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Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced that it will enter into a strategic partnership with Nexperia B.V. to jointly develop silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors for the power electronics market. Mitsubishi Electric will leverage its wide-bandgap semiconductor technologies to develop and supply SiC MOSFET chips that Nexperia will use to develop SiC discrete devices.
The electric vehicle market is expanding worldwide and is helping to drive the exponential growth of SiC power semiconductors, which offer lower energy loss, higher operating temperatures and faster switching speeds than conventional silicon power semiconductors. The high efficiency of SiC power semiconductors is expected to contribute significantly to global decarbonization and green transformation.
Mitsubishi Electric has established leading positions in applications such as high-speed trains, high-voltage industrial applications and home appliances. The company launched the world’s first SiC power modules for air conditioners in 2010 and became the first supplier of an all-SiC power module for Shinkansen bullet trains in 2015. Mitsubishi Electric has accumulated superior expertise for the development and manufacture of SiC power modules, which are known for their advanced performance and high reliability.
Going forward, Mitsubishi Electric expects to strengthen its partnership with Nexperia, a global leader with decades of experience in the design, manufacture, quality assurance and supply of diverse discrete devices. Nexperia’s devices are used in the automotive, industrial, mobile and consumer markets, contributing to decarbonization and a more sustainable future. Mitsubishi Electric will continue to improve the performance and quality of its SiC chips and focus on the development of power modules using proprietary module technologies.
Mark Roeloffzen, SVP & General Manager Business Group Bipolar Discretes at Nexperia, said: “This mutually beneficial strategic partnership with Mitsubishi Electric represents a significant stride in Nexperia’s silicon carbide journey. Mitsubishi Electric has a strong track record as a supplier of technically proven SiC device and modules. Combined with Nexperia’s high-quality standards and expertise in discrete products and packaging, we will certainly generate positive synergies between both companies – ultimately enabling our customers to deliver highly energy efficient products in the industrial, automotive or consumer markets they serve.”
Masayoshi Takemi, Executive Officer and Group President, Semiconductor & Device at Mitsubishi Electric, said: “Nexperia is a leading company in the industrial sector with proven technologies for high quality discrete semiconductors. We are delighted to enter into this co-development partnership that will leverage the semiconductor technologies of both companies.”
Original – Mitsubishi Electric
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Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. and Nexperia B.V. announced that they have entered into an agreement that Vishay will acquire Nexperia’s wafer fabrication facility and operations located in Newport, South Wales, U.K. for $177million in cash. ATREG, Inc., the Seattle-based premier global firm for initiating, brokering, and executing the exchange of semiconductor manufacturing assets, served as Nexperia’s transaction advisors.
Newport wafer fab, located on 28 acres, is an automotive certified, 200mm semiconductor wafer fab that supplies primarily automotive markets. It is the largest semiconductor manufacturer in the U.K.
Toni Versluijs, Country Manager Nexperia UK, stated: “Nexperia would have preferred to continue the long-term strategy it implemented when it acquired the investment-starved fab in 2021 and provided for massive investments in equipment and personnel. However, these investment plans have been cut short by the unexpected and wrongful divestment order made by the UK Government in November 2022.The site needs clarity about its future to avoid further losses, and today’s announcement provides this. Of all options, this agreement with Vishay is the most viable one to secure the future of the site as Vishay – like Nexperia – has a solid customer base for the fab’s capabilities. For the site, Vishay’s commitment to further make the Newport wafer fab a success story is encouraging. Nexperia’s position with regards to the UK Government’s order remains unchanged.”
The closing of Newport wafer fab transaction is subject to UK government review, the purchase rights of a third party, and customary closing conditions, and is expected to occur in the first quarter of 2024.
Nexperia’s priority always remains with our employees and our customers. Whilst we work on ensuring that all conditions to the sale are met soonest, we will continue to own and manage the site and support the employees as usual.
Original – Nexperia
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Nexperia has entered into partnership with KYOCERA AVX Components (Salzburg) GmbH to jointly produce a new 650 V, 20 A silicon carbide (SiC) rectifier module for high frequency power applications ranging from 3 kW to 11 kW power stack designs, aimed at application like industrial power supplies, EV charging stations, and on-board chargers. This release will represent a further deepening of the existing, long-lasting partnership between the two companies.
Space-saving and weight reduction are the key requirements for manufacturers of the next generation power applications. The compact footprint of this new SiC rectifier module will help to maximize power density, thereby reducing the amount of required board space and lowering the overall system cost.
Thermal performance is optimized using a combination of top-side cooling (TSC) and an integrated negative temperature coefficient (NTC) sensor which monitors the device temperature and provides real time feedback for device or system level prognosis and diagnosis. This rectifier module has a low inductance package to enable high frequency operation and it has been qualified to operate with a junction temperature of up to 175 °C.
