A recent report by a consulting company commissioned by the Manufacturing USA network of Institutes found the institutes to be a “valid approach,” that “attracts significant and meaningful participation from industry, academia, and local, state and federal government.” Read the full manufacturingusa.com article on the report here, and find a full link to the report here.

Examples of PowerAmerica’s work appears several times throughout the report, which was prepared by Deloitte Consulting LLP. PowerAmerica was specifically recognized for asset pooling that enables small-scale production (pg. 17):

Silicon carbide and gallium nitride are critical materials for the emerging field of power electronics. The silicon carbide and gallium nitride markets are dominated by relatively few players. There is a need for innovation from start-up entrepreneurs advancing disruptive technologies. However, dozens of smaller fabrication plants have closed their doors since 2001 because of competition. X-FAB, with funding from PowerAmerica, pools the production of semiconductors from small companies

to achieve economies of scale. IP from each company is protected, but innovation is fostered because of X-FAB’s ability to aggregate demand across customers.

To further assist in equipping a workforce prepared to take on the challenges of designing and manufacturing wide bandgap technologies, PowerAmerica has launched a new Education and Workforce Portal through its website.

The portal is designed for working professionals, faculty, and students and features educational and training resources related to wide bandgap technologies and their applications. In addition, the portal features a job posting section to help students locate internships and full-time employment at PowerAmerica’s industry partners.

Check out the portal here.

Dr. Subhashish Battacharya of N.C. State University will speak about his work to develop and demonstrate the commercial grade intelligent gate driver and interface system for SiC devices during PowerAmerica’s monthly technical webinar series from noon to 1 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Dec. 7.  Dr. Battacharya’s presentation is titled, “Integrated Intelligent Gate Driver and Interface System for Medium Voltage Converter Applications.”

Dr. Bhattacharya is a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at NC State University. Before coming to NC State, he spent several years as a senior engineer with Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution, York International, and other electric power engineering firms. His research interests include WBG power electronics, HV DC systems, power engineering, and integration of solid state systems. Read his full biography here.

Abstract: Integrated Intelligent Gate Driver and Interface System for Medium Voltage Converter Applications

Access Information:

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Meeting Number

997 198 287

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919-513-9329 (WolfMeeting)

Access Code: 997 198 287

PowerAmerica has developed baseline 1200-V MOSFET and 1200-V Integrated MOSFET/JBS SiC fabrication processes at XFAB’s 150mm SiC foundry in Lubbock, Texas that can significantly accelerate development of a company’s wide bandgap technology offerings.

The processes have successfully yielded Inversion-mode and Accumulation-mode 1.2 kV SiC Power MOSFETs as well as 1200-V SiC Integrated MOSFET/JBS devices at XFAB.

“Even in a company that employs experts on silicon power devices and electronics, it can take engineers a long time to work out the design and processing details of a SiC device. The PowerAmerica processes shorten the development cycle, saving companies time and money in getting their products ready for market,” said PowerAmerica CTO Victor Veliadis.

According to Veliadis, the PowerAmerica model provides basic processes that companies entering the SiC industry can tailor to their specifications.

“If a company wants to fabricate a SiC power device, they can run our 1.2kV SiC MOSFET production process, and then modify it to their specifications,” Veliadis said.

The PowerAmerica devices exhibit on-resistance, threshold voltage, leakage current, and breakdown voltage competitive with commercially available devices.

Learn more about the process here.

With support from PowerAmerica, member AgileSwitch has applied a new patented switching technique to provide enhanced control in high-power SiC applications.

The Augmented Turn-Off (ATOff™) technique addresses two significant impediments to the successful implementation of silicon carbide modules in high-power applications. By reducing both turn-off spikes and ringing both under normal operation as well as short-circuit conditions (DSAT), SiC MOSFET modules can be operated in the higher frequencies that enable dramatic increases in power conversion density.

“For us, it’s about making sure the devices operate as efficiently, reliably and safely as possible. The ultimate goal is to get the most out of these devices, since they are still emerging in the market and relatively expensive compared to non-wide bandgap alternatives – it’s important that every bit of performance can be extracted,” said AgileSwitch CEO Rob Weber.

The ATOff™ technology has been incorporated into AgileSwitch’s first SiC gate drive assembly, called the EconoDual Electrical Master 3 (EDEM3). The EDEM3 has applications for solar inverters, wind turbine technology, electric vehicles and other clean energy applications.

PowerAmerica funding enabled AgileSwitch to implement its patented technique into EDEM3 evaluation systems and test the capabilities of the drivers and switches – often one of the costliest and time-consuming parts of getting a new product ready for market.

AgileSwitch hopes its ATOff™ technique will help accelerate the widespread commercial adoption of wide bandgap devices. Already, the company is seeing plenty of interest from various companies, partly due to connections it has made through PowerAmerica.

“PowerAmerica has helped us significantly with introductions to potential customers at the university, government lab and industrial levels. From our involvement, we have a long list of customers that we’re now working with,” Weber said.