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Electric drives are becoming increasingly prevalent in the boat and ship sector. At METSTRADE, Bosch Engineering is unveiling a newly developed, high-performance electrification solution for electrical systems with voltages of up to 800 volts, which further extends the potential use cases of electric drives in maritime applications while also raising system efficiency.
“With the latest generation of our electric motor and inverter with silicon carbide power modules, we offer a complete system that allows not only recreational boats but also larger sailing yachts and working boats to be operated with an efficient, quiet, yet still very powerful electric drive,” states Philip Kurek, who is responsible for off-highway and maritime solutions at Bosch Engineering.
The new electric motor SMG 230 is designed for system voltages of 400 to 800 volts. In an ideal voltage and temperature range, it offers a continuous power output of up to 200 kilowatts and around 250 newton meters of torque. Thanks to the 800-volt technology, the power density has also been increased significantly. The SMG 230 delivers 80 kilowatts more power than a comparable 400-volt machine with identical weight or, with the same level of performance, boasts more compact dimensions and a much lower weight.
The inverter with silicon carbide semiconductors, which is also designed for electrical voltages of up to 800 volts, is characterized by its impressive efficiency of more than 99 percent. The silicon carbide semiconductors in the power modules enable faster switching operations, meaning that significantly less energy is lost in the form of heat.
Bosch’s complete kit for the electrification of boat drives comprises electronic control units, inverters, electric motors, and transmissions for both 400- and 800-volt applications. This gives shipyards and system integrators maximum flexibility when adapting the electrification strategy to the respective requirements and allows them to integrate the relevant components quickly and easily into their ships. The system components are based on modern automotive technology and combine high robustness with utmost reliability. With its comprehensive kit for the electrification of ship drives, Bosch is making a crucial contribution to the ongoing reduction of greenhouse gas and noise emissions.
Original – Bosch
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At this month’s IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Expo (ECCE), Navitas Semiconductor introduced conference attendees to ‘IntelliWeave’ – an innovative patented new digital control technique for improving next generation AI data center power supply (PSU) efficiency.
In a world where ever-more energy is needed for the processing of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud-based applications, minimizing power consumption has become a priority for data center architects and operators. Combining next-generation GaN and SiC semiconductors with new control technique strategies to power conversion plays a key role in achieving this goal.
IntelliWeave’s novel digital control enables highest system efficiencies with precision current sharing, ultra-fast dynamic response and minimal phase error. A patented dual-loop and dual-feed-forward interleaving control achieves absolute zero voltage switching (ZVS) across the full-load range to enable highest efficiencies.
The digital control for Critical Conduction Mode (CRM) interleaving Totem Pole Power Factor Control (PFC) enables 30% reduction in power losses compared to existing Continuous Conduction Mode (CCM) solutions. The digital control combined with high-power GaNSafe power ICs has been proven on a 500 kHz GaN-based interleaving 3.2 kW CrM PFC PSU operating at 99.3% peak efficiency including EMI filter loss.
Taking place in Phoenix, Arizona from October 20th to 24th, IEEE ECCE 2024 features both industry-driven and application-oriented technical sessions and brings together practicing engineers, researchers and other professionals for interactive and multidisciplinary discussions on the latest advances in various areas related to energy conversion.
On October 21st Tao Wei presented “Novel digital control for a GaN-based CrM interleaved TP PFC”.
Original – Navitas Semiconductor
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Affordability combined with high performance and efficiency is the key to making electric mobility accessible to a broader market. That’s why Infineon Technologies AG is introducing the HybridPACK™ Drive G2 Fusion, establishing a new power module standard for traction inverters in the e-mobility sector.
The HybridPACK Drive G2 Fusion is the first plug’n’play power module that implements a combination of Infineon’s silicon and silicon carbide (SiC) technologies. This cutting-edge solution provides an ideal balance between performance and cost efficiency, giving more choice in the optimization of inverters.
One of the main differences between silicon and SiC in power modules is that SiC has a higher thermal conductivity, breakdown voltage and switching speed, making it more efficient, but also more expensive than silicon-based power modules. With the new module, the SiC content per vehicle can be reduced, while maintaining vehicle performance and efficiency at a lower system cost. For example, system suppliers can realize nearly the system efficiency of a full SiC solution with only 30 percent SiC and 70 percent silicon area.
