Kulim 3 is the world’s largest 200 mm SiC power fab, reinforcing Infineon’s status as a global leader in wide bandgap power semiconductors. Located near Villach site in Austria – which houses Infineon’s power semiconductor competence center – Kulim 3 represents another landmark for Infineon as a power semiconductor supplier.
Silicon carbide technology represents a fundamental shift in high-voltage power switching that makes for smaller, lighter and more efficient systems – including electric vehicles, industrial-grade switch-mode power supplies, solar inverters and AI data centers.
Power electronics
Silicon carbide semiconductors have long been touted as an alternative to their silicon counterparts for power electronics applications due to greater power efficiency and reduced dissipation. Their main drawback, however, is harder production processes which in turn leads to higher costs when producing end products.
Infineon’s chipmakers employ silicon carbide in the manufacturing of wide-bandgap transistors used in electric vehicle (EV) motor drives, solar inverters and industrial-grade switch-mode power supplies that demand up to tens of thousands of watts. As these power semiconductors can operate at higher temperatures than traditional devices they are an excellent choice for EVs that must travel longer distances between charges while charging faster.
Early this year, Infineon unveiled a new generation of CoolSiC MOSFET chips designed to improve performance and reliability in various forms of power electronics – particularly traction inverters which convert DC from high-voltage batteries into AC for electric motors. These new chipmakers feature integrated body diodes which promise low switching losses, fast speed performance and long service lifetime.
Watch this online expert video to gain a deeper understanding of how CoolSiC MOSFETs and diodes enhance system efficiency in Solar / ESS applications, and gain real insight into the impact of parasitic elements in DC links. Also join us at Munich on 16 April for the 2024 Infineon Wide-Bandgap Developer Forum to get more expert insight.
Automotive
Silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors offer an excellent alternative to silicon for high-speed power electronics in electric vehicles (EVs). Indeed, as more people embrace a lifestyle involving electromobility, SiC devices have seen exponential growth that could extend vehicle range considerably.
Infineon’s CoolSiC Schottky diode 2000 V G5 is designed to operate at higher temperatures than traditional silicon-based technologies and offers current ratings up to 80 A, making it suitable for boosting converters and auxiliary drives in electric vehicles.
The facility will use 100% green electricity, and energy efficiency measures like recycling, abatement systems and water efficiency processes will also be implemented to help meet Infineon’s carbon neutral goals. Kulim 3 site should reopen by 2024 and eventually produce up to 150 million SiC wafers annually once fully operational.
Infineon already supplies automotive-grade power semiconductors based on its CoolSiC silicon carbide (SiC) technology to more than 8 million electric vehicles using HybridPACK Drive G2 CoolSiC power modules – market leaders such as HybridPACK Drive G2 CoolSiC modules with its technology enabling increased operating temperatures for optimal performance, driving dynamics and longevity of traction inverters while increasing battery range and range extenders. Each power module uses up to ten EiceDRIVER gate drivers made from SiC for optimal results.
Industrial
Silicon carbide has long been employed in various industrial applications. Due to its hardness and resistance to high temperatures, silicon carbide has long been employed for cutting tools, refractory components, high-power electrical systems and structural applications such as reinforced monolithic silicon carbide with SiC fiber reinforcement to form ceramic matrix composites ten times stronger than ordinary silicon and easily joined together without cracking.
Silicon carbide production is also more energy-efficient than silicon. Silicon has a breakdown voltage of 600 V while silicon carbide can withstand five-ten times higher voltages. This increases power density while making devices smaller and lighter; additionally, silicon carbide’s high switching speeds reduce current consumption and power loss to save energy and save costs.
As a global leader in power semiconductors, Infineon is expanding its capacity to offer silicon carbide solutions that enable sustainable, reliable, and cost-efficient electric mobility. They already supply advanced silicon carbide MOSFETs and IGBTs for original equipment manufacturers manufacturing electric vehicles (EVs), data center power supplies, solar inverters, renewable-powered infrastructure as well as motor drives. Their expansion is being funded by customer commitments as well as significant design wins; prepayments will contribute towards Infineon’s cash flow until their agreed sales volumes by 2030.
IoT
Infineon has taken advantage of silicon carbide to provide IoT applications with power, driver and microcontroller solutions that feature flexible voltage regulation. Silicon carbide can handle voltages five to ten times higher than its silicon counterpart while switching at nearly ten times its rate, significantly reducing energy loss during operation.
One such module is Infineon’s CoolSiC XHP 2 power module, designed to reduce fuel consumption in rail-bound vehicles by up to 10%. Featuring lower stray inductance and symmetrical and scalable design features, its increased reliability makes it suitable for driving diesel locomotives, heavy construction equipment, aircraft, ships and charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.
CoolSiC XHP 2 power modules have already been successfully field-tested on an Avenio streetcar in Munich and demonstrated significant savings in energy consumption and reduced noise pollution when passing through residential areas.
Infineon has also been exploring more efficient uses for its silicon carbide technology. One such initiative is Cold Split, a process which employs more precise cutting from raw silicon carbide pillars into wafers – this could increase production efficiency by double cutting from each wafer and increasing chip production per wafer.
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