Archive : 28 November 2014 год

Raytheon UK's semiconductor business unit in Glenrothes has been selected by a leading automotive manufacturer to develop a silicon carbide (SiC) based MOSFET for use in electric, hybrid electric and plug in hybrid electric vehicles. 

John Kennedy, head of Raytheon UK's Integrated Power Solutions, said: "SiC overcomes many of the problems restricting the use of traditional silicon semiconductor devices for certain applications within electric vehicles and their hybrid derivatives. The benefits include higher temperature operation, lower switching losses and lower parasitics – making possible the production of reliable, high power devices in small and lightweight packages that do not have the same cooling requirements as silicon based components." 

Raytheon will employ its SiC fabrication expertise to develop a MOSFET rated at 650V/60A which can be mass produced cost effectively and which is compliant with the ISO/TS 16949 automotive quality standard. 

Raytheon, which operates Europe's only SiC production foundry, has been supplying devices to the automotive industry for several years.

Author
Graham Pitcher

Source:  www.newelectronics.co.uk

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is setting up a Quantum Metrology Institute (QMI) at its Teddington site. The Institute – part of the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme – will cover the NPL's quantum science and metrology research and provide the expertise and facilities needed for academia and industry to test, validate and commercialise new quantum research and technologies. 

Professor Sir Peter Knight, who will chair the QMI, said: "In the UK, we have had incredible academic strength in quantum research, both at the universities and places like the NPL. The new initiative, driven by Government's £270million investment, will pull all this out of the laboratories and into practical realisations in the real world. NPL is pivotal to this: its new QMI will provide a critical test bed that accelerates the process of commercialising research." 

Work has begun on refurbishing and extending laboratories within NPL for use in quantum technologies. The new facility will include a range of capital investments funded from the NPL's £4m capital budget for quantum technologies. The QMI is expected to open formally towards the end of 2015.

Author
Graham Pitcher

Source:  www.newelectronics.co.uk

Graphene specialist 2-DTech has signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Manchester that will see the two organisations sharing their resources and expertise. Once the agreement is finalised, 2-DTech will become a partner in the National Graphene Institute (NGI). 

"Through closer connection with The University of Manchester, we will be better able to promote more widespread use of this unique material across a broad spectrum of different commercial applications," said Nigel Salter, 2-DTech's managing director. "The facilities the University has for graphene research are the envy of the rest of the world. By having access to them, 2-DTech will be able to make significant technological advances." 

A series of collaborative projects will be embarked upon, with 2-DTech staff using the NGI's facilities. Amongst the initial projects will be graphene/polymer nanocomposites and 2D inks. 

James Baker, business director at the NGI, added: "We look forward to working with 2D-Tech on a number of graphene related projects in the newly completed NGI facilities and in developing the relationship into a strategic partnership in the near future. We expect to see a number of interesting opportunities for graphene applications and products and this relationship will help in the acceleration of graphene commercialisation."

Author
Graham Pitcher

Source:  www.newelectronics.co.uk