Power Semiconductors Will Wide Bandgap Semiconductors Become a Strategic Technology for Europe?

Related Vendors

FAULHABER Drive Systems

Wuxi InfiMotion Technology Co., Ltd.

Silicon is reaching its physical limits in power electronics. This is precisely where silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) come in. Faster switching speeds, higher power density, smaller systems. But what role does Europe play in this technology?

SiC and GaN enable compact inverters, which are crucial in electric cars, PV and storage technology as well as in AI data centers. The price for this is a more sophisticated overall system. Thermal management is taking center stage because tiny chip surfaces have to support enormous power loss densities. Soldering processes are reaching their limits and sintering processes are becoming more relevant. At the same time, steep edges require optimized layouts, short current loops and solid driver concepts. Otherwise, overshoots and EMC problems threaten to delay release. Wide bandgap semiconductors (WBG) are therefore not a drop-in replacement for silicon, but a system change from the circuit to the assembly and connection technology.

SiC and GaN - Different Playing Fields

SiC is dominated by a few, highly integrated manufacturers and the focus is on traction converters, PV and storage. GaN is more fragmented and more foundry-friendly, shines in on-board chargers, DC/DC converters and grid-connected applications and is moving towards traction. Integrated drivers in the package reduce parasitic inductances and make fast switching more manageable, but EMC limits and timing jitter in multiphase structures remain real development tasks.

Costs, Timing and a Look at China

The cost curve is falling rapidly, particularly due to the expansion in China. SiC substrates have become significantly cheaper in a short space of time, and 8-inch fabs are being built on a piecework basis. This mix of price pressure and pressure to innovate is setting the global pace. Europe's Achilles' heel is the backend. Packaging takes place in Asia. Anyone who manufactures chips in Europe and has them packaged in China is exposed to geopolitical risks. Nexperia has made the bottleneck more relevant than ever.

Europe's Strengths - and What Is Missing

Europe has strong front-end know-how and system expertise in power electronics, automotive and energy. It is now crucial to close the value chain. The know-how is there. Without local packaging capacities, the supply chain remains fragile. Equally important are reliable mass applications in the domestic market so that investments can be planned and the step from pre-development to series products can be made more quickly.

China-Speed

In China, development cycles are radically shortened and risks are consciously managed. In Europe, the 110 percent solution often counts and the market does not wait. If you want to use WBG strategically, you have to streamline processes, reduce time-to-market and make teaching in power electronics more visible again. Young talent, institutes and practical relevance are not a minor matter.

Wide-Bandgap can become Europe's technology for the future. The technology and system expertise are there. However, it will only be successful if packaging returns to Europe, the domestic market scales up and products go into series production noticeably faster. (mr)