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26 results — theme: Power Semiconductors — category: Practical Guide Clear filter

Practical Guide

Practical Guide to Power Semiconductors for Grid Stabilization: STATCOM, HVDC, FACTS

A comprehensive overview of power semiconductors for STATCOM and HVDC systems, which are seeing increased demand due to renewable energy integration. Covers Mitsubishi Electric's ±450MVAr track record, Infineon's 4500V IGBT modules, LCC vs. VSC technology selection, and procurement insights.

Power SemiconductorsSTATCOMHVDC

Practical Guide

Practical Guide to Power Semiconductors for Water Electrolysis: Green Hydrogen and SiC/IGBT

An overview of power electronics for water electrolysis systems in green hydrogen production. Explains the adoption of MW-class SiC, grid code compliance, onsemi/Infineon PFC/DC-DC solutions, and insights on CAPEX/OPEX.

Power SemiconductorsGreen HydrogenWater Electrolysis

Practical Guide

EV Charging Semis: OBC and DC Fast Charging

SiC/GaN adoption is accelerating for OBCs and DC fast charging. Covers 30% loss cuts, 50% density gains, 800V migration, V2X, and ASIL-D safety.

Power SemiconductorsOBCEV charging

Practical Guide

AQG 324 Automotive Power Module Qualification Practical Guide

Summarizes the test requirements for humidity, power cycling, thermal shock, and vibration defined by ZVEI/ECPE's AQG 324, specific qualification challenges for SiC MOSFETs, and how to address additional OEM requirements.

Power SemiconductorsAQG324Automotive Power Module

Practical Guide

China IGBT Market: Is 30% Cheaper Worth It on TCO?

Is Chinese IGBT's 30%-lower price real competitiveness or a temporary offensive? We weigh the full TCO — AEC-Q101 cost, redesign hours, and supply risk.

Power SemiconductorsIGBTChinese Semiconductors

Practical Guide

SiC Modules: Practical Thermal Design and TIM Selection

A practical overview of key thermal design considerations for SiC power modules. Covers TIM thermal resistance dominance, real-world liquid cooling flow rate examples, a comparison of top-side cooling and double-sided heat dissipation packages, and power cycle test standards — written for design and procurement engineers.

Power SemiconductorsSiCThermal Design

Practical Guide

IGBT to SiC MOSFET: Evaluating TCO and Miniaturization

The key criterion for deciding to switch from IGBT to SiC is not a device-level cost comparison, but rather how SiC-enabled downsizing of cooling systems and passive components changes the overall system BOM cost and product specifications. This article organizes application-specific decision frameworks and hybrid SiC as an intermediate solution.

Power SemiconductorsIGBTSiC

Practical Guide

SiC Suppliers: Alternative Sources to Reduce Wolfspeed Use

Wolfspeed's bankruptcy and restructuring has highlighted the risks of single-supplier dependency in SiC procurement. This guide compares Infineon CoolSiC, onsemi EliteSiC, ROHM, Mitsubishi Electric, Fuji Electric, and Chinese manufacturers on key characteristics and selection criteria, providing a framework for building a multi-supplier strategy.

Power SemiconductorsSiCWolfspeed

Practical Guide

European OEMs: SiC Procurement Shift

VW, BMW, and Stellantis are redesigning SiC procurement. This article maps integration, long-term contracts, diversified sourcing, and Tier 1 impacts.

Power SemiconductorsSiCEuropean OEM

Practical Guide

GaN-on-Si: The Next Decade of Industrial Power Electronics

GaN-on-Si is displacing silicon in low-to-mid voltage applications below 650V. Having gained an early foothold in EV on-board chargers, this technology is now extending its reach into industrial motor control, telecom power supplies, and industrial UPS. This article examines adoption trends by application and the key procurement considerations.

Power SemiconductorsGaNPower Semiconductors

Practical Guide

Power Modules: Comparing Tier 1 Supplier Competitiveness

This article benchmarks six leading power module suppliers — Infineon, onsemi, STMicro, Mitsubishi Electric, Fuji Electric, and Rohm — across four dimensions: product lineup, SiC capability, supply capacity, and price competitiveness. The findings are intended as a reference for procurement source selection.

Power SemiconductorsPower ModulesSupplier Comparison

Practical Guide

SiC Modules: Next-Gen Packaging and Thermal Design Trends

Performance limitations in SiC power modules are often attributable to packaging rather than the devices themselves. The shift from gel encapsulation to epoxy and ceramic encapsulation, and the adoption of double-sided cooling structures, are packaging and assembly technology trends that will determine the competitiveness of next-generation SiC systems.

Power SemiconductorsSiCPower Module

Practical Guide

Solar Inverter Power Devices: Si IGBT vs SiC vs GaN

How solar PCS choose between Si IGBT, SiC MOSFET, and GaN-on-Si by application and output scale — selection criteria and supplier positioning.

Power SemiconductorsSolar PowerPower Conditioning System

Practical Guide

AI Server Power Supplies: GaN Adoption Criteria

Deciding whether to adopt GaN in AI server power supply design isn't solely based on it being "next-generation technology"; it requires confirming GaN's clear advantages over SiC and Si along the three axes of switching frequency, power density, and thermal design.

