One of the critical building blocks for the “electric revolution” are power modules to make the entire electric eco-system more efficient, reliable, cost effective and smarter. Currently, automotive is pioneering these technologies with the advent of electric vehicles, but it is expected that these technologies will see quick and widespread adoption throughout other sectors in the energy system.
For these high-power applications, the conventional semiconductor material – Silicon (Si) – is reaching its physical limits it terms of power density, switching frequency, operating temperature, and breakdown voltage. As a result, the industry is moving to next generation semiconductor materials, so called Wide-bandgap materials (WBG) to replace Silicon (Si) such as Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN). While these materials offer breakthrough properties, they are not a drop-in replacement and essentially require all new designs, materials, and processes to deal with higher temperatures and offer better thermal resistance, performance and reliability. Specifically, for back-end semiconductor packaging: 1. Silver Sintering (to replace and overcome thermal limitations of tin solders) 2. Epoxy Molding (to replace and overcome thermal limitations of silicone gel) 3. Trim and Form (to trim and form Power and signal leads, inc. pre- and postprocessing steps) Boschman has pioneered both processes with early adopters in the industry and has positioned itself as the market leader for both Pressure Sintering and Advanced Transfer Molding. Powertrim technologies has pioneered Trim and Form processes with early adopters in the industry and has positioned itself as the market leader for these solutions.
