Tag Archive for: SiC

Ascatron and LPE cooperate on 150 mm SiC epitaxy for power electronics

Ascatron AB, supplier of silicon carbide (SiC) epitaxy material, and LPE SpA, a pioneer in epitaxy reactors for power electronics, have entered into a cooperation agreement to develop high performance SiC epitaxial material for volume production on 150 mm substrates. The first results demonstrating outstanding uniformity will be presented at the ICSCRM2015 conference in Catania.

Ascatron has installed a new SiC epitaxy reactor supplied by LPE in its production fab in Kista-Stockholm. The  reactor system with 150 mm wafer capability has the model name PE106. It is a new development from LPE and has recently been introduced on the market. Industry shortest cycle time and smallest footprint makes it an optimal choice for production of Ascatron’s high quality epitaxial material for high voltage power devices.

“The new production equipment from LPE is key to scale-up Ascatron advanced epitaxy processes to state-of-the-art 150 mm SiC wafers”

,says Christian Vieider, CEO of Ascatron. “We are now ready to provide our customers with n-type doped epi wafers with thicknesses from 0.1 µm up to 100 µm”.

“The new PE1O6 will further enhance Ascatron unique epitaxy based SiC technology, which is set to gain worldwide acceptance among device makers because of its superior features”, according to Franco Preti, CEO of LPE. “The cooperation with Ascatron enables LPE to strengthen our position on the market even further”.

“The single wafer concept of the LPE reactor is ideal to optimize growth parameters for a wide range of processes”, says Adolf Schöner, CTO of Ascatron.

“We are now able to establish our unique growth processes for embedded pn junctions and 3D structures on this 150 mm wafer platform, which is a crucial step towards cost effective production of next generation SiC power devices”.

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SiC MOSFET make its way to Toshiba UPS system

Toshiba International Corporation today announced its new G2020 Series uninterruptible power system (UPS). The G2020 Series is the latest three-phase UPS designed by Toshiba utilizing silicon carbide (SiC) power modules enabling the UPS to be 98% efficient with 50% load while operating in double-conversion mode.

The G2020 Series UPS utilizes silicon carbide power modules in a three-level design to provide customers with the ultimate in high efficiency power protection. Combining the latest in semiconductor technology with innovative circuit topology and high-performance full digital control ensures the highest level of reliable power quality to meet the demanding needs of the data center industry. With 98.2% efficiency, the highest in the industry for double-conversion UPS, the G2020 produces less heat, noise and interference, lowers cooling costs and saves energy as compared to the conventional UPS, and presents a solution to mission critical infrastructure. The G2020 Series is available in 500 and 750kVA.

“The Toshiba G2020 UPS is the premiere solution for demanding data center applications which require small footprint, high efficiency, and clean uninterruptible power,”

said Greg Mack, Vice President and General Manager of the TIC Power Electronics Division.

“The G2020, with full digital control, instantaneous waveform control and fast-response current control ensures the highest power quality for all UPS users.”

Jesus Penalver, Product Manager for the TIC Power Electronics Division, added, “For redundant high-reliability UPS applications, the Toshiba G2020 excels with a footprint 17% smaller than its G9000 predecessor and up to 57% smaller than competing models. The future of power electronics is SiC power switching technology, with >33% higher junction temperature, higher switching speed, and extremely low switching losses.”

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Ultra small full SiC PFC released by Mitsubishi Electric

Full SiC Dual in-line power factor available today:

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced today the immediate launch of a transfer-molded super-mini dual in-line package power factor correction (DIPPFCTM) module incorporating silicon carbide (SiC) transistors and diodes, which is expected to help reduce the power consumption and size of home appliances.

Mitsubishi Electric’s new DIPPFC module will be exhibited at MOTORTECH JAPAN 2014 during TECHNO-FRONTIER 2014, which will be held at Tokyo Big Sight in Japan from July 23 to 25.

