The Singapore Institute of Microelectronics (IME), part of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), and STMicroelectronics, a semiconductor manufacturer, have announced the start of an R&D collaboration in the field of silicon carbide (SiC) for power-electronics applications in the automotive and industrial markets.
It is well established that SiC solutions can outperform conventional silicon (Si) devices in power electronics for EVs and industrial applications to meet the need for power modules with smaller form factors, or higher power outputs, as well as higher temperature operation. Under the research collaboration, A*STAR’s IME and STMicroelectronics aim to develop and optimize SiC integrated devices and package modules to offer significantly better performance in next-generation power electronics.
“This new collaboration with IME encourages the growth of a silicon carbide ecosystem in Singapore, as we ramp up our manufacturing activities there in addition to Catania (Italy). The multi-year collaborative effort helps us scale up our global R&D effort across our existing programs managed out of Catania and Norrköping (Sweden), covering the entire SiC value chain,” said Edoardo Merli, power transistor macro-division general manager and group vice president of STMicroelectronics Automotive and Discrete Group.
“IME’s strong knowledge and expertise in wide bandgap materials, and notably SiC, supports us in accelerating the development of new technologies and products addressing the challenges of sustainable mobility and better energy efficiency in a wide spectrum of applications.”
