.gif)
.gif)
Industry News
January 9, 2013
Power Electronics Companies to Watch in 2013
2013 New Year's Power Celebration
Green Plug has set its sights on bringing the benefits of fully-programmable controllers to the ac-dc power converter market. While the dc-dc market has already adopted this model of control, the high volume ac-dc market is much more price sensitive, which has been an obstacle, until now, for the change. Together with the major provider of high voltage power drivers, Green Plug has brought all the required functionality, performance and low-power consumption requirements into a single chip package targeting no increase in cost. The company will be announcing its initial go-to-market partner and joint product development plan to bring these products to market at the IEEE APEC event in Long Beach, California, in March.
Recommended: Altera Acquires Enpirion for $140 Million, Forms Power Business Unit
Paul Panepinto, Green Plug's EVP Sales and Marketing commented to PowerPulse, "This technology solves many industry problems: OEM's complain about slow responses and fewer choices from their ODM suppliers to increasingly demanding specs. ODM's complain about not being able to bid on and win as many deals as they should — because of the huge cost to experiment and prototype. ODM's request more collaboration with their IDM providers on custom algorithms that are optimized specifically for them. ODM's want to parameterize more features such that the controllers can do more compensation for worn parts and broad component tolerances. Power Device IDM's want a faster, more flexible platform approach for the wide variety of products and topologies they must support. By combining our mixed-signal IP and expertise with the leading provider of power devices, we are able to eliminate these industry problems and open the door to significant improvements in the both the development and functionality ofac-dc power devices."
While Green Plug is focused on ac-dc power conversion, very-high-voltage power switches for emerging applications in the smart grid are being targeted by HexaTech. Last month, HexaTech, received a $2.2 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) that will enable the development of a new power semiconductor technology for the modernization of the electrical power grid. HexaTech's aluminum-nitride (AlN) technology was identified by the Department of Energy as having the potential to be a transformational, breakthrough technology with significant technical promise, potentially 10X better performance than comparable silicon-carbide devices.
Related: Eaton and CA Technologies Join to Deliver Infrastructure Management for Data Centers
Using very low-dislocation-density single-crystal AlN substrates, HexaTech will develop novel doping schemes and contact metals for AlN/AlGaN with high Al content. For power systems and grid-scale power conversion applications, high-efficiency AlN-based power devices are expected to offer a significant reduction in size, weight, and cooling.
Dr. Baxter Moody, Director of Engineering, said, "This contract marks the beginning of a technological leap in device performance and efficiency for power semiconductors. The development will enable a significant step toward producing 20 kV AlN-based Schottky diodes (SBD, JBSD) and transistors (JFET, MOSFET). The ARPA-E contract has opened the door for the material development and research to demonstrate AlN high-voltage, high-efficiency power conversion capability."
Opinion: Maximising Synergies between Power Electronics and ICT for improving Energy Efficiency
Power semiconductor devices at this level are not currently available on the market. Experimental devices based on silicon carbide (SiC) technology are currently being developed. Compared to SiC technology, it is expected that Aluminum Nitride will enable power electronics with a 10X improvement in performance. Based on the wide bandgap material properties of AlN, the critical field is 6X larger, the on resistance will be lower, and the resulting power device area will be smaller for a comparable power level. This is expected to be a transformational technology that will revolutionize the power distribution grid.
In 2012, Nitride Solutions, closed its Series A financing. The round was oversubscribed and closed at $2.5M. Nebraska Angels and Aurora UV again joined lead investor Midwest Venture Alliance in completing the round. Nitride is finishing commercialization of a high-volume manufacturing technology that will deliver low-cost, single-crystal aluminum nitride substrates. With projected defect rates 10 times lower than substrates currently on the market.
Nitride Solutions is developing a proprietary method of producing large, high-quality AlN crystals. Current commercial processes are either self-limiting and will not allow crystal growth beyond a certain limited size resulting in inefficient production and high costs, or use materials and processes that can produce larger crystals but of lower quality and purity that limit performance of the ultimate device. The company's technology will allow high quality and purity with low production costs. Company's first product focus is aluminum nitride, but production of gallium nitride and ternary nitrides such as AlGaN should also be possible.