“Our new HybridPACK Drive G2 Fusion module underlines Infineon’s innovation leadership in the automotive semiconductor industry,” said Negar Soufi-Amlashi, Senior Vice President & General Manager High Voltage at Infineon’s Automotive division. “Addressing the demand for greater e-mobility range, this technological breakthrough smartly combines silicon carbide and silicon. Integrated in a well-introduced module package footprint it offers compelling cost-performance ratio over pure silicon carbide modules without adding system complexity for automotive system suppliers and vehicle manufacturers.”
HybridPACK Drive G2 Fusion expands Infineon’s HybridPACK Drive power module portfolio and can be quickly and easily integrated in vehicle components or modules without requiring complex adjustments or configurations. The HybridPACK Drive G2 Fusion module features up to 220 kW in the 750 V class. It ensures high reliability over the entire temperature range from -40 °C to +175 °C and improved thermal conductivity.
The unique properties of Infineon’s CoolSiC™ technology and its silicon IGBT EDT3 technology with very fast turn-on enable the use of a single gate driver or dual gate drivers. This allows easy re-design from full silicon or full SiC based inverters to a fusion inverter. Generally, Infineon’s holistic expertise in SiC MOSFET and silicon IGBT technology, power module packaging, gate drivers as well as sensors enables premium products with cost savings at system level. One example is the integration of Swoboda or XENSIV™ Hall sensors in the HybridPACK Drive package for more precise and efficient motor control.
Infineon will showcase the new HybridPACK Drive G2 Fusion at electronica 2024 in Munich from November 12 to 15 (hall C3, booth 502).
Original – Infineon Technologies
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The U.S. Department of Commerce and Wolfspeed announced they have signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) for up to $750 million in proposed direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act. In addition, a consortium of investment funds led by Apollo, The Baupost Group, Fidelity Management & Research Company and Capital Group have agreed to provide Wolfspeed an additional $750 million of new financing.
Together these investments support Wolfspeed’s long-term growth plans and bolster domestic production of silicon carbide to power clean energy systems underpinning electric vehicles (EVs), artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, battery storage and more. In addition, Wolfspeed expects to receive $1 billion of cash tax refunds from the advanced manufacturing tax credit under the CHIPS and Science Act (section 48D), giving the company, in total, access to up to $2.5 billion of expected capital to support the expansion of silicon carbide manufacturing in the United States.
Wolfspeed is the world’s largest producer of silicon carbide technology, pioneering the technology more than 35 years ago on the campus of North Carolina State University. Since that time, Wolfspeed has become the global leader in silicon carbide technology, one of the fastest growing components of the broader semiconductor industry.
- Silicon carbide is a superior alternative to silicon for high power applications – such as EV powertrains, e-mobility, renewable energy systems, battery energy storage systems, and AI and cryptocurrency data centers – that unlocks improved performance and lower system costs.
- Notably, the importance of bolstering the domestic production of silicon carbide has been recognized across multiple federal agencies; the Department of Energy denoted it as one of 17 “critical materials” with a high risk of supply disruption that are integral to clean energy technologies, while the Department of Commerce recognizes silicon carbide semiconductors as important to national security.
- As the U.S. and the world pursue more efficient and environmentally friendly solutions to meet the world’s ever-increasing need for high-voltage energy products, it is crucial that the U.S. continue to make strategic investments to cement its technological leadership position, while continuing to spur American innovation in critical technologies.
Wolfspeed CEO, Gregg Lowe, said, “To reach this milestone under the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act is an incredible achievement in Wolfspeed’s long-term growth strategy, and we believe today’s announcement is a testament to the market-leading quality of Wolfspeed products and significance of Wolfspeed to broader U.S. economic and national security interests. This support galvanizes our ability to expand domestic manufacturing, accelerate innovation in next-generation semiconductor technology, and meet the increasing global demand for silicon carbide. As a key player in the semiconductor industry, this proposed investment will enable us to solidify our leadership position with a first-of-its-kind 200mm silicon carbide manufacturing footprint in upstate New York and central North Carolina, while contributing to the resilience and competitiveness of the U.S. supply chain. It’s not just about growth for Wolfspeed—it’s about driving technological advancement that powers the future.
“Silicon carbide is already enabling superior energy efficiency across mission-critical industries of the future like electric vehicles, e-mobility, solar and wind energy, industrial power applications, and AI data centers. While EVs have been the driver of silicon carbide adoption thus far, we believe the use cases for our technology are expansive and will only continue to grow as more and more industries find themselves needing to solve for the same power loss, system size, and system cost challenges as automakers,” concluded Lowe.
“Artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and clean energy are all technologies that will define the 21st century, and thanks to proposed investments in companies like Wolfspeed, the Biden-Harris Administration is taking a meaningful step towards reigniting U.S. manufacturing of the chips that underpin these important technologies,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Because of the Biden-Harris Administration’s CHIPS and Science Act, the United States is building and fortifying our semiconductor manufacturing capabilities to serve our economic and national security interests while creating jobs and economic opportunities for communities across the country.”
“Wolfspeed is leading the pack in bringing semiconductor manufacturing back to America. This major multibillion dollar investment powered by my CHIPS & Science Law will accelerate the ongoing expansion in the Mohawk Valley, helping speed up hiring of hundreds of new good-paying jobs that Wolfspeed is creating in the Mohawk Valley and providing long term work for the Marcy fab to succeed well into the future, further establishing Upstate NY as a global hub for chip manufacturing,” said Senator Chuck Schumer. “From electric vehicles to artificial intelligence, this critical technology relies on the silicon carbide chips that Wolfspeed will manufacture and perfect in the Mohawk Valley. Today’s massive investment will make America’s economy and our national security stronger as Wolfspeed helps us write the next chapter of America’s resurgence as the leader in the semiconductor industry, with the Mohawk Valley as the beating heart.”
“Wolfspeed is a homegrown semiconductor innovator and manufacturer creating great jobs in North Carolina, and it’s important they received this major grant under the CHIPS and Science Act,” said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. “Thanks to this landmark legislation from the Biden-Harris Administration and our great workforce, we will continue to see good paying jobs coming to North Carolina.”
“This $750 million federal investment is a testament to Wolfspeed’s unique leadership in silicon carbide semiconductor manufacturing, and I applaud Wolfspeed’s continued commitment to North Carolina,” said Senator Thom Tillis. “I was proud to vote for the CHIPS and Science Act to provide the funding for this investment in North Carolina and to support our economic and national security.”
“North Carolina continues to be a leader in cutting-edge manufacturing that is vital to our country’s national and economic security,” said Senator Ted Budd. “This new Wolfspeed site in Siler City will bring good-paying jobs to the area and is an important first step in making sure America has secure supply chains for critical semi-conductors.”
“We are pleased to expand our investment in Wolfspeed by providing additional capital in support of the company’s build out of its leading silicon carbide capabilities,” said Apollo Partner Joseph Jackson. “We believe Wolfspeed is at the forefront of a critical transformation in sustainable transportation and ensuring that the company has durable capital access to complete its expansion plans will help solidify its leadership in this space. Along with our lending consortium, which includes multiple funds that also own substantial equity stakes in the company, we believe this strategic investment will drive significant long-term value while advancing key tenets of the CHIPS and Science Act.”
These proposed funds, which are expected to be received upon milestone achievements in the coming years, would enable Wolfspeed to complete its multi-billion-dollar greenfield U.S. capacity expansion plan, which consists of the largest and most advanced 200mm silicon carbide footprint in the world. In addition to the proposed direct funding, Wolfspeed intends to benefit from the U.S. Treasury Department Investment Tax Credit of up to 25% of the qualified capital expenditures primarily related to its construction and installation of equipment at The John Palmour Manufacturing Center for Silicon Carbide in Siler City, NC and completion of the Mohawk Valley Fab M-Line West Expansion in Utica, NY.
This multi-billion-dollar investment will bolster Wolfspeed’s balance sheet and will help to fuel significant growth through cash generation and accelerate its long-term profitability goals.
Summary of the PMT
The PMT outlines key terms for a CHIPS incentive award, including the proposed amount and form of the award, and provides that the disbursement of funds will be conditioned upon the achievement of certain operational and construction milestones and other requirements.
The PMT includes an obligation for Wolfspeed to raise an aggregate of $750 million in debt financing over three tranches through the issuance of senior notes under an amended and restated indenture. Wolfspeed and its lenders, led by Apollo funds, have reached an agreement for this additional financing, including $250 million to be available within 10 business days, and have agreed to certain intercreditor terms with the CHIPS Program Office as described in the PMT.
