The Institute of Microelectronics (IME) at theAgency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) e STMicroelectronics have announced the start of collaborative research and development (R&D) in the field of silicon carbide (SiC) for power electronics applications in the automotive and industrial markets.
A*STAR is Singapore's leading public sector research and development agency, whose activities range from biomedical sciences to physical sciences and engineering. The collaboration with STMicroelectronics lays the foundation for a comprehensive SiC ecosystem in Singapore and creates opportunities for other companies to engage with IME and ST in SiC research.
SiC solutions can outperform conventional silicon (Si) devices in power electronics for electric vehicle (EV) and industrial applications to meet the need for power modules with smaller form factors or higher power outputs, as well as operation at higher temperatures. As part of this research collaboration, IME and A*STAR's STMicroelectronics aim to develop and optimise SiC integrated devices and package modules to deliver significantly improved performance in next-generation power electronics.
"We look forward to working with STMicroelectronics to develop innovative technologies that meet the needs of the growing electric vehicle market. These efforts will continue to anchor high-value research and development activities in Singapore and enhance its reputation as an attractive regional centre for research, innovation and business," said Dim-Lee Kwong, executive director of IME.
"This new collaboration with IME encourages the growth of a silicon carbide ecosystem in Singapore as we scale up our manufacturing activities. The multi-year collaborative effort helps us increase our global R&D efforts through our existing Catania and Norrköping (Sweden) managed programs, which cover the entire SiC value chain," said Edoardo Merli, General Manager of the Power Transistor macro-division and Vice President of the Automotive and Discrete group at STMicroelectronics ."IME's strong knowledge and expertise in wide forbidden band materials, and in particular SiC, supports us in accelerating the development of new technologies and products that address the challenges of sustainable mobility and improved energy efficiency across a broad spectrum of applications."
Next-generation power electronics are expected to be based on Wide-Bandgap materials such as silicon carbide (SiC), which has better characteristics for power conversion. With higher energy efficiency and smaller form factors, SiC power devices can produce energy savings in several key systems within electric vehicles, such as the traction inverter (the 'engine' of an electric vehicle), on-board chargers and DC-DC converters (which power headlights, interior lights, wiper and window motors, fans, pumps and many other systems from the main high-power source, after conversion to a lower voltage).
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