There is a general consensus in the industry: on-board OBC is the bridgehead for domestic SiC to "get on the car", and it is also the premise for domestic SiC to achieve large-scale application. If it can successfully win a "place" in the automotive OBC market, it is expected to occupy the commanding heights of the main drive SiC in the future.
As a leading third-generation semiconductor supplier in China, Feiquan Semiconductor has been focusing on the research and development of silicon carbide power semiconductor devices since its inception. What are the layout plans for the future?
The installed capacity of OBC continues to rise
Feiwen SiC products have become the focus of attention
At present, new energy vehicles are growing rapidly, and the production and sales of silicon carbide models are also soaring. Under this trend, automotive-grade SiC chips have also ushered in greater demand, and they are also the largest "sea port" for the silicon carbide industry.
However, the layout threshold of automotive SiC chips is high, and the introduction cycle is relatively long, and the vast majority of the world's main drive stage relies on imported SiC MOSFET chips; Domestic automotive-grade SiC MOSFETs also face problems such as technology, reliability, production capacity, and market recognition, and there are very few companies that have achieved "getting on the car".
In the face of such a difficult situation, many domestic SiC companies did not choose to retreat, but through continuous technological innovation and market cultivation, they gradually broke the monopoly of foreign companies in the field of automotive-grade SiC MOSFETs, successfully applied their high-performance SiC products to new energy vehicles, and realized the marketization and industrialization of technology - Feiwan Semiconductor is one of the domestic SiC generals.
Feiquan Semiconductor has been developing SiC products since 2015, and the company has a number of "domestic first" labels:
● The first company in China to successfully produce 6-inch silicon carbide devices in a silicon wafer foundry
● The first company in China to produce and successfully ship a large number of 1200V silicon carbide devices
● 国内首家在碳化硅二极管上采用Thinning Technology工艺
● 国内首家拥有自主专利的JBS架构【Schottky Device and Method of Manufacturing the Same，US10586876B2肖特基器件，专利号201721146188.6】
Based on years of leading technology layout and accumulation, as well as active linkage with other domestic downstream car companies, Feijuan Semiconductor's automotive-grade SiC MOSFETs have been applied to automotive power supply (OBC), DC-DC converters and other fields. This not only opens up a new market space for Feidan, but also provides automotive OEMs and Tier1 manufacturers with more efficient and reliable automotive-grade SiC solution options.
It is understood that Feiwan Semiconductor's SiC products have passed the customer's on-board verification and are supplied to the head enterprises of on-board power supply in batches. And in terms of 11KW OBC, Feiquan Semiconductor's 1200V silicon carbide MOSFET has also been verified at the customer.
Whether it can occupy a place in the OBC market is not only the touchstone of the core technical strength of domestic SiC companies, but also the hard standard for domestic SiC companies to further "get on the car" main drive in the future. Through the forward-looking layout, Feiquan Semiconductor has locked in the OBC market in advance, demonstrating the company's keen insight into market trends and strategic planning capabilities, and also consolidating the technical foundation for the subsequent entry into the SiC main drive market.
It is understood that the on-board power supply is the field where SiC technology was introduced earlier, and it is also the second only to the main drive of silicon carbide to the sea.
With the rapid development of the new energy vehicle market, OBC, as one of the core components of new energy vehicles, has maintained continuous growth in installed capacity in the past three years - in the first two years, about 74% of new energy vehicles in China were equipped with OBC devices, and the proportion of OBC installed capacity increased to 81% in the first quarter of this year.
According to the data, in the first quarter of 2024, the installed capacity of OBC for new energy passenger vehicles will be 1.7012 million sets, a year-on-year increase of 42.48%; In 2023 and 2022, the installed capacity of OBC will be 7.06 million and 5.1287 million respectively.