Currently aluminum nitride substrates are made with processes that are inherently high-cost and are limited in the size and quality of substrate that they can produce. Nitride Solutions technology will produce substrates at 1/10 of current costs and quality levels 100x better than today's state-of-the-art. Nitride Solutions technology features: Low-cost raw materials, High production rate, Larger crystal boules, Minimal contamination, Potential for bulk doping, and adaptability to production of other high-value electronic materials
Share this story
Send via E-mail
Post to Twitter
On the Web:
White Papers
March 11, 2013
Power Modules for Charger Applications
Sponsored by Vincotech
February 27, 2013
The Adaptive Cell Converter Topology Enables Constant Efficiency Over Universal Input AC Line in Front-End, High-Density Power Factor Correction Applications
Sponsored by Vicor Corp.
February 27, 2013
From 48 V direct to Intel VR12.0: Saving "Big Data" $500,000 per datacenter, per year
Sponsored by Vicor Corp.
More White Papers
- Altera Acquires Enpirion for $140 Million, Forms Power Business Unit
- PowerbyProxi Joins Wireless Power Consortium
- SiC Modules, IGBTs and Super-Junction MOSFETs Introduced on Day One of PCIM
- Ericsson Saves Board Space with Surface-Mount Digital Bus Converter
- SiC and GaN Again a Major Focus at PCIM Europe
- Vincotech and Infineon Introduce New Packaging Options at PCIM Europe
- Bosch Claims First Sub-$450 240V EV Charging Station
- DOE Selects Consortium to Develop Next-Generation Batteries for Automobiles
- Gate Drive Optocouplers for High-Speed SiC FETs Deliver up to 2.5A
- Dana Receives Grant from NRCan to Improve Thermal Management for EV Battery Packs
- Power-One Gets $1 Billion – ABB Gets Inverters
- Renesas Adds IGBT Drivers with Micro-Isolator for Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Inverters
- Bosch Claims First Sub-$450 240V EV Charging Station
- Alpha and Omega Delivers "Lowest" On-Resistance in a DFN5x6 with 150V Power MOSFET
- Microchip Expands 8-bit PIC Microcontroller Family with Intelligent Analog Integration
- 500W Full-Brick DC-DC Converter Optimized for Fuel Cell Applications
- Factory to Produce Lithium-Ion Battery Materials Enabling 10-Year Life and 60,000 Cycles
- Europeans Establish Dueling Projects to Advance Power Electronics Technologies
- 1-Watt DC-DC Achieves 88% Efficiency and has MSL 1 Moisture-Sensitivity Rating
- Alpha and Omega Expands Family of EZBuck Regulators Featuring Constant On-Time Control
- Green Building Power Forum 2010: Fujitsu Components America
- Darnell's Digital Power Forum 2009: CUI Incorporated
- Green Building Power Forum 2010: EMerge Alliance
- Green Building Power Forum 2010: Anderson Power Products
- Green Building Power Forum 2009: Independence Station
- Darnell's Digital Power Forum 2009: Coilcraft
- Darnell's Digital Power Forum 2009: Champs Technologies
- Darnell's Digital Power Forum 2009: EXAR Corporation
- Darnell's Digital Power Forum 2009: PMBus
- Darnell's Digital Power Forum 2009: Power Plaza
Design Features
October 22, 2012
Energy Efficiency with Class D Amplifier Modules
Class-D switching amplifiers are helping audio designers create personal multimedia devices and home audio/visual systems that demonstrate how compact and stylish equipment can also deliver high sound quality and high audio output power. The key to this breakthrough, providing freedom from the large and bulky boxes housing traditional audio products, lies in the class-D amplifier’s high energy efficiency, which is typically around 90%. This allows designers to reduce or eliminate heatsinks as well as using smaller-sized PCBs and smaller components such as transformers, connectors and power supplies.
Design Features
October 8, 2012
The Role of Hall Effect Sensors in Power Distribution Infrastructure
Power distribution units (PDUs) form an essential part of modern computing and data communications hardware. They provide multiple outputs for transferring electrical power with maximum efficiency, controlling the power capacity and safeguarding against the possible causes of supply interruption. With an ever increasing need from tech savvy consumers for higher data throughput and greater quantities of data storage capacity, as well as tough international legislation now governing CO&sub2; emissions, the demands being placed on these units are proving challenging for engineering teams to satisfy.
Product Focus
August 13, 2012
The Year in AC-DC Power Supply Technology
The past year witnessed significant new product releases, technological developments, and industry news related to the field of AC-DC Power Supply technology.