“This collaboration between Nexperia and KYOCERA AVX combines cutting edge silicon carbide semiconductors with state-of-the-art module packaging and will allow Nexperia to better serve the market demand for power electronic products which offer exceptionally high levels of power density,” according to Katrin Feurle, Senior Director of the Product Group SiC at Nexperia. “The release of this rectifier module will represent the first step in what is envisaged as a long-term SiC partnership between Nexperia and KYOCERA AVX”.
Thomas Rinschede, Deputy Vice President Sensing and Control Division at KYOCERA AVX Components Sensing and Control Division, comments: “We are delighted to further extend our successful partnership with Nexperia into the production of silicon carbide modules for power electronics applications. Nexperia’s manufacturing expertise combined with KYOCERA module know-how make a compelling offering for customers looking to achieve higher power densities using wide bandgap semiconductor technology.”
Nexperia expects samples of the new SiC rectifier modules to be available in the first quarter of 2024.
Original – Nexperia
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If you haven’t had a chance to visit a wonderful Lake Maggiore yet, this September you can enjoy one of the most beautiful places in Italy in a company of power semiconductors superstars discussing SiC & GaN technologies. After a successful series of events across the world, International Semiconductor Executive Summits (ISES) returns to Italy with ISES EU Power 2023 edition.
With a regional focus on the power semiconductor market, the EU Power International Semiconductor Executive Summits seeks to strengthen the EU supply chain and promote key executives in the semiconductor manufacturing, design, and research through our networking and conference platform which consists of working with key industry stakeholders to encourage progress and collaboration.
With speakers coming from STMicroelectronics, Infineon Technologies, Semikron Danfoss, onsemi, Wolfspeed, Renesas, ROHM, Nexperia, SK Siltron, Soitec, Okmetic, Aehr Test Systems, Amkor Technology, Innoscience, Cambridge GaN Devices, Ferrari, Volkswagen, Volvo, Škoda, and many more leaders of power electronics and automotive industries, you are about to be a part of the power semiconductors event like never before.
During two days of the event, all participants will be discussing and disclosing the latest news and advances in silicon carbide and gallium nitride technologies, sharing the view of the future and taking a close look at the current state of the industry, supply chain, global collaboration, exhisting problems and emerging opportunities.
You can find the agenda of ISES EU Power 2023 at the event website.
International Semiconductor Executive Summit EU Power provides a unique platform for networking and expanding your knowledge base. Here are just a few topics that will be covered this September:
- SiC and GaN Manufacturability
- Variety of WBG Applications
- SiC Wafer & Materials
- Power Packaging
- Design and Reliability
The event offers various packages for participation:
- Standard Pass
- Member Pass
- Partner Pass
- Virtual Pass
- Numerous Sponsorship Packages and VIP Passes
All interested to participate can register at ISES EU Power 2023 website.
ISES EU Power 2023 will take place at Regina Palace Hotel. Overlooking the shore of Lago Maggiore, the Regina Palace Hotel is located in a favored spot in the center of Stresa, considered the pearl of Lago Maggiore. The hotel represents yesteryear’s charm and prestige enriched by the history and the grace that each epoch has donated.
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Nexperia launched its entry to the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) market with a range of 600 V devices, starting with the 30A NGW30T60M3DF. By adding IGBTs to its extensive portfolio, Nexperia is addressing the growing demand for efficient, high-voltage switching devices with a range of performance and cost requirements.
These enable higher power density in power conversion and motor drive applications, including industrial motor drives like servo motors ranging from 5 to 20 kW (20 kHz), robotics, elevators, operating grippers, in-line manufacturing, power inverters, uninterruptible power supply (UPS), photovoltaic (PV) strings, EV-charging, and induction heating and welding.
IGBT is a relatively mature technology. Nonetheless, the market for these devices is expected to grow in line with the increased adoption of solar panels and electric vehicle (EV) chargers. Nexperia’s 600 V IGBTs feature a robust, cost-effective carrier-stored trench-gate advanced field-stop (FS) construction, providing exceptionally low conduction and switching loss performance with high levels of ruggedness in operating temperatures up to 175°C. This improves the efficiency and reliability of power inverters, induction heaters, welding equipment and industrial applications like motor drives and servos, robotics, elevators, operating grippers, and in-line manufacturing.
Designers can choose between the medium speed (M3) and high speed (H3) series IGBTs. These IGBTs have been designed with very tight parameter distributions, allowing multiple devices to connect safely in parallel. In addition, lower thermal resistance than competing devices enables them to provide higher output power. These IGBTs are also fully rated as soft fast reverse-recovery diodes. This means they are suitable for rectifier and bi-directional circuit applications or to protect against overcurrent conditions.
“With the release of these IGBTs, Nexperia provides designers with a greater choice of power-switching devices for a broad range of power applications”, according to Dr. Ke Jiang, General Manager Business Group Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistors & Modules at Nexperia. “IGBTs are the ideal complement to Nexperia’s existing range of CMOS and wide-bandgap switching devices, making Nexperia a one-stop-shop for power electronics designers.”