Data source: Experts say Research
In terms of silicon carbide market opportunities, although the amount of SiC used in the 6.6kW mainstream scheme is small at this stage, the penetration rate is expected to be less than 20%. However, Mr. Li Heming, VP of Feiquan Semiconductor Product Market, said in an interview, "Although the current OBC in the 6.6KW power segment is still mainly used in silicon-based MOS devices, with the decline in the price of silicon carbide in the future, when its price and efficiency reach a relative balance point, and the demand for OBC bidirectional charging is superimposed, the cost performance of silicon carbide will be highlighted, and it will further seize the market share." ”
In addition, Li Heming also added that the proportion of the 11KW OBC market will increase year by year in the next few years, and is expected to increase from 9% to 18%, which not only reflects the continuous increase in consumer demand for fast charging, but also indicates that SiC will welcome another wave of explosive demand in the context of the obvious trend of OBC high power.
Silicon carbide has gradually become a key device for 11kW and 22kW OBC, and more and more companies are introducing silicon carbide technology. Some time ago, Xu Xiaoquan, R&D director of Hefei JEE Power Co., Ltd., also said that the penetration rate of silicon carbide in their newly developed OBC products has exceeded 80%.
Nowadays, the track of SiC power semiconductors is becoming more and more crowded, and the competition between domestic and foreign players is becoming more and more fierce, and Feijuan Semiconductor's silicon carbide devices have won wide recognition in many markets with their advantages of high reliability, high performance and cost-effectiveness, especially in the breakthrough of the vehicle power supply market.
Count the multiple advantages
Find out why flying is so popular
Feijuan Semiconductor is one of the earliest companies engaged in the research and development of silicon carbide devices in China, and is the first to successfully use 6-inch silicon carbide technology to achieve technological icebreaking in this field in China. In 2019, Feiquan Semiconductor achieved large-scale mass production of 650V and 1200V silicon carbide diodes; In the fourth quarter of 2021, it began to ship silicon carbide MOSFETs in batches, and then successfully became the first domestic manufacturer to produce and successfully ship 1200V silicon carbide devices in large quantities.
According to reports, as of 2023, Feiquan Semiconductor has shipped more than 24 million 1200V silicon carbide devices, and its products and services have fully blossomed in the new energy vehicle, consumer electronics, and industrial markets, winning the investment and adoption of a series of leading customers.
Feiquan Semiconductor's breakthrough in the OBC and other automotive-grade markets relies on its strong strength, which is mainly reflected in many aspects, including: automotive-grade products, technologies and cost reduction capabilities.
As a leading enterprise in the field of domestic SiC devices, Feiquan Semiconductor has formed a relatively complete product matrix, and continues to adhere to technological innovation and product quality improvement.
Up to now, Feijuan Semiconductor has launched more than 70 models of silicon carbide diodes, covering the mainstream specifications on the market; Its silicon carbide MOSFETs are rated from 650V to 1700V with on-resistance ranging from 11 to 800mΩ to meet the needs of different voltage applications.
In 2023, Feiwan Semiconductor also successfully launched the 3rd generation of silicon carbide MOSFETs, including 1200V 14/18/30/40/80 mΩ, in TO247-4 and TO263-7 packages, which are widely used in new energy vehicles, DC charging piles, photovoltaics and energy storage.
Secondly, Feiwan Semiconductor attaches great importance to quality management and reliability assurance. Feidang believes that excellent product quality is the winning weapon in the localization breakthrough war. Feiquan Semiconductor implements a strict quality management system, and its automotive-grade silicon carbide products strictly follow the AEC-Q101 automotive standard for reliability verification, and have passed the rigorous HV-H3TRB test, demonstrating the company's ultimate pursuit of product quality and safety.
"Experts say three and a half generations" learned that the shipment of Feiquan Semiconductor in the field of new energy charging piles has exceeded millions, and the shipment is still showing a steady upward trend, indicating that the application of its products in this field has been recognized and verified by the market. Such performance is extremely beneficial for Feiwan Semiconductor to build brand reputation, win customer trust and expand market share in the highly competitive semiconductor market.
