Visit of Taiwanese Semiconductor Experts

Last week (17-21.6.2024) a joint seminar was held with the participation of colleagues from the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Slovak University of Technology (STU FEI) and the Institute of Electrical Engineering, Slovak Academy of Sciences (IEE SAS).
The opening ceremony held at the STU FEI was attended by representatives of the Slovak Ministry of Economy, Taipei Representative Office in Bratislava (TROB) and representatives of semiconductor companies in Slovakia (Delta, ONSEMI, Bizzcom,…). The seminar was organized within the framework of the ongoing trilateral SK-TW project aimed to built a pilot line for the assembly and characterization of power modules for electromobility as well as the implementation of joint research in the field of power semiconductors.
The role of IEE SAS in the project is to build a laboratory for reliability analysis of power modules for the automotive industry under the supervision of ITRI and joint research focused on the development of power electronic components based on wide bandgap semiconductors (GaN and Ga2O3). At the joint bilateral meeting (18-19.6.2024) our colleagues led by Ing. Milan Ťapajna, PhD. informed the representatives from ITRI and TROB about the progress of the implementation of the laboratory building project, where construction works are currently underway. In the part devoted to joint research, the representatives of IEE SAS and ITRI discussed the progress of joint research work on epitaxial growth of GaN heterostructures for manufacture of power transistors in the 900 V range and the construction of the MOCVD laboratory for the growth of Ga2O3 structures for power devices in the 650 V range. In addition to the technical discussion, there were also joint discussions with representatives of the SAS with the participation of the President of the SAS, Prof. Ing. Pavol Šajgalík, DrSc. and other members of the SAS Presidium.
The aim of the joint projects between IEE SAS, STU FEI and ITRI is to train new experts in the field of design and technology of power modules for electromobility and research in the field of wide and ultrawide bandgap semiconductor technology (GaN, Ga2O3, SiC) for advanced power electronic devices. The strategic focus of the project is to contribute to the development of the entire semiconductor ecosystem in Slovakia in order to improve the added value of domestic companies in the transition of the automotive industry to electromobility.