Cree, Inc. announced an agreement under which Nihon Inter Electronics Corp. (NIEC) will introduce a line of silicon carbide (SiC)-based Schottky power rectifier diodes in Japan with die manufactured by Cree. NIEC is a producer of silicon-based Schottky diodes, and Cree manufactures silicon carbide-based Schottky diodes.
"Silicon carbide offers numerous concrete benefits over silicon-based rectifiers. Our market is showing growing demand for the far greater efficiency and performance offered by silicon carbide-based diodes, which enables reduced energy consumption in applications for home appliances including air conditioner and automotive invertors," said Masao Ishii, NIEC President. "Cree is the world’s leader in silicon carbide components and materials, and it only makes sense that we chose the leading products."
"We are excited to see the growing interest in power components based on silicon carbide. Our agreement with NIEC will allow us access to their extensive marketing and sales channels in Japan, and is consistent with our current strategy to create a more global sales and marketing presence. We are excited about the potential impact our two companies can make on the Japanese market by combining our strengths," said John Palmour, Cree Executive Vice President for Advanced Devices.
According to Cree, compared with traditional silicon-based diodes, it’s SiC-based rectifiers can simplify power factor correction (PFC) boost design by eliminating the need for snubbers and reducing component count; reduce power losses, leading to cooler operating temperatures; and produce significantly less electromagnetic interference (EMI).
