Leveraging $6MM in U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding, Powerex, Inc. announced the opening of a new automated production center capable of producing both silicon and silicon carbide modules used in inverters for the electric vehicle, aerospace and industrial marketplaces. Powerex states that this project positions it the leading U.S. manufacturer of medium volume high power semiconductor modules.
The DOE grant, awarded in March 2010, provided 70 percent of the funding for the $8.6MM project which increases Powerex’ silicon module production capacity from 17K units produced in 2009 to 100K units in 2015.
The new manufacturing center is 7,200 ft² (670 m²), and will be capable of producing 100,000 units/year in 2015. Powerex created this new center to accommodate the production of what it describes as cutting edge SiC (silicon carbide) MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) modules.
More news and information regarding the latest developments in Smart Grid electronics can be found at Darnell’s SmartGridElectronics.Net.
