Kyocera AVX Salzburg and VisIC extend collaboration
Companies to combine expertise in power GaN and packaging for EV OEM and Tier 1 traction inverters
High voltage GaN company VisIC Technologies, and automotive components firm Kyocera AVX Salzburg have expanded their collaboration. The partners are combining their strengths in packaging, assembly, and GaN wafer technologies with the aim of providing high current components for high-voltage applications such as charging and e-drivetrain.
The collaboration expansion aims to fulfill the automotive industry demands for reliable and highly efficient power solutions that will save on EV costs. With the best thermal resistance, discrete GaN devices and half-bridge modules will be essential for future On-Board-Chargers (OBC) and traction inverters, thus optimising weight, size, costs, and driving range.
Based on VisIC's 2nd generation, lowest RDS (on) D3GaN (Direct Drive D-Mode) switches, the power module, which will provide groundbreaking power density and performance, has already been adopted for the next generation inverter sample of a major 1st tier automotive manufacturer.
In addition to these collaboration developments, the companies have also achieved an approach to high-voltage battery disconnection, based on GaN power switches, through effective cooperation in a very short timeframe. With the fastest switching time, the current and, therefore, thermal stress of the battery and board net, can be limited. This design will be available for lead projects this year.
"The electrification of the automotive industry has generated significant demand for power components, which we foresee continuing its strong growth for the next decade," said Ran Klier, SVP of sales and marketing at VisIC Technologies. "Together with Kyocera AVX Salzburg, we will provide packaged discrete GaN devices and die-based power modules for major EV OEM and Tier 1 designs."
VisIC's D3GaN technology was developed for the high-reliability standards of the automotive industry and for the lowest losses. It also simplifies the system solution and enables highly efficient and affordable powertrain platform solutions. These benefits have been well received by the premium automotive clients that VisIC Technologies has been working with over the past several years.
"GaN semiconductors are the key to efficiency improvements and increasing the driving range of electrified vehicles. This technology offers significantly better switching speed and smaller and lighter package sizes, thereby reducing total system costs," says Martin Knosp, product line director at Kyocera AVX Salzburg. "We are happy to expand our cooperation with VisIC Technologies, leveraging our advanced design and manufacturing abilities to create more GaN products and devices to better serve the booming EV market demands."
