News: Microelectronics
5 June 2024
Geely and ST set up joint lab and sign multi-year SiC device supply deal
STMicroelectronics of Geneva, Switzerland and China-based automobile and electric vehicle (EV) maker Geely Auto Group have signed a multi-year silicon carbide (SiC) supply agreement to accelerate their existing cooperation on SiC devices.
ST will provide multiple Geely Auto brands with SiC power devices for mid-to-high-end battery electric vehicles (BEVs), boosting Geely Auto’s new-energy vehicle (NEV) transformation strategy with improved performance, faster charging speeds and extended driving range.
In addition, building on their long-standing cooperation across multiple automotive applications, Geely and ST have established a joint lab to exchange information and explore innovative solutions related to automotive electronics/electrical (E/E) architectures (i.e. in-vehicle infotainment, smart cockpit systems), advanced driver assistance (ADAS), and NEVs.
Geely Auto Group has adopted ST’s third-generation SiC MOSFET devices in traction inverters to maximize the efficiency of the electric powertrains. The combination of advanced inverter design with high-efficiency power semiconductors like SiC is the key to superior EV performance.
“This long-term SiC supply agreement and the joint lab establishment mark a significant step forward in our long-established cooperation,” says Henry Cao, executive VP of sales & marketing, China Region, at STMicroelectronics. “China is the biggest NEV market worldwide and a leading innovator. Our local competence centres and joint labs with our customers across the value chain of automotive allow ST to better support automotive innovation and transformation in China,” he adds.
As China’s top automotive brand, Geely Auto sold 1.68 million vehicles in 2023, with NEV sales growing by 48% year-on-year to 480,000 units (28% of total sales), demonstrating the firm’s transition towards NEVs and its growing impact in the industry.
With a completely vertically integrated supply chain, ST provides SiC devices for EV applications including traction inverters, on-board chargers (OBCs), DC–DC converters, EV charging stations and e-compressor applications, significantly enhancing the performance, efficiency and range of NEVs. In June 2023, ST and China-based Sanan Optoelectronics announced the creation of a new 200mm SiC device manufacturing joint venture in Chongqing, China. This facility will better support Chinese customers as ST collaborates with more Chinese carmakers, industrial customers and solution providers in SiC, accelerating the pace of electrification in China.
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