Power Semiconductors Weekly Newsletter. December 2023

Dear friends, please enjoy your December Power Semiconductors Newsletter!

Market News

Most Promising Application for SiC

Today even kids know that SiC technology stands behind the rapid growth of EV industry, and vice versa. Faster charging, more compact designs, higher robustness, etc.?Many benefits compared to Si.?

But EV industry is not the only one to benefit from silicon carbide semiconductors. There are many more applications that started their transition from legacy silicon to the novel silicon carbide.

In my recent poll I asked the industry community to share their thoughts on what industries will benefit most by using the latest SiC semiconductor technology.

As expected, majority voted for the electric vehicles, which include not only the passenger cars, electric trucks, or electric buses, but also agricultural machinery, marine, etc. Difficult to argue here, since SiC indeed got it acceleration thanks to the vehicles' electrification.

Renewables come next with almost three times less votes, and it also reflects the current market trend, where many PV companies switch from Si MOSFETs and IGBTs to SiC MOSFETs, both discretes and modules. This is a quickly growing market segment.

Surprisingly, industrial applications got very few votes. Clearly, today SiC associates with EVs, and transition from 400V to 800V platform puts SiC on top of Si. We all know it well from the ongoing projects running in McLaren Applied, BorgWarner, ZF, Hyundai, and many other Tier-1 and OEMs.

However, I'm sure that industrial applications will make a big break into SiC technology, and very soon we may expect these applications growing fast with adoption of silicon carbide semiconductors. In a matter of not a very long time we may see this market segment reaching that of renewables.

Anwenderforum Leistungshalbleiter

The Power Semiconductors Forum (Anwenderforum Leistungshalbleiter), which took place on November 22 and 23, 2023, in Munich was intended to provide insights in the field of power electronics.

It was an honor to have been invited to this great power semiconductors event, where engineers and representatives from the semiconductor companies shared their latest projects, product and technology updates using silicon, silicon carbide or gallium nitride semiconductors.

The complete program of the event you will find here -?Anwenderforum Leistungshalbleiter.

Next year the event is promised to deliver even greater experience for those working in power electronics industry.?

Here I would like to share with you just a few insights from this year forum:

• GaN is to support SiC shortage in a long run – many projects of OEMs and Tier-1 who already use GaN powered transistors for traction inverters and onboard chargers.
• Energy prices in Europe push many companies, especially those working with SiC to consider transferring their production or adding new in Asia or Americas
• For the most global businesses Chinese market is still primary, and many continue to invest into production or joint ventures

Feel free to get in touch with me to learn more details! Use LinkedIn or Power Semiconductors Weekly to let me know.

Bodo’s Wide Bandgap Event

Another extremely important event in my December schedule will bring me back to Munich for a couple of days. And I'm not talking about the Christmas Fair (which I enjoy during this most wonderful time of the year).?

This time it is?Bodo’s Wide Bandgap Event?which is to take place on December 12-13 in?Hilton Munich Airport in person again!

The first day Bodo and his team will host a keynote session with a round table, followed by a come-together, to give everyone the opportunity to meet new people and maintain existing relationships. The event will kick off at 4 pm on December 12.

Titled "Overcome Barriers", the round table will welcome:

• Alex Lidow, Ph.D., CEO and Co-founder at Efficient Power Conversion (EPC)
• Guy Moxey, Senior Director of Power Marketing at Wolfspeed
• Philip Zuk, Senior Vice President, Business Development and Marketing at?Transphorm
• Johannes Schoiswohl, Ph.D., Senior Vice President & General Manager at Infineon Technologies Austria AG
• Ranbir Singh, Executive Vice President at Navitas Semiconductor
• Aly Mashaly, Director of ROHM's European Application and Technical Solution Center (ATSC)

The second day will contain two parallel tracks, one for SiC and one for GaN. So you can choose for yourself which one to attend and gain knowledge of the latest SiC or GaN advances.

Find the complete event program at Bodo's Wide Bandgap Event website.

See you soon in Munich!

