Innovative solutions for high-power electronics for decarbonisation
Today, the trend for digitalisation and electrification drives the need for cost-efficient electric energy conversion. Power electronics systems and therefore power semiconductors are essential components in almost all sources of renewable energy. The EU-funded Power2Power project aimed to offer solutions to societal challenges such as the green transformation through sustainably competitive and advanced, silicon (Si)-based Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) technologies for high-power electronics. The project was coordinated by Infineon Technologies Dresden GmbH & Co. KG in Germany and brought together 43 project partners from eight European countries. “Even though new power semiconductor materials like silicon carbide (SiC) or gallium nitride (GaN) play an important role in supporting the efficient conversion to a sustainable, independent energy supply, Si-based power semiconductors are predicted to dominate the market even beyond 2030,” says leader of work package 1, Jochen Koszescha. “There is still the need to improve the performance and strength of the European value chain for these products.”
Innovative Si-based power semiconductor devices
Power2Power managed to achieve improvements in the cost-efficient production of Si ingots for high-quality and high-performance 300 mm wafers, which entail performance improvements of the Si-based IGBTs for voltage levels beyond 1 700 V. An advanced micro-pattern trench (MPT) IGBT outperforming the current approaches was developed and a European Open Access Foundry service offers integrated isolation technology as a result of the Power2Power project. Beyond that, Power2Power combined research on technology developments, production capabilities and investigations on reliability, addressing the wide power electronics application areas of automotive, industrial, and traction, paying particular attention to the integration of renewables and the grid. This research required the investigation of multiple novel or enhanced semiconductor manufacturing processes for IGBTs related to ion implantation, metallisation, device and yield optimisation or contamination prevention. Along the value chain, the project managed to innovate or improve multiple production methods such as pressure-less chip soldering, wire bonding, clip sintering and automated packaging. Equally important is the implementation of expertise in industrial workplaces which is supported by augmented reality (AR), including new knowledge from assembly to maintenance procedures into the project pilot lines. Moreover, Power2Power introduced new service segments for power module failure analysis and material testing regarding the ageing effects in power modules. The project achieved the provision of significantly improved high-voltage power solutions to substantially save CO2 emissions by successfully demonstrating the reliability and robustness needed in the application domains of transport and machinery. Energy conversion reached an efficiency of over 98 % for electric vehicle converters and drive trains. The cost of rolling stock energy chargers was reduced by 30 % and the lifetime of electric vehicle chargers was extended by 1.5 times.
Contributing to Europe’s leading position in ECS-industry through the growth of IGBT production
Power2Power’s approach to innovation through collaboration between European universities, R&D centres, large enterprises and SMEs enables both the creation of new and the strengthening of existing strategic relationships. This has resulted in a significant expansion of the European power electronics ecosystem. “The first results of the Power2Power project have found their way into further industrialisation and usage by the potential customer,” says Koszescha. “The pilot lines are ready for expansion to handle the upcoming needs of power semiconductor devices for European independence in the area of energy.”
Keywords
Power2Power, power semiconductors, silicon, IGBT, energy conversion, semiconductor manufacturing, mobility, renewable energy, CO2 reduction, lifetime improvement, decarbonisation, digitalisation, electrification
