Testing High Power Discrete Devices


Emerging markets are driving the evolution of discrete power devices. Increased power requirements mean more power is being driven through a smaller device, creating challenges in both device design and test. This video series, 3 for 3, provides 3 answers for 3 pressing questions about trends in semiconductor test, and how testing for high power discrete devices is evolving. » read more

Power Semiconductor Devices: Thermal Management and Packaging


A technical paper titled "Thermal management and packaging of wide and ultra-wide bandgap power devices: a review and perspective" was published by researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, and Univ Lyon, CNRS. "This paper provides a timely review of the thermal management of WBG and UWBG power devices with an emphasis on packaged dev... » read more

Power Semiconductors: A Deep Dive Into Materials, Manufacturing & Business


Whether you’re the owner of the average smartphone, commuting on trains, or driving around in a Tesla, you use power semiconductor devices every day. In a technology-dependent world, these devices are everywhere, and demand for more types of chips using different materials is growing. In the past, most engineers paid little attention to power semiconductors. They were deemed commodity, off... » read more

Unleashing the Potential of Compound Semiconductors: Industry Leaders Collaborate at SEMICON Taiwan 2022 to Create Ecosystem


Delivering high-speed processing over 100 times faster than silicon, compound semiconductors have made the devices a magnet for developers of leading-edge technologies out to maximize performance in key segments including automotive, data centers and communications. With the rising profile of compound semiconductors as the backdrop, leading experts gathered at the Power and Opto Semiconductor F... » read more

When Less Can Be More With Smart Module Design: Part 1


Size and power often seem like opposite sides of a coin. When you reduce size – one of the ever-pressing goals in our industry – you inevitably reduce power. But does that have to be the case? By shifting our thinking from the chip to the module design, there’s no need to flip a coin. In IGBT modules, chip shrinkage leads to an increased thermal impedance, which then impacts performanc... » read more

A Solar Solution For Every Situation


Regardless of where they are used, energy conversion efficiency is paramount in solar power applications (if you are interested in their technical details, here is a blog post for you). Even small improvements reduce energy waste, decrease operating costs, lower spatial and cooling systems requirements, and much more. The semiconductor switches used in energy conversion in photovoltaic (... » read more

Production Testing Of Discrete Power Products


By Vineet Pancholi and Dennis Dinawanao Metal Oxide Silicon Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs), Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs), Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs), diodes, and application specific multi-transistor packaged modules are some of the more popular discrete products. Switches control the flow of current within a circuit. MOSFETs are a building block of most electronic... » read more

Equipment Suppliers Brace For GaN Market Explosion


A huge GaN market is opening up, driven by consumer devices and the need for greater energy efficiency across many applications. Suppliers are ready, but to fully compete with SiC in high-voltage automotive applications will require further technological developments in power GaN (gallium nitride). Still, the 2020s mark a very high-growth phase for GaN markets. Revenues in the power GaN mark... » read more

Compound Semiconductor Innovation Advances EVs And Other Green Technologies


As the world works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, global adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is driving an increased demand for high-power, energy-efficient compound semiconductors, such as silicon carbide (SiC)-based components, throughout the entire EV assembly process. Renewable energy technology is now at the forefront of climate-forward research, with accelerating EV sales playing�... » read more

Parasitic Characterization Comes To Power Design Simulation


Two power design challenges are taking teams into unfamiliar territory. Wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors target greater efficiency and density. Stricter EMI compliance regulations now come standard in mission-critical industries. Power design practices are still catching up. Simulation often takes a back seat to respinning hardware prototypes until success. What’s missing that could make sim... » read more

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