Top 5 Power Semiconductors News November 2023

• Hitachi to Transfer Hitachi Power Semiconductor Device shares to MinebeaMitsumi
• Mitsubishi Electric to Partner with Nexperia to Develop SiC Power Semiconductors
• Heraeus Acquires Stake in Zadient Technologies, Materials Supplier to SiC Semiconductor Industry
• Nexperia to Sell Newport Wafer Fab to Vishay
• Siltronic Announced Production of the First Wafers in Singapore

November News Round Up

• Qorvo Delivered Significantly Improved Financial Performance
• Axcelis Delivered Strong Third Quarter Financial Performance
• Magnachip Reports Results for Third Quarter 2023
• Texas Instruments Broke Ground on its New 300-mm Semiconductor Wafer Fab in Utah
• Siltronic Welcomed Representatives from Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB)
• BorgWarner to Deliver SiC Bi-directional 800V Onboard Charger to the Major North American OEM
• JCET to Construct the Chip Back-End Manufacturing Site
• All Wolfspeed WolfPACK SiC Power Modules Now Available with TIM
• NXP Reports Third Quarter 2023 Results
• ROHM Completes Acquisition of Kunitomi Plant
• Vincotech Introduced New flowDUAL E3 SiC
• GlobalFoundries Reports Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results
• GlobalWafers Reports Q3 2023 Results
• Power Integrations Reports Third-Quarter Financial Results
• Michael Daly Joins Yield Engineering Systems
• Vishay Intertechnology Announced Third Quarter 2023 Results
• Navitas Ranked 72nd on this Year’s North American Deloitte Technology Fast 500?
• Navitas Announced Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results
• NIIT Launches National Semiconductor Day
• OKI Develops GaN Lifting off/Bonding Technology on QST Substrates of Shin-Etsu Chemical
• Ideal Power Reports Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results
• Littelfuse Launches FDA117 Optically Isolated Photovoltaic Driver
• VisIC Technologies Revolutionizes Automotive Power Electronics with V22TG D3GAN
• SemiQ Expands Its Portfolio of QSiC? Silicon Carbide Modules with a Family of 1200V Modules in SOT-227 Package
• Soitec Reports Financial Results
• Transphorm and Allegro MicroSystems Team Up to Increase GaN Power System Performance
• Infineon Achieves Record Revenue and Earnings
• Rich Templeton of Texas Instruments Elected Chair of Semiconductor Industry Association
• Navitas will Present Its Solutions during Power Semiconductor User Forum in Munich
• DENSO Delivers Company Direction Update
• Applied Materials Announced Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2023 Results
• Siltronic Updated Its Climate Strategy
• onsemi Opened a Test Lab in Slovakia to Advance System Solutions for xEVs and EI
• Infineon Expands Portfolio of Its CoolSiC 1.2kV and 2kV MOSFET Modules
• AIXTRON Helps BelGaN Expand Its Business
• Resonac Makes Changes in Management
• Analog Devices Reports Record Fiscal 2023 Financial Results
• Infineon Adds a QDPAK Package to Its 650 V CoolMOS CFD7A Family
• Toshiba Released a 400 V Switching Diode
• Resonac Joins “Texas Institute for Electronics”
• AIXTRON Starts Construction of New Innovation Center
• PROGRESSUS Paves the Way for Decarbonization
• STMicroelectronics Signed a 15 year Power Purchase Agreement with ERG for Supply of Renewable Energy
• Infineon Introduced a New OptiMOS? 7 Power MOSFET
• Vishay Appointed John Malvisi to its Board of Directors and Audit Committee
• GaN Systems Cup Winners Announced
• MCC Recognized by the French Association of Distributors of Electronics Components
• Siltronic Defines Profitable Growth Plan until 2028
• Nexperia Announced Its First SiC MOSFETs in 3-pin TO-247 Package
• Texas Instruments Expands Its GaN Portfolio

Industry Events

If you are looking for some industry events to join?in December to?find out more about power semiconductors, their application, market trends, etc., I would like to recommend the following online and in-person events not to miss this month:

• IEEE Workshop on Wide Bandgap Power Devices & Applications (WiPDA)
• SiC MOSFETs with New Top-Side Cooling HU3PAK Package for Enhanced Power Density, webinar by STMicroelectronics
• Analyst Thursday – China’s Semiconductor Industry Rises as a Global Challenger, webinar by Yole Group
• ECPE Tutorial. Reliability of Power Electronics – Part I. Fundamentals and Converter Reliability
• PowerUP Energy conference
• Bodo’s Wide Bandgap Event
• Enabling a Semiconductor Ecosystem for Greenfield Investment, webinar by McKinsey

To stay up to date with the industry events, check Power Semiconductors Weekly Events page. More events are being added every week!

