Manufacturing Bits: May 25


Higher voltage GaN Imec and Aixtron have demonstrated the ability to extend gallium-nitride (GaN) to new voltage levels in the power semiconductor market, enabling the technology to compete in much broader segments. Imec and Aixtron have demonstrated epitaxial growth of GaN buffer layers qualified for 1,200-volt applications on specialized 200mm substrates with a hard breakdown exceeding 1,... » read more

Week In Review: Design, Low Power


Synopsys completed its acquisition of MorethanIP, a provider of Ethernet Digital Controller IP supporting data rates from 10G to 800G. The acquisition adds MAC (Medium Access Controller) and PCS (Physical Coding Sublayer) for 200G/400G and 800G Ethernet to Synopsys’ portfolio. The company also provides Time-Sensitive Networking, Fibre Channel, and Ethernet Switching IP for integration into AS... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: April 20


SiC power semi R&D Earth Day, which supports environmental protection, takes place this week on April 22. Technology plays a big role in the environment. Governments, companies, R&D organizations and universities are developing a multitude of environmental-related technologies. In just one example, Swansea University has been awarded £4.8 million from the government of the Unite... » read more

SiC MOSFETs In The Landscape Of Modern Power Devices


Over the years, low losses possible by high breakdown field made silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs extremely popular amongst engineers. At present, they are mostly used in areas where IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors) have been the prevailing component of choice before. But which role do SiC MOSFETs play in today’s landscape of power devices? With SiC MOSFETs (Metal-Oxide-Semicond... » read more

Controlling The Reliability Of Silicon Carbide-Based Devices


The development of wide bandgap silicon carbide (SiC) compound semiconductors has proved to be extremely beneficial for power conversion applications. Capable of switching at significantly higher frequencies, and with higher breakdown voltage characteristics, SiC power transistors are quickly becoming an attractive silicon alternative for high power density and/or high-efficiency power conver... » read more

Increasing The Conductive Density Of Packaging


Wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor technologies have created new challenges and opportunities for power packages. Developments such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), have a higher figure of merit (FOM) compared to silicon MOSFETs and have extended the efficiency, output power and/or switching frequency range and operating temperature range for power electronics. With lower lo... » read more

48V Applications Drive Power IC Package Options


The manufacturing process and die get most of the attention, but the packaging plays an important part in enabling and limiting performance, manufacturability, particularly when it comes to reliability of power devices. Given the wide range of underlying semiconductor power-device technologies — “basic” silicon, wide-bandgap silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), power levels... » read more

Mobility And 5G Drive Adoption Of New Materials For Power Devices


Electric mobility, renewable energy, and other technology innovations like IoT, 5G, smart manufacturing, and robotics all require reliability, efficiency, and compact power systems, fueling the adoption of silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) to support lower voltages in significantly smaller devices. But chip designers must overcome the technological and economical challenges of int... » read more

Novel Etch Technologies Utilizing Atomic Layer Process For Advanced Patterning


We demonstrated a high selective and anisotropic plasma etch of Si3N4 and SiC. The demonstrated process consists of a sequence of ion modification and chemical dry removal steps. The Si3N4 etch with H ion modification showed a high selectivity to SiO2 and SiC films. In addition, we have developed selective etch of SiC with N ion modification. On the other hand, in the patterning etch processes,... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Sept. 22


Hairy nanoparticles The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory is developing a new type of material called preceramic polymer-grafted nanoparticles or “hairy nanoparticles” (HNP). HNPs can be used to manufacture a new class of aircraft parts made of ceramic composite materials. An HNP is a hybrid material. It is based on a polymer shell, which is bound to a nanoparticle core, according to t... » read more

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