Background and Evolution of Power Electronics
Power electronics are undergoing rapid advancements in performance, efficiency, and miniaturization across sectors such as electric vehicles (EVs), industrial power supplies, and renewable energy systems. With the increasing adoption of wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductors like SiC (Silicon Carbide) and GaN (Gallium Nitride), the heat generated by these devices has substantially increased, making extremely efficient and reliable thermal management and bonding technologies indispensable. Conventional bonding materials have faced limitations in high-temperature operational stability and fatigue resistance under thermal cycling, making it challenging to fully unlock the potential of next-generation power semiconductor modules.
Key Developments and Heraeus Electronics’ Innovations
At PCIM Europe 2026, Heraeus Electronics unveiled a portfolio of groundbreaking power electronics materials designed to meet these evolving demands. Highlights of their exhibit included:
- mAgic® PE340 Silver Pressure Sintering Paste (New Product): This newly developed silver pressure sintering paste is engineered for high-density packaging, offering precise printability and compatibility with multiple processes. Its ability to sinter at low pressure minimizes potential damage to devices during manufacturing while providing high-reliability bonding for power semiconductors such as SiC and IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors). It delivers excellent thermal conductivity and long-term reliability.
- Microbond® Solder Preforms (New Product): These novel solder preforms leverage Heraeus’s proprietary low-melting Innolot® technology. This enables high bonding reliability for IGBT applications with operating temperatures up to 150°C. The preform format allows for precise deposition of material, contributing to improved yields and simplified manufacturing processes.
- mAgic® PE360 Sintering Paste: An award-winning sintering paste (recipient of the 2025 Global Technology Award), mAgic® PE360 boasts an exceptionally high thermal conductivity exceeding 200 W/mK. It supports SiC module attach applications operating above 150°C and is already qualified in automotive projects, ensuring reliability in demanding high-power-density and high-temperature environments.
These solutions collectively aim to provide superior thermal performance, bonding reliability, and manufacturing process flexibility for increasingly complex power electronics devices.
Impact and Future Outlook
The advanced die-attach materials presented by Heraeus Electronics hold significant potential to substantially enhance the performance and reliability of power semiconductors, particularly SiC and IGBT modules. The mAgic® PE340 and Microbond® solder preforms address thermal management challenges in high-power-density applications, contributing to extended device lifespans and stable operation. The mAgic® PE360, with its proven track record in the automotive sector, is critical for improving the efficiency of power conversion systems in EVs and HEVs. These materials will enable the miniaturization, higher power output, and long-term reliability of power electronics components, thereby accelerating the development of next-generation EVs, renewable energy inverters, and industrial drives. Heraeus Electronics is expected to contribute to the realization of a sustainable and high-performance power electronics society through its continuous innovations in material technology.
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