Product Features

  1. SiC contributes to lower power consumption and compact size
      • Power loss is reduced by about 45% compared to silicon (Si) products, contributing to improved energy conversion.
      • SiC schottky-barrier diode (SBD) reduces recovery current power consumption and electromagnetic interference noise.
      • SiC metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) achieves maximum 40kHz high-frequency switching and contributes to downsizing of peripheral components, such as reactors and heat sinks.
      • Power factor correction (PFC) and driving IC contribute to downsizing by reducing mounting surface area and simplifying wiring.
  2. Simplified design for inverter systems
      • Interleave method for PFC decreases the ripple current and simplifies the noise filter circuit.
      • Adoption of the same package as the dual in-line package intelligent power module (DIPIPMTM) simplifies the installation of heat sinks.

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Wide Bandgap Semiconductors: Essential to Our Technology Future

Hidden inside nearly every modern electronic is a technology — called power electronics — that is quietly making our world run. Yet, as things like our phones, appliances and cars advance, current power electronics will no longer be able to meet our needs, making it essential that we invest in the future of this technology.

Today, President Obama will announce that North Carolina State University will lead the Energy Department’s new manufacturing innovation institute for the next generation of power electronics. The institute will work to drive down the costs of and build America’s manufacturing leadership in wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor-based power electronics — leading to more affordable products for businesses and consumers, billions of dollars in energy savings and high-quality U.S. manufacturing jobs.

Integral to consumer electronics and many clean energy technologies, power electronics can be found in everything from electric vehicles and industrial motors, to laptop power adaptors and inverters that connect solar panels and wind turbines to the electric grid. For nearly 50 years, silicon chips have been the basis of power electronics. However, as clean energy technologies and the electronics industry has advanced, silicon chips are reaching their limits in power conversion — resulting in wasted heat and higher energy consumption.

Wide band gap infrographics

Power electronics that use WBG semiconductors have the potential to change all this. WBG semiconductors operate at high temperatures, frequencies and voltages — all helping to eliminate up to 90 percent of the power losses in electricity conversion compared to current technology. This in turn means that power electronics can be smaller because they need fewer semiconductor chips, and the technologies that rely on power electronics — like electric vehicle chargers, consumer appliances and LEDs — will perform better, be more efficient and cost less.

One of three new institutes in the President’s National Network of Manufacturing Innovation, the Energy Department’s institute will develop the infrastructure needed to make WBG semiconductor-based power electronics cost competitive with silicon chips in the next five years. Working with more than 25 partners across industry, academia, and state and federal organizations, the institute will provide shared research and development, manufacturing equipment, and product testing to create new semiconductor technology that is up to 10 times more powerful that current chips on the market. Through higher education programs and internships, the institute will ensure that the U.S. has the workforce necessary to be the leader in the next generation of power electronics manufacturing.

Watch our latest video on how wide bandgap semiconductors could impact clean energy technology and our daily lives.

Source: http://energy.gov/eere/articles/infographic-wide-bandgap-semiconductors

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BASiC 3C awarded 250k$ to develop low cost 3C SiC wafers

Gov. John Hickenlooper and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced the Advanced Industry Accelerator Grant Program grantees.

 BASiC 3C is developing cost effective cubic Silicon Carbide (3C-SiC) wafers produced in Colorado for power device manufacturers. While SiC is becoming the material of choice over Silicon (Si) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) for middle to high-end power device development, the traditional “4H” SiC material continues to experience issues in defects, stress, wafer diameter scaling and costs.

The “HFCVD” from BASiC 3C process for manufacturing 3C Silicon Carbide wafers is a breakthrough technology that enables a new generation of power devices for existing and new markets.The patented technology delivers 3C-SiC substrates which enable price/performance leading devices operating at higher voltage, higher power, faster switching speeds and elevated temperatures.

It allows scalable “3C” SiC wafers (4”, 6”, 8” & 12”) with less defects, improved electron mobility that yields lower cost devices with greater performance.

The result is smaller, lighter, efficient electric vehicle power trains and more efficient components in the SmartGrid.

BASiC 3C is backed by Innosphere Rocky mountain incubator.

Sources:

http://www.advancecolorado.com/news/advanced-industries-accelerator-program-awards-almost-2-million-colorado-organizations

http://www.innosphere.org/page.asp?NavID=7

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