Infineon Technologies, the largest player in the power semiconductor space, has introduced its latest generation of power MOSFETs. The company has started selling the first devices based on its OptiMOS 6 technology, designed for synchronous rectification in switched-mode power supply applications, including servers, personal computers and power chargers. The 40V devices reduce on-state resistance by 30 percent compared to the previous generation.
The products, which were introduced at the Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC), can be used to increase efficiency at high and low power outputs, without all the trade-offs between high and low load conditions. Infineon's new OptiMOS technology also features higher switching performance, which can be maintained at a wide range of power outputs. That helps cut system costs in personal computers, chargers and other products, Infineon said.
MOSFETs are designed to amplify or switch electronic signals, with the amount of voltage applied to the device determining its conductivity. MOSFETs are typically used in high-frequency, low-voltage applications. Another type of power semiconductor device, the IGBT, is the gold standard for motor controls and other electronics that handle high voltages at low frequencies. Infineon has also started selling SiC MOSFETs that hit higher voltages.
Infineon, which holds more than 25 percent of the $7 billion MOSFET market, is seeing strong demand for its products, which are used in all sorts of electronic systems, ranging from computer chargers to electric cars. Last year, the company said it would spend $1.9 billion by 2024 to boost production of power semiconductors on 300-millimeter thin wafers. Infineon is trying to overcome an ongoing shortage of discrete power devices, including MOSFETs.