Together, the PMT and the agreement with lenders also requires:
- Wolfspeed to undertake further actions with respect to its capital structure, including (a) restructuring or refinancing its outstanding 2026, 2028 and 2029 convertible notes at specified intervals prior to their respective maturity dates, (b) deferring a total of $120 million in cash interest payments due prior to June 30, 2025 under an unsecured customer refundable deposit agreement, and (c) raising up to $300 million of additional capital from non-debt sources over the next 12 months.
- In addition, Wolfspeed has agreed with its lenders to certain revisions in the terms of the senior notes, including revisions to the interest rate applicable to the senior notes, as described in the Form 8-K filed today with Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The PMT provides that the award is subject to due diligence and the negotiation and signing of a definitive direct funding agreement with the Department of Commerce and the negotiation and signing of an intercreditor agreement between the Department of Commerce and the Company’s lenders, which may contain different or additional conditions not contained in the PMT. Additional terms of the PMT were not disclosed.
Original – Wolfspeed
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Cambridge GaN Devices (CGD) is exhibiting at the prestigious IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Expo on Booth 319. Now in its 16th year, ECCE 2024 is sponsored by both the IEEE Industrial Application Society (IAS) and IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS). The event continues to grow, both in attendance and content.
ECCE 2024 will feature two-page Late Break Research Briefs, Post-Journal paper presentations, and the standard technical papers. It will also offer special sessions on emerging technologies and industry-oriented topics, and of course, tutorials, which have become a staple element of the ECCE technical program.
Andrea Bricconi | Chief Marketing Officer, CGD
“It is important for CGD that we spread our message that GaN is the future of power electronics, in terms of energy efficiency, power density and smallest carbon footprint, and that our ICeGaN® GaN power ICs are the most rugged and easiest-to-use devices available. Therefore we are delighted to exhibit for the first time at ECCE.”
At the event, CGD will show a number of demos that employ ICeGaN, including:
- 3 kW PFC reference design
- QORVO motor drive evaluation kit developed in partnership with CGD and utilising ICeGaN
- Slim 100W adaptor
- Half-bridge, full-bridge as well as ICeGaN in parallel evaluation boards
- 300W PFC+LLC
- Single leg of a 3-phase automotive inverter demo board, developed in partnership with French public R&I institute, IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN)
- ICeGaN vs discrete GaN circuits comparison in half bridge (daughter cards) demo board
Original – Cambridge GaN Devices
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Navitas Semiconductor announced GaNSlim™, a new generation of highly-integrated GaN power ICs that will further simplify and speed the development of small form factor, high-power-density applications by offering the highest level of integration and thermal performance.
GaNSlim enables the simplest, fastest, and smallest system design by integrating drive, control, and protection, with integrated EMI control and loss-less current sensing, all within a high thermal performance proprietary DPAK-4L package. Additionally, with an ultra-low startup current below 10 µA, GaNSlim devices are compatible with industry-standard SOT23-6 controllers and eliminate HV startup.
Integrated features such as loss-less current sensing eliminate external current sensing resistors and optimize system efficiency and reliability. Over-temperature protection ensures system robustness and auto sleep-mode increases light and no-load efficiency. Autonomous turn-on/off slew rate control maximizes efficiency and power density while reducing external component count, system cost and EMI.
GaNSlim features a patented, 4-pin, high-thermal-performance, low-profile, low-inductance, DPAK package. This package enables 7 °C lower temperature operation versus conventional alternatives, supporting high-power-density designs with ratings up to 500 W. Target applications include chargers for mobile devices and laptops, TV power supplies, lighting, etc.
“Our GaN focus is on integrated devices that enable high-efficiency, high-performance power conversion with the simplest designs and the shortest possible time-to-market,” says Reyn Zhan, Sr. Manager of Technical Marketing. “Our new GaNSlim portfolio – built on integration, ease-of-use, and low-cost manufacturing methods, – continues to grow the customer pipeline with over 50 new projects already identified. GaNSlim increases our GaN addressable market by enabling lower system costs compared to silicon designs for many applications, targeting applications under 500 W across mobile, consumer and home appliance.”
Devices in the NV614x GaNSlim family are rated at 700 V with RDS(ON) ratings from 120 mΩ to 330 mΩ and are available in versions optimized for both isolated and non-isolated topologies.
As with other Navitas GaN ICs, GaNSlim devices are supplied with an industry-leading twenty-year warranty, while demo boards for QR flyback, single-stage PFC, boost PFC plus QR flyback and TV power supply designs allow for rapid evaluation and selection of the optimum device for a given application.
