/ WHAT ARE EV OEMs ASKING FROM POWER SEMICONDUCTORS IN APAC?

By Robert Chang

Director, Field Applications, Avnet Taiwan

Electrification is a global trend with regional variations. As a distributor operating across the industry in every region actively developing new technologies, Avnet’s field application engineers have firsthand experience with the trend.

In the Asia-Pacific region, there is high demand for electric vehicles. This is driven in part by the size of the region but also the determined efforts from governments to tackle air pollution. However, the region also experiences severe and extreme changes in weather and other conditions that affect road users and car makers. This can put additional demands on component suppliers.

We asked Robert Chang, director of field applications for Avnet in Taiwan, how he sees the market, what OEMs are asking Avnet to help with and what suppliers are doing in response.

Question

What technology (SiC, GaN, IGBT, MOSFET) do you see customers using to meet the needs of low losses and high efficiency? What are their main design challenges in using these technologies, and how is Avnet helping them?

Robert Chang

MOSFET devices are still very popular in Taiwan markets because the technology remains price competitive. By default, IGBTs are chosen in applications that exhibit high current if there is no restriction to the PCB’s dimensions. However, both SiC and GaN are now recognized for the advantages they bring in high-power applications. SiC offers additional value in applications where heat dissipation is a design constraint. Customers can question the higher cost and long lead times that have been associated with SiC and GaN. Additionally, SiC and GaN circuit design can be complicated due to the differences that wide-bandgap characteristics impose on drive circuits when switching. Our team works with suppliers to address these concerns and provide evaluation kits and live demonstrations for customers. Avnet engineers are also helping review circuit design and layout to prevent possible failures.

Question

Physical space is limited in electric vehicles. Is higher power density something customers are asking about? Is small, light power electronics a major requirement in the APAC automotive market? What can Avnet recommend when confronting this requirement?

Robert Chang

High power density design is becoming the major requirement in Taiwan’s automotive market. For customers who need solutions that have smaller dimensions but still capable of handling higher power, GaN is being recommended. For super high-power, high-efficiency applications like traction inverters, SiC is being proposed to customers.

"Both SiC and GaN are now recognized for the advantages they bring in high-power applications. SiC offers additional value in applications where heat dissipation is a design constraint."

Question

The APAC region can experience hot and humid weather as well as extreme cold. What design constraints do these diverse climate conditions force on OEMs, and how are Avnet’s power semiconductor suppliers responding to this requirement?

Robert Chang

Although the climate in Taiwan is less influential on power circuit design, a better heat dissipation and a compact PCB is still an important goal for our customer’s engineers. Suppliers are developing more evaluation kits and offering advanced technical support by creating simulations based on our customer’s specifications and circuit designs. They are doing this to reduce the difficulty and risk customers encounter during the design phase.

Question

Do OEMs have concerns about durability and reliability when choosing high-power semiconductors for electric vehicle drivetrains, and what advice can Avnet offer here?

Robert Chang

Yes, our customers care about the durability and reliability of high-power semiconductors in their powertrain design. SiC performs better in terms of durability and reliability when compared to traditional silicon semiconductors. In addition, our team discusses the following consideration with customers based on the concepts of ISO 26262 Functional Safety.

  • Recommending robust components based on proven record
  • Implementing cooling mechanisms to meet thermal requirements
  • Implementing protection circuits to meet environmental requirements
  • Support for product testing and validation

Taiwan's Ministry of Transport and Communications is aiming for 100% electrification of all city buses and government vehicles by 2030, and 100% market share of zero-emission passenger cars and motorcycles by 2040.

(Source: www.trade.gov)

Question

Protection features such as overvoltage and overcurrent protection are common in power semiconductors. Is this something Avnet’s suppliers have focused on for the EV market, and if so, what are those features and how does Avnet communicate that to OEMs?

Robert Chang

For the EV market, our power semiconductor suppliers are incorporating protection features that include overcurrent protection, overvoltage protection, overtemperature protection and short-circuit protection. Our team, and especially my FAE colleagues, collaborates with customers closely to help them fully understand all protection features and how to correctly deploy them in their product designs. We do this through training, workshops and on-site support activity.

Question

Do you agree that price is a high priority for OEMs in APAC, and if so, is this influencing their design decisions? How can Avnet help here?

Robert Chang

Yes, customers in Taiwan place high priority on cost during the component selection phase. Because of the higher cost of wide-bandgap semiconductors, customers limit using them to high-end products. Our team can support our customers’ product lifecycle as they move toward mass production on their schedule. Avnet will increase the shipment quantity as much as possible. Avnet can also work with suppliers by offering stepped prices for wide-bandgap semiconductors. For middle- to low-end designs, our team will recommend a suitable solution that meets the customer’s expectations on cost/performance ratio.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robert Chang

Director, Field Applications, Avnet Taiwan

A veteran with over two decades of experience in the electronics industry, Robert Chang is director of field application at Avnet, based in Taiwan.

Chang has demonstrated his versatility by holding diverse roles in research and development, technical support, project management, product marketing and business development. His extensive experience has equipped him with invaluable insights into the ever-evolving electronics landscape.

Since joining Avnet in 2019, Chang has played a pivotal role in driving the company's IoT-related initiatives and the development of the Avnet cloud service ecosystem. As a leader of the Central FAE team, he spearheaded the delivery of comprehensive hardware and software technical support to Avnet's semiconductor customers. In parallel, Chang supports all FAE teams in Taiwan, and is appointed as the communication/coordination advisor driving cross-departmental programs.

Prior to his tenure at Avnet, Chang amassed a wealth of experience across multiple electronics sectors, including set-top boxes, feature/smart phones, wireless network modules and IoT cloud business.

Chang holds a master's degree in electrical engineering from Taiwan Sun Yat-sen University.