These IGBTs are available in a standard, lead-free, TO247-3L package and are HV-H3TRB qualified for outdoor applications. Nexperia plans to follow this release with a series of 1200 V IGBTs. To learn more about Nexperia’s IGBTs, visit: https://www.nexperia.com/igbts
Original – Nexperia
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Nexperia announced a significant raising of the bar in semiconductor engineer design support with the release of next-generation interactive datasheets to accompany its Power MOSFETs. By manipulating interactive sliders within the datasheets, users can manually adjust the voltage, current, temperature and other conditions for their circuit application and watch how the operating point of a device dynamically responds to these changes.
These interactive datasheets effectively offer a type of graphical user interface to a circuit simulator, using Nexperia’s advanced electrothermal models to calculate the operating point of a device. In addition, they allow engineers to visualize immediately the interaction between parameters such as gate voltage, drain current, RDS(on) and temperature. Their collective contribution to the device behavior is then displayed dynamically in tables or graphs. As a result, Nexperia’s interactive datasheets can significantly increase productivity by eliminating the time needed for an engineer to perform manual calculations or set up and debug a circuit simulation.
The datasheet is commonly the first port of call when a design engineer is looking to select a device for an application. However, while they contain a wealth of information, including the minimum, maximum and typical specifications across dozens of device parameters, it is often difficult to determine how these are interrelated. Consequently, engineers must perform time-consuming manual calculations or set up a circuit simulator using models provided by the manufacturer (assuming these are available) to thoroughly investigate a device’s behavior. Even then, many manufacturers’ simulation models do not show the effect of temperature changes on device behavior. The new interactive datasheets from Nexperia support engineers by showing real-time interaction across different parameters as they are manually changed with the easy-to-use datasheet sliders.
Chris Boyce, Senior Director of Nexperia’s Power MOSFET business adds, “Whether you are a Design Engineer looking to see how a device will perform at elevated temperature, or a Component Engineer trying to compare devices under different test conditions, our new interactive datasheets are designed to make your life easier.”
The technology powering these datasheets is the same as that used in Nexperia’s hugely successful precision electrothermal MOSFET models, which demonstrate how the behaviour of discrete MOSFETs changes with temperature. The new interactive datasheets are offered in addition to the traditional static datasheets and operate in any standard web browser without the requirement of additional software for device simulation.
With the initial version currently under patent application, Nexperia will be reaching out to its global community of customer engineers to evaluate how interactive datasheets are used in real-time in order to broaden the functionality of future versions.
More than 200 interactive datasheets are already available, covering the devices in Nexperia’s latest generations of Automotive and Industrial Power MOSFETs. Over time, the Company plans to make them available for its entire portfolio of discrete MOSFETs and other devices. Try a live interactive datasheet in action at nexperia.com/interactive-datasheet
Original – Nexperia
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Nexperia introduced a 650 V Silicon Carbide (SiC) Schottky diode designed for power applications which require ultra-high performance, low loss, and high efficiency. The 10 A, 650 V SiC Schottky diode is an industrial-grade part that addresses the challenges of demanding high voltage and high current applications. These include switched-mode power supplies, AC-DC and DC-DC converters, battery-charging infrastructure, uninterruptible power supplies and photovoltaic inverters and allow for more sustainable operations. Data centers, for example, equipped with power supplies designed using Nexperia’s PSC1065K SiC Schottky diode will be better placed to meet rigorous energy efficiency standards than those using solely silicon-based solutions.
The PSC1065K delivers leading-edge performance with temperature-independent capacitive switching and zero recovery behavior culminating in an outstanding figure-of-merit (QC x VF). Its excellent switching performance is almost entirely independent of current and switching speed variations. The merged PiN Schottky (MPS) structure of the PSC1065K provides additional benefits, such as outstanding robustness against surge currents that eliminates the need for additional protection circuitry. These features significantly reduce system complexity and enable hardware designers to achieve higher efficiency with smaller form factors in rugged high-power applications. Designers can be further reassured by Nexperia’s proven reputation as a supplier of high-quality products in a range of semiconductor technologies.
This SiC Schottky diode is encapsulated in a Real-2-Pin (R2P) TO-220-2 through-hole power plastic package. Additional package options include the surface mount (DPAK R2P and D2PAK R2P) and through-hole (TO-247-2) with a real 2-pin configuration that enhances reliability in high-voltage applications at temperatures up to 175 °C.
Katrin Feurle, Senior Director of the Product Group SiC at Nexperia, adds: “We are proud to offer a high-performance SiC Schottky diode that ranks among the top tier of currently available solutions. In an increasingly energy-conscious world, we are bringing greater choice and availability to the market as demand for high-volume, high-efficiency applications increases significantly.”
Nexperia plans to continuously augment its portfolio of SiC diodes by including automotive-grade parts that operate at 650 V and 1200 V voltages with currents in the 6-20 A range. Samples and production quantities of the new SiC diodes are available now.
Original – Nexperia
