(Credit: TI) – Did you know that electronics in automobiles accounts for almost one-third of new vehicle cost, and on average there are more than 6,000 semiconductor components in new cars? According to some key technologists of major car companies, 90% of all innovations in cars are driven by electronics.
Efficient power delivery to a growing number of electronic modules such as intelligent lighting, e-mobility, infotainment, piloted driving and connectivity is a key area of automotive innovation that will be critical and challenging given that power delivery must be efficient, clean, compact, and quiet. With the total automotive semiconductor market opportunity of more than US$26 billion1 and the expectation that power regulators needed for efficient power delivery in cars will grow to a US$1.4 billion market by 2020, it’s clear that there will be demand for new innovative solutions in power.
In this column, I will highlight five key trends for the semiconductor market in automotive power electronics.
1. Power density: Supplying power to extensive automotive electronic systems such as intelligent LED and laser lighting, HD cameras, displays, radars and ultrasonic sensors from different energy sources in the car is a challenging task. High power density can address the challenge as it results in efficient, longer range and battery lifetime, compact, reliable and lower system cost in the car. Achieving high power density requires innovative approaches in circuit design such as high frequency and soft switching, power devices with low loss and capable of switching very fast, and packaging for thermal management. Handling more than 1 kilowatt of power within 1 cubic inch has been an ambitious goal, but thanks to new devices and packaging techniques, it is within reach.
2. Intelligent power: As the number of operating LED and laser lights in your car varies, the need for power delivery changes. Similarly, most electronic systems in the car ranging from large processors to electric motors, depending on the mode of operation, may require only a few milliamps in standby mode to 10s or even 100s of amps in full load. Also, the input voltage can vary from a few volts to almost 70 volts supplied from a wide range of batteries or super capacitors. So both input and output voltage and current may vary significantly under different conditions.
A power conversion unit is typically optimized and offers the highest efficiency for a specific source and load setting. Intelligent power units support wide input voltage, which is also exacerbated by growing popularity of 48-volt batteries in cars, and dynamic loads in modern electronics without compromising the overall efficiency. A “load aware” intelligent power management unit can adaptively shift the optimum operating point by continuously monitoring input and load condition.
3. High voltage: Growth of the hybrid and electric vehicle market has recently been accelerated due to government incentives in major markets such as China. Electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles (EVs and HEVs), with ten-fold higher electronic content than conventional vehicles2, need high voltages up to 600 volts supplied by a large stack of batteries and delivered to powertrain electric motors. Compact and efficient high voltage power delivery modules have direct impact on range, cost, and consequently larger deployment of EV/HEVs. Typically, a high voltage semiconductor device such as Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT) or Free Wheeling Diode (FWD) is used for power conversion at above 600 volts and 400 amps. Emergence of new devices such as gallium nitride (GaN) and Silicon carbide (SiC), which can handle higher efficiency and switching frequency along with innovative packages and materials, are paving the way toward more integrated, energy efficient power distribution with significant impact on the range and reduced cooling system cost.
4. Integrated power: Ease-of-use is an attractive feature in many power solutions. Integrating power devices with all the support circuits and devices including drivers, controllers, and passives can improve time to adoption and performance of power solutions. Integrated power modules speed valuable design time, often reducing parasitic interferences and improving efficiency of power conversion. Integrated power modules will be a growing market in power management as it can leverage new architectures which utilize a large number of inductors and capacitors and multiple power devices. Innovative packaging techniques for System In Package (SIP) solutions manage heat dissipation while offering a compact and easy to use solution.
5. Low emission power: The number of electronic systems working in a car simultaneously is growing rapidly. Multiple Infotainment systems with a myriad of radios such as GPS, cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as well as safety systems including radar, ultrasound, and networked camera systems are required to function in close proximity with little interference. A noisy power conversion emits electromagnetic interference, which can interrupt other system’s operation. Therefore, power supply units need to be designed to minimize the electromagnetic (EM) interference while maintaining clean and efficient regulation. A combination of circuit techniques such as creative signaling and switching of power devices without compromising efficiency and packaging techniques are differentiating IPs in a competitive design.
So as you can see, the automotive industry requires highly-reliable power solutions and suppliers. TI, as the leader in power management technology with the diverse product portfolio, offers a wide range of power products that provide unique solutions for power density, intelligent power, high voltage, integrated power and low emission power. And, with our efforts to pioneer and progress leading-edge innovations in circuit, packaging and device technologies, we have the opportunity to make an impact on the future of intelligent vehicles.
1- IHS, IC Insight
2- IHS
- Ahmad Bahai (TI) -