Semiconductors and Components

Can SiC and GaN Become a Player in the Automotive Market?

15 July 2015

Wide-band gap semiconductors based on SiC and GaN have been in the market for more than five years now, but recently, interest has increased for automotive applications as Hybrid Electric Vehicles/Electric Vehicles (HEV/EV) have become more prevalent. Components based on this technology are more efficient than conventional silicon-based components, and can reduce system cost by as much as 6% and system size by up to 50%. All this is great news for OEMs in the battle to lose weight. Toyota, the pioneer of electrification, is already testing SiC components in the powertrain of its Camry HEV.

At the semiconductor level, traditional power IC suppliers such as Cree, Rohm, NXP/Freescale, Microsemi, Infineon, and ON Semiconductor are investing in these technologies.

Read More

Questions or comments on this story? Contact engineering360editors@ihs.com

Related links:

IHS Semiconductors & Components

News articles:

Power Semiconductor Report from PCIM Europe 2015

IDT, EPC Agree to Take GaN Power to Market

Power Management Chips Set for More Growth

X-Fab to Make Startup's GaN-on-Si Power Chips



Powered by CR4, the Engineering Community

Discussion – 0 comments

By posting a comment you confirm that you have read and accept our Posting Rules and Terms of Use.
Engineering Newsletter Signup
Get the GlobalSpec
Stay up to date on:
Features the top stories, latest news, charts, insights and more on the end-to-end electronics value chain.
Advertisement
Weekly Newsletter
Get news, research, and analysis
on the Electronics industry in your
inbox every week - for FREE
Sign up for our FREE eNewsletter
Advertisement