue in the 2024 fiscal year but at a slower rate. We are reacting decisively to the market situation. At the same time, we are continuing to implement our strategy consistently with regard to structural growth opportunities and we are reinforcing our leading position in power systems and IoT with long-term investments.”
- Q4 FY 2023: Revenue €4.149 billion, Segment Result €1.044 billion, Segment Result Margin 25.2 percent, Free Cash Flow €614 million
- FY 2023: Revenue €16.309 billion, up 15 percent on the prior year; Segment Result €4.399 billion, up 30 percent year on year; Segment Result Margin 27.0 percent; adjusted earnings per share €2.65, up 35 percent on the prior year; Free Cash Flow €1.158 billion, adjusted Free Cash Flow €1.638 billion
- Outlook for FY 2024: Based on an assumed exchange rate of US$1.05 to the euro, revenue of around €17 billion (plus or minus €500 million) expected, with a Segment Result Margin of around 24 percent at the mid-point of the guided revenue range. Adjusted gross margin should be around 45 percent. Investments of approximately €3.3 billion planned. Free Cash Flow adjusted for investment in frontend buildings and the acquisition of GaN Systems should be around €2.2 billion and reported Free Cash Flow around €400 million
- Outlook for Q1 FY 2024: Based on an assumed exchange rate of US$1.05 to the euro, revenue of around €3.8 billion expected. On this basis, Segment Result Margin forecast to be around 22 percent
- Dividend proposal for FY 2023: Increase from €0.32 to €0.35 per share
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Infineon Technologies AG announced the closing of the acquisition of GaN Systems Inc. (“GaN Systems”). The Ottawa-based company brings with it a broad portfolio of gallium nitride (GaN)-based power conversion solutions and leading-edge application know-how. All required regulatory clearances have been obtained and GaN Systems has become part of Infineon effective as of the closing.
“GaN technology is paving the way for more energy-efficient and CO 2-saving solutions that support decarbonization,” said Jochen Hanebeck, CEO of Infineon. “The acquisition of GaN Systems significantly accelerates our GaN roadmap and further strengthens Infineon’s leadership in power systems through mastery of all relevant power semiconductor technologies. We welcome our new colleagues from GaN Systems to Infineon.”
Infineon now has a total of 450 GaN experts and more than 350 GaN patent families, which expands the company’s leading position in power semiconductors and considerably speeds up time-to-market. Both companies’ complementary strengths in IP and application understanding as well as a well-filled customer project pipeline put Infineon in an excellent position to address various fast-growth applications.
On 2 March 2023, Infineon and GaN Systems announced that the companies had signed a definitive agreement under which Infineon would acquire GaN Systems for US$830 million. The acquisition, an all-cash transaction, was funded from existing liquidity.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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The Infineon Technologies AG Supervisory Board has appointed Elke Reichart to the Management Board effective November 1, 2023. As Chief Digital Transformation Officer (CDTO), she succeeds Constanze Hufenbecher, who has decided not to renew her expiring contract. As CDTO, Elke Reichart will among other things be responsible for group-wide digitalization projects, IT infrastructure and Infineon’s sustainability strategy.
“Fully leveraging the opportunities of the digital transformation is a key leadership task. I am therefore delighted to have Elke Reichart, an internationally experienced and high-profile technology manager, join the Infineon Management Board. She has proven in her career that she can further develop international organizations and successfully implement digitization projects,” said Herbert Diess, Chairman of Infineon’s Supervisory Board. “On behalf of the entire Supervisory Board, I would like to express my sincere thanks to Constanze Hufenbecher for her outstanding work. She has successfully built up the CDTO department and together we decided that November 1 was a suitable time to hand over the baton.”
“Green and digital transformation go hand in hand – and Infineon is driving both. In this context, digitalization is also a crucial lever for our own company. I am very much looking forward to working with Elke Reichart. She will bring new perspectives and impetus to the Management Board and use her extensive experience to help lead Infineon into an even more successful future,” said Jochen Hanebeck, CEO of Infineon.
“I would like to sincerely thank Constanze Hufenbecher for the good collaboration. With the Digital Agenda and the Sustainability Strategy, she has laid important foundations and shaped a culture of cross-departmental collaboration.”
“Digitalization is an integral part of Infineon’s strategy. A differentiating service and product portfolio, better interaction with customers, faster and more efficient processes: digital solutions support Infineon’s strategy in many ways. I look forward to soon being part of this great company and I thank the Supervisory Board for their trust,” says Elke Reichart.
Elke Reichart was Chief Digital Officer of TUI Group from 2018 to 2021, where she was responsible for the Group’s digitalization strategy, among other things. Prior to that, she held various management positions at Hewlett Packard over a period of 25 years, including Vice President Strategy & Planning at HP’s headquarters in Palo Alto (California). During her time at HP, Elke Reichart was responsible for various transformation programs, each with a volume of several billion US dollars.
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