In terms of technological innovation, Feiquan Semiconductor adheres to innovation-driven development, and establishes close partnerships with leading enterprises in the fields of new energy, optical storage, and charging piles to jointly promote the application of silicon carbide technology in various fields. At present, Feigong has obtained more than 40 self-developed patents, and more than 60 patents are being applied; In addition, they continue to cooperate with well-known universities and research institutions, so that Feiquan Semiconductor maintains continuous innovation ability in forward-looking technologies.
Anchoring the 800V SiC main drive market
Help new energy vehicles move towards a new era
In addition to the on-board market, Feiquan Semiconductor is also targeting the main drive market for new energy vehicles.
It is understood that Feiquan Semiconductor regards new energy vehicles as an explosive growth market, actively explores this hot field and has been recognized by end customers, and their automotive-grade MOSFET products have been sent to a number of customers for verification, and have reached preliminary cooperation with leading companies in the field of new energy vehicles.
At present, the market for the main drive inverter of new energy vehicles is booming at an unprecedented speed, and the application of SiC MOSFET technology in 800V models is particularly eye-catching. Looking back at the Beijing Auto Show that ended not long ago, it can be found that silicon carbide technology has become the "rigid demand" of 800V models, such as the new Wenjie M5, Xiangjie S9, Weilai Ledao L60, ZEEKR MIX, Star Era ET and other models have been unveiled, attracting onlookers.
In this regard, Feiquan Semiconductor said, "Compared with 400V models, 800V models will have a stronger driving force for silicon carbide. As far as we know, as of Q1 this year, the number of silicon carbide models in 800V models is increasing, and the penetration rate has exceeded 50%. ”
Data source: NE era data, experts say three and a half generations
Looking at the main drive industry pattern through market research, most of the current main drive-related orders will be collected in the hands of the six major SiC MOSFET suppliers, with a relatively high degree of concentration. However, the "cake" of new energy vehicles continues to increase, and many domestic SiC companies are also catching up and even have "a piece of the pie", which is also an opportunity for Feidang Semiconductor.
For the main drive SiC market, Feiquan Semiconductor has already made a plan. According to Li Heming, "At this stage, the main drive SiC products are still heavily dependent on imports, and there is a lot of demand space for domestic substitution. In this regard, we are also continuously refining our SiC products for the traction market, including the application of advanced packaging technologies such as T-pak, and strive to achieve them in the next one to two years. ”。
At this stage, they will gradually accumulate data through batch shipments of OBC and other automotive markets and industrial markets, so that the adoption of electric drive customers is more assured.
When it comes to the strict requirements of the high-voltage drive system, Feicang is full of confidence, and they believe that their silicon carbide products have successfully found a balance in various indicators and performance, which can meet the requirements of the actual working conditions of the main drive motor, and provide a strong guarantee for the stable operation of the high-voltage drive system.
For entering the main drive market, in addition to its own "hard power", Feidang Semiconductor also has some first-mover advantages to help it open up its own avenue in the wave of fierce competition.
Backed by Huada Group, which is a state-owned enterprise, Feiquan Semiconductor has a complete ecological chain support, from materials to chip design to new energy manufacturing, and has formed a strong supply chain guarantee system; In terms of manufacturing, Feiwan Semiconductor leverages its manufacturing capabilities and resources through its cooperation with Jita Semiconductor to achieve product production and high-quality delivery.
At the same time, Feijuan Semiconductor has also established stable cooperative relations with excellent substrate raw material suppliers at home and abroad, and is committed to reducing raw material costs.
Feiquan said that it will continue to increase R&D investment, promote the further development of silicon carbide technology, and launch high-quality mass production products to meet the urgent demand for high-performance silicon carbide devices in the new energy vehicle industry. With its excellent technical strength and market foresight, Feiquan Semiconductor is leading the development trend of silicon carbide technology, contributing to the future of new energy vehicles, and helping the industry move towards a new era of green and intelligence.
Source: Experts say three and a half generations
*Disclaimer: This article was originally written by the author. The content of the article is the author's personal point of view, and the wide bandgap semiconductor technology innovation alliance is reprinted only to convey a different point of view, and does not mean that the alliance agrees with or supports the view, if you have any objections, please contact us.