Abstract:
The National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) is a national initiative to improve U.S. competitiveness in advanced manufacturing. PowerAmerica is led by NC State University and is focused on accelerating the commercialization of wide bandgap semiconductors for power electronics. It is a $140M public private partnership with $70M of funding from the DOE Advanced Manufacturing Office and $70M from Members and Industry.
Presently only 20 percent of systems include power electronics between the source generation of electricity and its use. Silicon Carbide and Gallium Nitride operate at higher temperatures and voltages, and switch faster than silicon devices, enabling smaller, lighter, more energy efficient power electronic systems.By 2030 it is projected that 80 percent of systems will incorporate power electronics to improve energy efficiency.
Wide bandgap semiconductors are expected to capture a large portion of these markets that include renewable energy applications, such as solar inverters, electric vehicles, variable frequency drive for motors, high voltage power distribution in data centers, and the bi-directional converters that connect to the power grid. In consumer applications, we are finding that the high frequency switching advantages of wide bandgap GaN devices reduce power adapter size and may displace traditional silicon-based power supply designs.
PowerAmerica is teaming with industry across the supply chain - from wafer vendors to semiconductor foundries to packaging houses and system integrators. Our efforts in advanced manufacturing include lowering the cost of wide bandgap devices to be comparable with silicon power devices. This includes the first 6-inch silicon carbide foundry model recently announced at X-Fab in Lubbock, Texas. Presently, there are five industry partners of PowerAmerica using the Fab to make High Voltage diodes and MOSFETs.
Other PowerAmerica efforts include: very high performance power modules at 1200V and 1700V and 3.3kV and 10 kV by Wolfspeed; advanced demonstrations by universities showing dramatic size and weight reductions and reduced bill of material costs in photovoltaic converters and fast chargers for electric vehicles; and higher efficiency designs for data centers.
Members of PowerAmerica include: Lockheed Martin, Wolfspeed (A Cree Company), X-Fab, John Deere, Raytheon, United Silicon Carbide Inc., ABB, Transphorm, Qorvo, Delphi, Toshiba, AgileSwitch, CoolCAD, GeneSiC, AtomPower, Monolith Semiconductor, Navitas, Naval Research Lab, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Arizona State University, Virginia Tech, UC Davis, Florida State University, Rensselaer, University of California Santa Barbara, NC State University, Auburn Univeristy, Kettering University, The Ohio State University, and InnoCit.