Developer and manufacturer of power semiconductors, power modules and power electronic stacks from approx. 2 kW to 10 MW.
Semikron Danfoss
Nuremberg (headquarters/production) · Production sites in Brazil, China, France, India, Italy, Slovakia, USANew on Amplifa
About Semikron Danfoss
Semikron Danfoss is a semiconductor manufacturer specializing in power electronics with headquarters in Nuremberg. The company develops and manufactures power semiconductor chips (IGBT, MOSFET, diodes, thyristors), power modules, drivers and integrated systems as well as power electronic stacks up to the multi-megawatt range (approx. 2 kW to 10 MW). Manufacturing includes chip production based on silicon and silicon carbide, module assembly using silver sintering and soldering technology, press-fit and pressure contact technology, and protective coatings (SemiSeal) against corrosive gases. Products are used, among other things, in data centers, wind energy, solar and storage systems, industrial drives, rail vehicles, automotive and hydrogen applications. Worldwide, the company employs more than 3000 people in 24 branches with production sites in Germany, Brazil, China, France, India, Italy, Slovakia and the USA. In 2022, Semikron and Danfoss Silicon Power merged to form Semikron Danfoss.
- Site
- Nuremberg
- Processes
- Power semiconductor chip manufacturing (IGBT, MOSFET, diodes, thyristors), Power module packaging / assembly of power modules, Silver sintering (sinter technology / chip attachment sinter), SemiSeal protective coating against corrosive gases (H2S), Press-fit technology (solderless auxiliary contact technology), Soldering of power modules (classic chip attachment technology), Welding of high-current terminals (welded power terminals), Thin-paste/thin-wafer technology for diodes
- Materials
- Silicon, Silicon carbide (SiC), Selenium, Silver (sinter joint), Copper
- Founded
- 1951
- Employees
- >3000
- Industries
- Data centers, Wind energy, Solar, Energy storage systems (ESS), Automotive, Industrial drives
- 01
Power semiconductor chip manufacturing (IGBT, MOSFET, diodes, thyristors)
- 02
Chip attachment by silver sintering or soldering
- 03
Module assembly / power module packaging
- 04
Protective coating (SemiSeal) and testing technology
- 05
System integration: power electronic stacks up to multi-megawatt
Materials & Processes
Silicon
Base material for IGBT, MOSFET, diode and thyristor chips, also used as thin-paste/thin-wafer technology in CAL7 diodes.
Silicon carbide (SiC)
SiC MOSFET chips up to 2 kV for highly efficient modules in 1500 V DC applications.
Selenium
Material of the early selenium rectifier plates and selenium voltage limiters from 1954.
Silver (sinter joint)
Silver sintering replaces chip soldering and increases power cycling reliability.
Copper
Base plates and contacts; protected by SemiSeal coating against dendritic growth on Cu surfaces.
Sites
Nuremberg
DEHeadquarters / Production
- Materials
- Silicon, SiC
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power semiconductor chip manufacturing (IGBT, MOSFET, diodes, thyristors)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Silicon, Silicon carbide (SiC), Selenium |
| Power module packaging / assembly of power modulesAssembly | – | – | – | – | Silicon, SiC, Copper |
| Silver sintering (sinter technology / chip attachment sinter)Joining | – | – | – | – | Silver, Silicon, SiC |
| SemiSeal protective coating against corrosive gases (H2S)Surface | – | – | – | – | Copper (protection of Cu surfaces) |
| Press-fit technology (solderless auxiliary contact technology)Joining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Soldering of power modules (classic chip attachment technology)Joining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Welding of high-current terminals (welded power terminals)Joining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Thin-paste/thin-wafer technology for diodesEngineering | – | – | – | – | Silicon |
| Wire bonding (wire bond materials)Joining | – | – | – | – | – |
| Power electronic stacks / system integration up to multi-megawattEngineering | – | – | approx. 2 kW – up to 10 MW | – | – |
| Liquid cooling (HPC liquid cooling) integration into IPMEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Reliability and power testing (power cycling, humidity robustness, reliability testing)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
History
- 1951
Founded by Friedrich Josef Martin in Nuremberg
- 1954
Start of semiconductor manufacturing: selenium rectifier plates and selenium voltage limiters
- 1959
Manufacture of silicon diodes; development of the world's first avalanche diode
- 1964
First 1 A plastic diode for direct PCB mounting
- 1974
Development of the thyristor-diode module "Semipack 1", which became an industry standard
- 1992
Introduction of pressure contact technology and SKiiP (first IPM); CAL diode
- 2007
SKiM 100% solder-free IGBT modules; sinter technology
- 2009
SKiiP4 intelligent power module with 3600 A
- 2022
Merger of Semikron and Danfoss Silicon Power to form Semikron Danfoss