Original – Navitas Semiconductor
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Infineon Technologies AG announced a partnership with Canada-based AWL-Electricity Inc., a pioneer in MHz resonant capacitive coupling power transfer technology. Infineon provides AWL-E with CoolGaN™ GS61008P allowing the development of advanced wireless power solutions, enabling new ways to solve power challenges in various industries.
The partnership combines Infineon’s cutting-edge gallium nitride (GaN) technology with AWL-E’s innovative MHz resonant capacitive coupling power transfer system, achieving industry-benchmark wireless power efficiencies. Infineon’s GaN transistor technology offers highest efficiency and highest power density while operating at highest switching frequencies.
This enables AWL-E to increase its system lifetime, reduces downtime and operating costs, and improves ease-of-use for consumers. In the automotive sector, the technology enables a new level of interior experiences and seat dynamics. In industrial systems, it provides near-unconstrained levels of design freedom, such as for automated guided vehicles or robotic applications. Additionally, the technology allows for a fully sealed system design, eliminating the need for charging ports which contributes to reducing global consumption of batteries.
“With our partner approach we prove once more the ability to unlocking the full system-level benefits of Infineon’s CoolGaN technology, enabling compactness and efficiency,” said Falk Herm, Global Partnership & Ecosystem Management at Infineon’s Power & Sensor Systems (PSS) Division at Infineon. “The combination of AWL-E and Infineon’s complementary capabilities demonstrates how the features of GaN, namely operating at MHz frequencies, change the paradigm of what can be done with power transistors, driving greener and better performing products.”
“Infineon uniquely brings you into their family with a recognition that a strong ecosystem ultimately solves today’s power needs,” said Francis Beauchamp-Verdon, Co-founder, VP and Business Development Director at AWL-E. “Infineon’s GaN transistors, eval boards, and partner opportunities have boosted acceptance of our GaN-based MHz power coupling systems.”
Infineon is a leader in the power semiconductor market and currently the only manufacturer mastering all power technologies while offering the broadest product and technology portfolio of silicon (such as SJ MOSFETs, IGBTs), silicon carbide (such as Schottky diodes and MOSFETs) and gallium-nitride-based (e-mode HEMT) devices, covering bare die, discretes, and modules.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Navitas Semiconductor announced that its high-power GaNSafe family is now available in a TOLT (Transistor Outline Leaded Top-side cooling) package.
The GaNSafe family has been specifically created to serve demanding, high-power applications, such as AI data centers, solar/energy storage, and industrial markets. Navitas 4th generation integrates control, drive, sensing, and critical protection features that enable unprecedented reliability and robustness. GaNSafe is the world’s safest GaN with short-circuit protection (350ns max latency), 2kV ESD protection on all pins, elimination of negative gate drive, and programmable slew rate control. All these features are controlled with 4-pins, allowing the package to be treated like a discrete GaN FET, requiring no VCC pin.
The TOLT packaging enhances thermal dissipation through the top side of the package, allowing heat to be dissipated directly to the heatsink (not through the PCBA). This enables the reduction of operating temperature and increases current capability, resulting in the highest level of system power density, efficiency, and reliability.
“With over 200 million units shipped and supplied with a 20-year warranty, Navitas’ highly integrated high-power GaNSafe ICs are proven to deliver performance and reliability while simplifying Design-IN for systems up to 22kW,” says Charles Bailley, Senior Director of Business Development. “As the most protected, reliable, and safe GaN devices in the industry, GaNSafe took our technology into mainstream applications above 1kW. Now, with the enhanced thermal dissipation of the TOLT package, we are enabling customers to deliver even better performance, efficiency, power density, and reliability in even the most demanding applications.”
Suitable for applications from 1 kW to 22 kW, 650 V GaNSafe in TOLT packaging is available with a range of RDS(ON)MAX from 25 to 98 mΩ. Integrated features and functions include:
- High-speed short-circuit protection, with autonomous ‘detect and protect’ with ultra-fast 350 ns / 50 ns latency.
- Protected, regulated, integrated gate-drive control, with zero gate-source loop inductance for reliable high-speed 2 MHz switching capability to maximize application power density.
- Electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection of 2 kV, compared to zero for discrete GaN transistors.
- 650 V continuous, and 800 V transient voltage capability for extraordinary application conditions.
- Integrated Miller Clamp (no negative gate bias, higher 3rd quadrant efficiency)
- Programmable turn-on and turn-off speeds (dV/dt) to simplify EMI regulatory requirements.
