Hua Hong Semiconductor Looks to Grow its Share of the IGBT Market

Hua Hong Semiconductor Ltd is a pure-play foundry that specializes in the implementation of specifications and parameters for the manufacture of essential dimensions of semiconductor circuitry. The key process technologies that constitute Hua Hong’s platform include power discrete, analog and power management, embedded non-volatile memory, and logic and RF. 

Customer-tailored semiconductors manufactured by the company are utilized within four main end markets: communications, consumer electronics, industrial, computing, and automotive. Hua Hong’s success with its 200mm (8”) wafer semiconductor foundry business is being extended to 300mm (12”). The company recently announced its corporation with IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) product customers to enable the growth and evolution of the IGBT ecosystem. 

 

Hua Hong Semiconductor aim to develop its IGBT technology for a range of industries including industrial and automotive. Image used courtesy of Hua Hong Semiconductor

 

Why the IGBT?

An IGBT is a mixture between a Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) and a Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET). IGBTs are commonly thought of as the CPUs of the power electronics industry. 

The IGBT takes the best parts from the conventional BJT and MOSFET transistors which include low saturation voltage and, high input impedance and high switching speeds respectively. With these attributes, the device is able to handle large collector-emitter currents with virtually zero gates current drive. In addition, IGBTs have a greater current gain than BJTs and MOSFETs.

 

Hua Hong’s IGBT Technology

Presently, Hua Hong’s expanding 8” foundry provides technology for volume production of Field Stop (FS) IGBT. The company’s expertise in this area is a strong primer for further development of the technology. 

Mr. Fan Heng, Executive Vice President of Hua Hong Semiconductor provided his view of the expansion of IGBT technology in a recent news release: “In recent years, the Company has been aiming at medium- and high-end markets and emerging fields to fully develop IGBT business, and has continuously engaged first-class IGBT product companies at home and abroad to cover application fields such as industry, automotive electronics, and white goods, so as to secure its leading position in IGBT foundry. As its IGBT technology R&D is progressing well at 12-inch production line, the Company is expected to provide more competitive IGBT foundry solutions for global customers in the future."

Hua Hong manufactures a wide range of mass-produced IGBTs, with voltages ranging from 600V to 1,700V and currents ranging from 10A to 400A. Applications for the company’s IGBT products include hybrid and/ electric vehicles (HEV/EVs), white goods, induction heater, motor driver, welding, power train, UPS, induction heater, smart grid and green energy applications such as wind power and solar inverter. 

To help speed the growth of the IGBT market, Hua Hong will endeavor to incorporate on-chip sensors into its technology and integrate the process of thermal dissipation through careful engineering. This will only add to lower power loss and higher power density that is experienced with IGBTs.