ROHM Semiconductor and Shenzhen BASiC Semiconductor revealed a collaboration on SiC power devices targeting improved performance for economical SiC solutions for electric vehicle powertrains. Weiwei He, General Manager of Shenzhen BASiC Semiconductor Ltd., says “Amid the undergoing technological revolution of new energy vehicles, the emergence of SiC power devices stands out as the key to improving electric drive efficiency.

In a joint development agreement, ROHM Semiconductor, Mazda Motor Corporation (Mazda), and Imasen Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., (Imasen) have plans to develop inverters and SiC power modules for the electric drive units of electric vehicles, including e-Axle. ROHM is participating in this ‘cooperative framework for the electric drive units development and production’ by reverse developing SiC MOSFETs and modules starting from the finished vehicle.

ROHM Semiconductor  introduced a full-HD compatible (1980 x 1080 pixels) SerDes ICs (serializer: BU18TL82-M; deserializer: BU18RL82-M) for multi-display user interfaces and the capacity to chain together multiple BU18RL82-M deserializers for input transmission over many paths, and to correctly monitor video streams transmitting end-to-end, by evaluating CRC values for safety in automotive designs.

ROHM Semiconductor announced the RFL/RFS Series, its fourth generation 650V fast recovery diodes (FRDs) with low forward voltage (VF) and fast reverse recovery time (trr), as well as ultra-low noise characteristics. The new devices are ideal for high-power industrial and consumer equipment, such as air conditioners and EV charging stations.

ROHM Semiconductor has added a new thermal function to its Solution Simulator, a free web-based simulation circuit for coupled electrical and thermal analysis in near-actual application conditions. The new function allows automotive and industrial engineers to collectively verify thermal issues on driver ICs and power devices on different circuits, and can be implemented for designs like PTC heaters for electric vehicles, DC/DC converter ICs, and LED drivers where heat dissipation issues are likely.

ROHM Semiconductor announced they have developed a high optical output laser diode, the RLD90QZW3, for applications such as AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) and service robots in the industrial equipment sector and robot vacuums in the consumer field that incorporate LiDAR for distance measurement and spatial recognition.