Enabling New Applications With SiC IGBT And GaN HEMT For Power Module Design

By Shela Aboud - 18 Apr, 2024 - Comments: 0

The need to mitigate climate change is driving a need to electrify our infrastructure, vehicles, and appliances, which can then be charged and powered by renewable energy sources. The most visible and impactful electrification is now under way for electric vehicles (EVs). Beyond the transition to electric engines, several new features and technologies are driving the electrification of vehicles... » read more

Using Picosecond Ultrasonics To Measure Trench Structures In SiC Power Devices

By Nick Keller - 12 Mar, 2024 - Comments: 0

The road to the future is not always a smooth, trouble-free drive. Along the way, there may be unforeseen detours, potholes and accidents, each one capable of setting progress back. But for those behind the wheel, those obstacles are just a part of the journey. Such is the case for the automotive industry as it continues to steer away from gas-powered vehicles and turn toward hybrid and elec... » read more

Semiconductors Beyond Nanometers

By Andreas Schumacher - 07 Mar, 2024 - Comments: 0

In today's world, semiconductors are essential components of our everyday lives and the backbone of our economies. From the devices we use to communicate to the machines that power our factories, semiconductors are the building blocks that enable digitalization and decarbonization. However, public and policy debates about semiconductors often focus solely on their smallest feature size, measure... » read more

What’s Next For Power Electronics? Beyond Silicon

By Emily Yan - 29 Feb, 2024 - Comments: 0

For more than half a century, silicon has been the bedrock of power electronics. Yet as silicon meets its physical limitations in higher-power, higher-temperature applications, the industry’s relentless pursuit of more efficient power systems has ushered in the wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors era. The global WBG semiconductors market reached $1.6 billion in 2022, with an estimated CAGR of ... » read more

New Issues In Power Semiconductors

By Ed Sperling - 26 Feb, 2024 - Comments: 0

The number of challenges is growing in power semiconductors, just as it is in traditional chips. Thermal dissipation and gradients, new design rules, and layout issues need to be considered, especially in the context of higher voltage and increased performance demands. Roland Jancke, design methodology head in Fraunhofer IIS’ Engineering of Adaptive Systems Division, talks about issues in int... » read more

Using OCD To Measure Trench Structures In SiC Power Devices

By Nick Keller - 08 Feb, 2024 - Comments: 0

You don’t have to be a dedicated follower of the transportation industry to know it is in the early stages of a significant transition, away from the rumbling internal combustion engine to the quiet days of electric vehicles. The signs of this transition are right there on the streets in the form of electric-powered buses, bikes and cars. The road to our electric future is before us, but we w... » read more

Why Is The Power Device Market So Hot Right Now?

By Dermott Lynch - 25 Jan, 2024 - Comments: 0

Growing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy sources is putting the spotlight on power semiconductor devices. These power devices have always been essential in determining the efficiency of a variety of systems, from small household electronics to equipment used in outer space. But as calls to reduce carbon emissions get louder, the market for these chips continues to flouri... » read more

Using FTIR To Improve SiC Power Device Performance

By Nick Keller - 09 Jan, 2024 - Comments: 0

The figures alone are impressive: SiC power devices are experiencing an annual average growth rate approaching 34% through 2027, according to the Yole Group. However, the potential for this amongst other compound semiconductor-based power devices such as gallium nitride (GaN) to change the world around us is even more impressive. Thanks to the role that SiC-based devices play in the increase... » read more

Research Bits: December 11

By Jesse Allen - 11 Dec, 2023 - Comments: 0

Diamond device with high breakdown voltage Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign developed diamond p-type lateral Schottky barrier diodes they say have the highest breakdown voltage and lowest leakage current compared to previous diamond devices. The diamond device can sustain high voltage, approximately 5 kV, although the voltage was limited by setup of measurement a... » read more

Addressing Trench Structures And Larger Wafers For Power Devices

By Vamsi Velidandla - 07 Nov, 2023 - Comments: 0

Wind power. Rail. Solar energy. And, perhaps most significantly, electric and hybrid vehicles. Together, these four forces are among the major demand drivers for power devices. While silicon (Si) still plays a role in power devices, wide-bandgap compound semiconductors like silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) are particularly well-suited for power devices thanks to their higher e... » read more

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