Power SemiconductorsAI serverGaN

Practical Guide

Chinese SiC Manufacturers: Selection Criteria

Many teams are internally divided on whether to adopt Chinese SiC manufacturers, with some voicing concerns about quality and others emphasizing the undeniable cost factor, but responding to this question with a simple "not adopting because it's Chinese" or "adopting because it's cheap" is too simplistic a judgment; what is being asked is how and what to verify.

Power SemiconductorsChinaSiC

Practical Guide

EV SiC Inverters: Loss Calculation and Range Improvement

A 1% increase in conversion efficiency for EV inverters translates to a difference of several kilometers in driving range; when design engineers face the challenge of improving real-world efficiency beyond catalog values, the first question they encounter is "which losses to calculate and how." Without correctly decomposing the loss breakdown, SiC may not yield the expected efficiency improvements.

Power SemiconductorsEVSiC

Practical Guide

SiC vs. GaN for EV Applications: Choosing the Right Material

The adoption of 800V battery systems is accelerating, exemplified by the Porsche Taycan, Hyundai IONIQ 6, and Kia EV6, all of which have transitioned from traditional 400V architectures to double the voltage to shorten charging times and improve driving efficiency, a trend directly impacting power device selection, as evidenced by Si

Power SemiconductorsEVGaN

Practical Guide

GaN Power Semis: Miniaturization and Efficiency Benefits

If you've ever wrestled with improving power conversion efficiency by a single point in inverter design, the numbers alone tell you what GaN (Gallium Nitride) has changed: while silicon MOSFETs hit a wall at tens of kHz switching frequencies, GaN handles up to several MHz, enabling smaller passive components (inductors, capacitors).

Power SemiconductorsGaNpower semiconductor

Practical Guide

Industrial Inverters: SiC MOSFET Reliability Evaluation

When considering SiC MOSFET adoption in industrial inverter design, the focus often falls on loss and switching speed. However, a more understated and fundamental question that frequently becomes a practical concern in the field is the device's survivability during load short circuits, as the nature of applications differs between EVs and industrial equipment, where inverters are operational.

Power SemiconductorsSiCindustrial

Practical Guide

Evaluating the Adoption of ROHM's 5th Generation SiC MOSFET

As the next generation of SiC MOSFETs emerges, many companies are asking, "We want to evaluate the 5th generation, but where do we start?" Considering Rohm's announced 4th generation features of low on-resistance (RonA) and high short-circuit withstand capability, evaluation of the 5th generation must go beyond device specifications alone, encompassing compatibility with protection circuits and thermal design considerations.

Power SemiconductorsROHMSiC

Practical Guide

SiC 8-inch Wafer Supply System

While SiC power semiconductor wafer sizes are transitioning from 6-inch (150mm) to 8-inch (200mm), a significant gap remains between the commencement of this transition and the establishment of a stable supply chain; when assessing the 8-inch wafer supply chain from a design and procurement perspective, the pace of transition is a critical factor.

Power Semiconductors8-inch SiCSiC

Practical Guide

Key Considerations for Selecting SiC Gate Drivers

As SiC MOSFET adoption accelerates, gate driver selection increasingly dictates design quality; the key lies in SiC devices' smaller die size and higher current density, leading to significantly faster temperature rises during short circuits compared to silicon (Si) devices, necessitating a different approach to protection circuit design.

Power SemiconductorsSiCgate driver

Practical Guide

SiC Modules vs. Discrete Components: Selection Criteria

Once the decision to use SiC is made in the early stages of inverter design, the next question is whether to opt for modules or discrete components, a choice that, while appearing to be merely an implementation form, fundamentally impacts system performance, board area, protection circuit design, and procurement flexibility.

Power SemiconductorsSiCpower module

Practical Guide

SiC Wafer Price Trends and 2026 Outlook

The SiC power semiconductor market in 2024 saw slower-than-expected demand growth, prompting some manufacturers to revise production plans. This "plateau" situation directly impacts a wide range of decisions, from cost calculations for device design to the reassessment of procurement strategies, raising questions about wafer price movements. To discuss the outlook for 2026, we must first consider

Power SemiconductorsSiCSiC wafer

Practical Guide

Navigating SiC Wafer Procurement Risks

As the adoption of SiC (Silicon Carbide) power semiconductors accelerates, securing a stable supply of wafers is increasingly becoming the biggest bottleneck after design completion, as even the most advanced devices selected during the design phase cannot be mass-produced without available wafers; therefore, to manage supply chain risks, it is crucial to structurally understand "how and where bottlenecks occur in each process.

Power SemiconductorsSiCSiC wafer

Practical Guide

Wolfspeed: Changing SiC Procurement Risks Post-Restructure

Wolfspeed emerged from Chapter 11 in September 2025. While the risk of financial insolvency has been resolved, the Mohawk Valley Fab continues to run at utilization rates in the low 20s, shifting the fundamental risk from 'bankruptcy concern' to 'utilization-rate dependency.' Drawing on the strategic equity relationship with Renesas and Q3 FY2026 results, this article reexamines the evaluation criteria for SiC procurement.

Power SemiconductorsSiCWolfspeed