Power Electronics ♦ news digest Tokyo Electron sells SiC epi
growth tool to Infineon The Probus-SiC silicon carbide system will be used to volume produce advanced SiC power devices
Tokyo Electron Limited (TEL) has announced that Infineon Technologies in Germany has ordered its Probus-SiC kit.
SemiSouth injects $18 million
into developing SiC devices The expansion, in its Mississippi plant is expected to drive the firm’s silicon carbide fabrication facility. It will also improve customer service to those who are adopting the company’s diode and power transistor products
Probus-SiC growth system
Its silicon carbide (SiC) epitaxial film growth tool, will be used for the mass production of advanced SiC power devices.
The Probus-SiC can handle film growth on substrates up to six inches. It also features automatic transfer and multi-reactor functions. It is claimed to be an ideal tool for improving device performance and productivity. This tool is scheduled to be delivered in the summer of 2012.
“We are honoured with the selection from Infineon Technologies for the Probus-SiC as a mass production tool for their advanced SiC power devices. In order to ensure the stable performance required for mass production, the Probus-SiC incorporates key design and development concepts to achieve good uniformity, low defect density, reduced surface roughness, high throughput and easy operability,” says Yoichi Ishikawa, General Manager, New Product Development Division, TEL.
“With Infineon Technologies’ validation of the Probus-SiC performance and design, TEL is looking forward to the opportunity to contribute to low-cost manufacturing of high quality SiC power devices and the further expansion of the SiC power device market,” concludes Ishikawa.
SemiSouth Laboratories is further expanding its facility in Starkville for the second time in the past 18 months. With the extra investment of $18 million, the firm is hoping to increase the availability of energy-efficient SiC power devices for the solar, wind, traction-drive, and automotive industries. This move will help to drive the continued growth in the firm’s SiC fabrication facility and improve customer service to those who are adopting the company’s diode and power transistor products. SemiSouth says its SiC technology enables ultra- efficient power conversion for solar and wind inverters, hybrid/ electric vehicles, traction-drive and other applications that benefit from exceptionally high energy efficiency. “Today’s announcement is a testament to SemiSouth’s success with existing customers in solar inverter and industrial power supply market segments,” comments Jeff Casady, President of SemiSouth. “We are ramping with our customers’ demands for our industry-leading SiC power JFET and power diode products, and this new expansion will allow us to expand our volume another 50% for these customers and new ones starting up with us,” he continues. Dieter Liesabeths, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing at SemiSouth, adds, “SemiSouth is continuously being recognised by its customers for having world-record, cost-effective, energy-efficient power semiconductor electronic products based on our proprietary SiC technology.” “We have many customers in production with even more in development for our products in energy-sensitive markets such as solar inverters, server power supplies, wind inverters, and electric vehicle development,” concludes Liesabeths.
GaN power semiconductors
to go from zero to heroes Despite gallium nitride being so illusive, IMS Research says that by 2021, the market for power devices using this material will exceed $1 billion
The emerging market for GaN power semiconductors is forecast to grow from almost zero in 2011 to over $1 billion in 2021, according to a new report from IMS Research.
The research firm analysed all of the key end markets for power products and found that power supplies, PV inverters and industrial motor drives would be the three main drivers of growth.
While SiC power devices have been around for some years, GaN power semiconductors have only recently appeared on the market. One of the main reasons is that GaN is a wide bandgap material which offers similar performance benefits to SiC but may be cheaper to produce.
April/May 2012
www.compoundsemiconductor.net 161
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