PowerBase

POWERBASE PROJECT

The European Commission's "Europe 2020" initiative sets ambitious goals for innovation, energy efficiency and re-industrialization. Power semiconductors developed and produced in Europe in sufficient quantities and at competitive cost levels are an important contribution to elevating Europe's status as a knowledge-based location for industry. The PowerBase project is a private-public partnership in which investments from industry, funding from individual countries and the support of the ECSEL (Electronic Components and Systems for European Leadership) Joint Undertaking are being applied to increase the global competitive strength of the European electronics industry. PowerBase project with 39 partners from 9 European countries enables growth potential and strategic independence for Europe´s semiconductor industry in the face of increased globalization.

POWERBASE CONSORTIUM

The Innovation Action (IA) project “PowerBase” will follow a holistic vertical approach from material research across the entire value chain to advanced systems and aims to provide significant impact to essential technologies and key applications.  The project's research activities will focus on developing the next generation of energy-saving chips (referred to as "power semiconductors") based on new materials such as gallium nitride. These semiconductor devices can convert power far more efficiently than conventional silicon-based chips. Overall research activities in the PowerBase project are coordinated on a Europe-wide basis in order to make these new semiconductors ready for mass industrial use at globally competitive cost levels.

POWERBASE EXPECTED RESULTS

The PowerBase research focus includes intensive material and reliability research to improve the quality and lengthen the service life of GaN-based semiconductors. The optimization of classic silicon materials will be further explored as well. Plans also foresee the establishment of pilot lines for 200mm wafers to manufacture GaN-based power components in a high-volume industrial production environment.