- Simple 4-pin device, allowing the package to be treated like a discrete GaN and requiring no additional VCC pin
- Robust, thermally enhanced packaging: ultra-low RQ_JUNC-AMB and board-level thermal cycling (BLTC) Reliability
In addition to the new ICs, Navitas will be offering reference design platforms based on GaNSafe TOLT for applications including data center power supplies and EV on-board chargers. These system platforms include complete design collateral with fully tested hardware, embedded software, schematics, bill-of-materials, layout, simulation, and hardware test results.
Original – Navitas Semiconductor
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CISSOID announced that its SiC Inverter Control Module (ICM) has been adopted by Hydro Leduc, a renowned manufacturer of hydraulic components, for its new highly efficient and modular Electric Power Take-Off (ePTO). This new ePTO solution supports the electrification of trucks and other off-road vehicles. CISSOID’s ICM not only powers and controls Hydro Leduc’s compact and efficient inverter but also contributed to greatly accelerate its development cycle.
Hydro Leduc’s new ePTO solution offers an optimized hydraulic supply to high power tools in e-trucks and other off-road vehicles that remain driven by hydraulic actuators. Hydro Leduc’s new ePTO represents a significant advancement in electric and hydraulic transmissions with their ME230, a 76 kW brushless electric motor designed to be paired with an inverter for applications up to 650Vdc.
This motor, compatible with DIN ISO14 standards and equipped with an efficient cooling system, forms a complete solution with the new series of fixed displacement spherical piston pumps: the XRe, available in 41 or 63 cm³ displacements.
Specially adapted for E-PTO mounting, the XRe series is quiet and offers remarkable efficiency, reduced pulsations due to its 9-piston design, and high speed in self-priming mode. Together, the ME230 and XRe provide high-performance and efficient electro-hydraulic solutions for a variety of applications.
CISSOID’s ICM optimally integrates a 3-Phase 1200V/340A-550A SiC Power Module, enabling efficient power conversion, a gate driver board designed for safe driving of the fast-switching SiC transistors, and a control board embedding a powerful real-time microprocessor. This hardware platform has been delivered together with the OLEA® APP INVERTER software optimized for the efficient and safe control of electric motors.
Olivier Savinois, Managing Director at EL MOTION (the sister company of Hydro Leduc, specialized in the design and manufacturing of electrical components and motors), said “We have been very pleased to work with CISSOID on the development of our new ePTO inverter. Not only did their SiC Inverter Control Module completely match our needs, we also enjoyed outstanding support from their team. Especially due to the on-site calibration of our inverter and motor, during the design and validation phases. CISSOID’s modular inverter platform ties perfectly with our scalable ePTO solution.”
Emmanuel Poli, VP Sales at CISSOID, said: “It was really exciting to work with the Hydro Leduc team, who rapidly understood how powerful it would be to leverage our ICM to accelerate the design of their inverter. We were impressed by the speed and agility of Hydro Leduc’s engineers in integrating our hardware and software solution into their motor drive.”
Original – CISSOID
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Coherent Corp. announced the launch of its 200 mm silicon carbide epitaxial wafers. Substrate and epi-wafer shipments from the company at 350 micron and 500 micron thickness are now underway.
As a dedicated manufacturer of both SiC substrates and epitaxial wafers, Coherent combines these elements to deliver exceptional quality, performance, and reliability. The new 200 mm SiC epi-wafers are engineered with cutting-edge thickness and doping uniformity, setting new industry standards and supporting the production of superior SiC power semiconductors.
“With our advanced technology, we are not only enhancing the quality of SiC devices but also addressing the growing demand for 200 mm for efficient power-conversion components in critical sectors,” said Gary Ruland, Vice President and General Manager of the SiC Materials Business Unit.
SiC devices are integral to power conversion in electric and hybrid vehicles, energy infrastructure, and high-power EV chargers. The transition from 150 mm to 200 mm diameter wafers responds to the increasing demand for SiC semiconductors, allowing manufacturers to produce more devices per wafer. This shift is expected to enhance productivity and reduce the cost of SiC devices, benefiting a wide range of applications.
By adopting larger wafers, SiC device manufacturers can achieve higher yields and improved cost efficiency because of a 1.8x increase in usable area per wafer. The implementation of state-of-the-art 200 mm tooling brings additional advantages while aligning with the industry’s drive for greater performance and reduced operational costs.
Original – Coherent
