Microsemi Corporation announced it has become a member of PowerAmerica—a manufacturing institute comprised of public and private representatives from the semiconductor industry, the U.S. Department of Energy, national laboratories and academia—to accelerate the commercialization and adoption of wide bandgap semiconductors. Microsemi was awarded a contract as part of PowerAmerica’s $70 million dollar backing from the U.S. Department of Energy over five years, allocated to promoting the adoption of advanced semiconductor components made with silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) into a wide range of products and systems.

Microsemi’s role at PowerAmerica will be specifically focused on supporting the commercialization of 1.7 kilovolt (kV) and 3.3 kV SiC MOSFETs and SiC Schottky diodes as it develops next-generation devices. With key benefits to include higher efficiency, high temperature/voltage operational stability, better power handling and smaller form factors, the 1.7 kV and 3.3 kV devices will expand the number of applications where SiC technology can be used. Ideal for the industrial and aerospace markets, as well as the defense market where U.S.-based suppliers are necessary, target applications for the devices include automotive electrification, railway application (traction), aerospace actuation systems, power generation and distribution, solar inverters, motor drive and electromagnetic railgun.

Working with Power America allows Microsemi to extend its ability to offer the same high-level system integration it provides in aerospace applications with its intelligent power solutions (IPS) such as the power core module (PCM) and hybrid power drive (HPD). PowerAmerica brings the world’s leading wide band gap semiconductor manufacturers, material providers and end-users together with experts from top research universities and government agencies not only to reduce the cost, but also to improve the performance and reliability of wide band gap devices and the systems that incorporate SiC and GaN technologies. As a member of the institution, Microsemi has access to as many as 11 university research programs, three federal collaborators and over 10 startups committed to growing wide band gap technology with an emphasis on building technology in the U.S. workforce.

“Microsemi’s six decades of experience developing high-reliability semiconductor solutions combined with its continuing commitment to innovate, lead and adapt to a rapidly changing landscape, will help accelerate the adoption of SiC in the power electronics industry,” said Victor Veliadis, Ph.D., deputy executive director and chief technology officer of PowerAmerica. “PowerAmerica is proud to join forces with Microsemi to transition its 1.7 kV SiC process to high volume ramp and develop 3.3 kV devices which are critical for traction and high voltage direct current (HVDC) grid applications.”

According to market research firm IHS Markit Technology, the SiC power device market is forecast to reach approximately $1.4 billion in 2021, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 38 percent from 2015 to 2021. The firm also describes how the benefits of SiC are influencing the development of new end products. Microsemi is well-positioned with these trends, with its SiC MOSFETs and diodes offering superior dynamic and thermal performance over conventional Silicon power devices, among other advantages.