Semiconductors Bookshelf

Integrated Circuit Fabrication: Science and Technology

Master fundamental technologies for modern semiconductor integrated circuits with this definitive textbook. It includes an early introduction of a state-of-the-art CMOS process flow, exposes students to big-picture thinking from the outset, and encourages a practical integration mindset.?

Extensive use of process and TCAD simulation, using industry tools such as Silvaco Athena and Victory Process, provides students with deeper insight into physical principles, and prepares them for applying these tools in a real-world setting.?

Accessible framing assumes only a basic background in chemistry, physics and mathematics, providing a gentle introduction for students from a wide range of backgrounds; and over 450 figures (many in color), and more than 280 end-of-chapter problems, will support and cement student understanding.?

Accompanied by lecture slides and solutions for instructors, this is the ideal introduction to semiconductor technology for senior undergraduate and graduate students in electrical engineering, materials science and physics, and for semiconductor engineering professionals seeking an authoritative introductory reference.

Extraction of Semiconductor Diode Parameters:?A Comparative Review of Methods and Materials

This book presents a comprehensive treatise on the extraction of semiconductor diode parameters using various methods. Its focus is on metal-semiconductor, metal-insulator-semiconductor, and p-n junction diodes, covering a wide range of metals and semiconductors, including elemental, compound, organic, and nanostructured materials.?

By bringing together these methods in one place, this book provides a much-needed standardized point of reference for the field. The methods used for device characterization have spread widely but not yet critically compared and contrasted.?

This book aims to bridge this gap by offering a comparative review of the methods and providing the most accurate information on current developments. The result is a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners who seek to optimize their use of semiconductor diodes in their work.?

With its thorough coverage and critical analysis, this book fills a large void in the field of semiconductor device characterization. It is an essential reference for anyone interested in the extraction of semiconductor diode parameters using a variety of methods.

Find more semiconductor books at?Power Semiconductors Weekly.

Semiconductors Marketing

Today we continue our journey with semiconductor companies in motorsports and some vintage advertising from?General Electric.

Semiconductor Companies in Motorsports. ROHM

In my previous newsletters I shared how various US based power semiconductors companies (Wolfspeed, onsemi) are supporting Formula E with their SiC technology, and how beneficial it is for them from the point of view of marketing. Today I would like to highlight ROHM, a company from Japan, who also has been active in motorsports for many years.

Gildo Pallanca Pastor, CEO and owner of Venturi Automobiles, has long been an investor in the development of electric mobility and believes today's innovation in the field, including at the Formula E Championship, heralds a future with electric cars.?

"In 2000, after racing cars for 15 years, I bought Venturi with the idea to build my own sports car," he says. "To build the best one, I had to use the best motor ever put into a car: an electric motor."?

"Formula E was part of our company manager's vision, in 1999. He went to see Alejandro Agag [CEO of Formula E Holdings], who was able to turn the use of electric cars into a terrific race and build a fantastic challenge," he adds. As each car is powered by a battery with a driving force of 28kWh of electric power, the challenge for each team is to most efficiently use that energy to boost the distance the car can run, all the while considering the car's weight.?

For ROHM, the answer was to use its leading technology to help make Venturi's cars smaller, stronger, and faster. The company developed solutions made from silicon carbide (SiC), a revolutionary material that can operate at high temperatures and withstand higher voltages and large currents by reducing switching losses.?

"Thanks to ROHM we have achieved the goal of having the best components, to incorporate an inverter of the lightest weight and volume," Gildo Pallanca Pastor adds. "The Venturi Formula E car is a car for today's challenges. No other race car is so advanced. We are very proud to incorporate ROHM's technology into it; the car is one of a kind."?

M. Franck Baldet, chief technology officer of Venturi, agrees. "Working with ROHM is fantastic because we have the opportunity to work with engineers who are passionate about electronic components and have the drive to make the best possible products that can be used in electric cars," he says.

Back in 2018 former F1 star Felipe Massa joined Venturi, and during Electronica trade show in Munich ROHM had a great event to promote their Formula E activities along their SiC power devices. Another marketing strike for Japanese semiconductor company.

Vintage Semiconductor Ads. Top Picks of November

In 1969 General Electric offered color-molded power transistors to end mixing-up NPN/PNP types. It solved the problem with separate storage, and definitely added some color to the design.

Power Semiconductors Weekly Blog

To summarize November power semiconductors market activity, enjoy the latest newscast issue. Power Semiconductors Weekly newscast Volume 125?is available at YouTube channel or via the link below:

Have a great December! And stay tuned for more?power semiconductors news!