Wide Bandgap Burn-In and Testing, Electronica 2024, Electric Motors, DC/DC Conversion in Military, Hydrogen-Powered Truck, Power Cycling and more!
Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio
Content Editor & Technical Writer | Ph.D | Power Electronics, Renewable Energy, Embedded Systems, Quantum Computing
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Wide-bandgap (WBG) devices, such as silicon carbide and gallium nitride, are enhancing power efficiency and thermal management across various applications, providing considerable performance gains in electric vehicles and renewable energy systems.
Nonetheless, the recent adoption of these technologies introduces specific challenges, particularly concerning burn-in and reliability testing. To ensure compliance with quality and reliability standards, developing and integrating new stress and testing methodologies for these devices is essential. EDA solutions are essential in connecting research and development with production processes.
The adoption of WBG semiconductors is transforming industries that demand high power efficiency, such as automotive, renewable energy and telecommunications. For example, Tesla Motor ignited interest in SiC by incorporating SiC MOSFETs (sourced from STMicroelectronics) into its Model 3 inverter design, achieving a substantial 75% reduction in switching losses compared with traditional IGBT modules.
This advancement allows inverters to become smaller and lighter while enhancing power throughput and thermal management. Additionally, GaN’s high-speed switching capabilities open new markets in high-voltage-drive battery charging, auxiliary DC/AC power supplies and DC/DC buck conversions for both 12-V and 48-V battery systems.
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Electric Motors: The Key to Energy Efficiency and Sustainability
Electric motors represent a fundamental technology in the modern world. They are used to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy, and their applications cover numerous sectors, such as industry, transportation, the civil sector, automotive and consumer electronics. With the advent of sustainable mobility and the increasing use of electric vehicles, electric motors are gaining even more importance.
Wide-Bandgap Technological Advancements
Silicon carbide and gallium nitride are key wide-bandgap materials that enable the creation of highly efficient power conversion devices. In this article, we will summarize a podcast hosted by Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio, editor-in-chief of Power Electronics News, with guests Sebastian Fahlbusch, manager of the power product application center for Nexperia in Hamburg, Germany, and Dilder Chowdhury, director of strategic marketing in power GaN technology at Nexperia in Manchester, U.K. The focus of this podcast was a discussion of Nexperia’s SiC and GaN product portfolios, their technological features and advantages and their application space.
DC/DC Conversion for Auxiliary Power in High-Reliability Military Vetronics Applications
Electronics in vehicles have proliferated, to the extent that a modern car has been likened to a wireless data center on wheels. Military vehicles are following the trend with vehicle electronics (vetronics) but with a different emphasis: Just as with cars, engine control, displays and navigation are needed, but there are additional requirements for communication, weapons control, sensing and data collection, with digital wireless networks connecting to other vehicles and fixed systems. Even AI is increasingly a feature for situation analysis and autonomous operation, increasing mission effectiveness and reducing risk to personnel. As with passenger cars, high reliability, low weight and cost are factors for military vehicles.
Gearing Up for Green: The Rise of Hydrogen-Powered Trucks
The transportation sector is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. As the world strives for a cleaner future, developing sustainable alternatives to traditional fossil fuels is paramount. In this context, hydrogen emerges as a promising contender, particularly for heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks and long-haul transportation. This article delves into the world of hydrogen-powered trucks, exploring their potential, challenges and role in the future of transportation.
CEO Interview: Hassane El-Khoury On Intelligent Power and Sensing
At electronica 2024 in Munich, Germany, this week, onsemi introduced its Treo modular analog mixed signal technology platform that enables the company to provide application specific products for intelligent sensing. Here we present a video interview from the show with the CEO of onsemi, Hassane El-Khoury, where we discuss this new Treo platform, and also talk more broadly about recent company developments and strategic orientation.
Unlocking a Greener Tomorrow: The Transformative Impact of GaN Technology
Global energy consumption has steadily increased over the past few decades, primarily driven by the rapid increase in population and economic activity, and is expected to grow further. The uptick is a result of offline as well as online activities. As a result, the rapid growth of data centers has led to a significant increase in electricity demand worldwide. According to some estimates, data centers consumed about 240 to 340 TWh of electricity globally in 2022. Energy consumption has been growing at 20% to 40% over the past several years.
Shaping a Sustainable Future: Infineon’s Innovations at Electronica 2024
Electronica 2024 in Munich brought together the brightest minds and technologies in the electronics industry. Among the key contributors, Infineon Technologies showcased its forward-looking solutions aimed at sustainability and efficiency. Peter Wawer, division president of green industrial power, highlighted Infineon’s latest innovations, including the 3.3-kV silicon carbide high-power module and the groundbreaking 300-mm gallium nitride wafers
Electronica 2024: Fraunhofer’s Vision for a Smarter Future
During an interview at electronica, Michael Mensing, head of the advanced devices group at Fraunhofer, discussed the institute’s focus on power electronics, emerging memory technologies and the collaborative FAMES pilot line with CEA-Leti for energy-efficient nonvolatile memory. He noted the transformative potential of wide- and ultra-wide-bandgap semiconductors such as gallium nitride and gallium oxide , highlighting their role in overcoming current power electronics limitations.
Allegro MicroSystems’ CTO Michael Doogue Discusses Innovations in Sensors and Power ICs at Electronica 2024
At Electronica 2024 in Munich, Allegro MicroSystems is spotlighting groundbreaking advancements in sensor and power IC technology. In an interview with Power Electronics News, Senior Vice President and CTO Michael Doogue shared insights into the company’s theme, “Sensing and Power Reimagined,” and highlighted Allegro’s latest offerings for automotive, data center, and renewable energy sectors. Key innovations include high-resolution XtremeSense TMR technology sensors and 48V motor drivers designed to meet rising efficiency demands
Wine Down Friday with VisIC’s Tamara Baksht
Welcome to this week’s Wine Down Friday! Today, we’re thrilled to talk to Tamara Baksht, CEO of VisIC Technologies. With a Ph.D. focused on pioneering high-power, high-frequency GaN transistors, Tamara has been at the forefront of advancing GaN technology for power and RF applications. In our conversation, she shares the incredible milestones of her career, the vision she holds for VisIC’s impact on electric vehicles, and her personal insights on leadership and balancing life as a CEO.
