ZF, a provider of electrification solutions in the automotive industry, will procure silicon carbide devices from STMicroelectronics, a major semiconductor manufacturer.
This partnership will allow STMicroelectronics to supply ZF with double-digit millions of high-quality silicon carbide devices that will be incorporated into ZF’s new modular inverter architecture, which is slated for series production in 2025. By utilizing ST’s silicon carbide manufacturing capabilities in Europe and Asia, ZF hopes to secure more customer orders in the field of electromobility.
Stephan von Schuckmann, a member of the ZF Board of Management responsible for electromobility and materials management, states that their order book in electromobility until 2030 amounts to over thirty billion euros.
ZF requires several dependable suppliers for silicon carbide devices to meet the high demand. He notes that STMicroelectronics’ experience with complex systems and their capacity to manufacture devices in large quantities and exceptionally high quality meet their requirements.
Marco Monti, President Automotive and Discrete Group of STMicroelectronics, emphasizes that the key to success in electric vehicle technology is greater scalability and modularity, along with increased efficiency, peak power, and affordability.
To fulfill their agreement, STMicroelectronics will produce the silicon carbide chips at their production fabs in Italy and Singapore, package them into STPAK, an advanced package developed by ST, and test them at their back-end facilities in Morocco and China.
Starting from 2025, STMicroelectronics will supply ZF with double-digit millions of third-generation silicon carbide MOSFET devices. ZF can combine a variable number of these devices to match the performance requirements of their customers without altering the inverter’s design. ZF intends to use this technology in inverters for a European automaker whose production is scheduled to commence in 2025, among others.