The Growing Potential of Perovskite and Wide Band Gap Solar Cells
Solar energy provides one of the most interesting and promising solutions to the global energy crisis. Over the past 15 years, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have garnered attention for their potential to surpass the efficiency of traditional silicon solar cells at a fraction of the cost. Narrow band gap perovskites have achieved device efficiencies of up to 26.1% 1.
Additionally, wide band gap (WBG) perovskites are showing significant progress in the development of tandem perovskite solar cells. Perovskite-silicon solar panels have recently achieved record efficiencies of 34.6% 1. The versatility of perovskite materials is significantly advancing solar technology as well as showing promise in other optoelectronic applications.
EVs and the Future of Energy: Innovation Behind V2G
Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) is an innovative technology that uses electric vehicles not only as a means of transport but also as versatile and bidirectional energy resources. V2G involves fleets of vehicles providing energy to strengthen electricity grids, particularly during peak demand. It is driven globally by strategic environmental goals, with countries striving to reduce emissions and increase the use of renewable energy sources. Instead of considering vehicles simply as loads on the grid, V2G transforms them into an integral part of the energy system, allowing them to store and return energy to the grid itself. The vehicle thus becomes the means with which to capture energy and move it elsewhere for direct use. Ultimately, in the not-too-distant future, EVs could act as storage for the home. For example, the vehicle could provide electricity to the home directly from the garage during the night.
Navigating Market Challenges: onsemi’s Long-Term Vision for SiC and Financial Stability
Onsemi announced strong third-quarter results for 2024, with revenue reaching $1.76 billion and gross margins of 45.4% GAAP and 45.5% non-GAAP. Operating margins were 25.3% GAAP and 28.2% non-GAAP, while diluted earnings per share came in at $0.93 GAAP and $0.99 non-GAAP. In an interview with Power Electronics News, onsemi CEO Hassane El-Khoury underlined onsemi’s concentration on financial management and strategic execution. Emphasizing automotive and industrial end markets, onsemi is hastening change in megatrends such as vehicle electrification and safety, sustainable energy grids, industrial automation and data center.
How Infineon is Augmenting Power-Cycling Capability of Latest Semiconductors
High-stakes applications today require a heightened level of quality and robustness that ultimately impact the design and manufacturing of modern power semiconductors. Such parameters greatly influence the equipment’s lifetime while assuring long-term reliable operation under worst-case conditions. To assess the performance of new advanced semiconductor chips, together with the validation of wire bonding and assembly integrity under specific stress, the power-cycling (PC) test is a well-established industry practice.
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Wise-integration Announces the Opening of its North American Design & Development Center in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Wise-integration has announced the opening of its North American Design & Development Center in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Under the leadership of Christian Cojocaru and supported by specialists in analog and digital technology design, the center will advance the company’s design portfolio for future iterations of WiseGan?, establishing Wise-integration as a leader in digital GaN innovation.
SICC Showcased Innovative Products and Applications at electronica 2024 and Semicon Europa
At the SEMICON Europa and electronica 2024 exhibitions, held concurrently in Munich, Germany, from November 12-15, SICC Co., Ltd presented a range of high-quality silicon carbide products, underscoring the company’s commitment to facilitating a sector-wide shift from silicon (Si) to silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor power electronic solutions.
MathWorks and NXP Announce Model-Based Design Toolbox for Battery Management Systems (BMSs)
MathWorks , the leading developer of mathematical computing software, and NXP? Semiconductors , the worldwide leader in automotive processing, announced the availability of the Model-Based Design Toolbox (MBDT) for Battery Management Systems (BMS). The toolbox enables engineers to model, develop, and validate BMS applications in MATLAB? and Simulink?, automate C code generation from MATLAB for NXP Battery Cell controllers, and also support NXP’s software solution, the BMS SDK components.
onsemi and Würth Elektronik Enable High-Accuracy Virtual Design for Power Electronic Applications
onsemi and Würth Elektronik have jointly announced the incorporation of Würth Elektronik’s passive components database into onsemi’s unique Self-Service PLECS? Model Generator (SSPMG). Engineers can generate custom high-fidelity, high-accuracy PLECS models of intricate power electronic applications using this user-friendly web-based platform. This facilitates the early identification and resolution of performance obstacles during the design process. The switching loss models derived from SSPMG are now even more precise than they were before, thanks to the inclusion of passive system components from Würth Elektronik.
Pulsiv Becomes the World’s First Company to Deliver 240W from a Single USB-C Port
Pulsiv Limited becomes the first firm in the world to run 240W off one USB-C connector. Combining a Pulsiv OSMIUM front-end design with an industry standard flyback which passes rigorous EMC/Line Current specifications and is assured to transform the worldwide charging market has produced this ground-breaking breakthrough.
TSMC Inaugurates the Taichung Zero Waste Manufacturing Center
The Taichung Zero Waste Manufacturing Center was inaugurated by TSMC , marking a significant milestone in sustainable manufacturing. Additionally, the Ministry of Environment and TSMC executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on carbon capture during the ceremony. Representatives from the government, academic institutions, industry associations, and supply chain partners, as well as TSMC’s green technology collaborators Chang Chun Petrochemical, Transcene, and Li Ying Environmental Technology, attended the event.
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