This week, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity announced eight Phase 1 winners of the $2.25 million Silicon Carbide (SiC) Packaging Prize. Each of the following teams was awarded $50,000 in cash prizes and will move on to Phase 2 where they’ll spend the next year working toward prototype demonstrations that showcase their efforts to meet or exceed Phase 2 performance metrics.
Read more about the winning teams and their innovative approaches to create improvement over state-of-the-art packaging below.
Board Breakers(Fargo, North Dakota)
This team is creating a replacement of traditional power electronic modules by using additive manufacturing to print 3D ceramic packaging. Watch their 90-second submission summary video to learn more.
LincolnX (Lincoln, Nebraska)
This team plans to develop novel ultrafast and scalable SiC modules featuring dual orthogonal cooling to meet the prize goals and metrics. Watch their 90-second submission summary video to learn more.
Marel Power Solutions (Plymouth, Michigan)
This team plans to make packaging improvements through thermal management, three-dimensional mechatronic design, and a scalable arrangement of power switches. Watch their 90-second submission summary video to learn more.
NC Solar Inverters (Cary, North Carolina)
Using commercially available topside cooled discrete devices, this team will utilize their designed symmetric layout to maximize parasitic flying capacitance and minimize parasitic inductance. Watch their 90-second submission summary video to learn more.
NoMIS-Lux-QPT-UA (Albany, New York)
This team, comprised of NoMIS, Lux, QPT, and UofA, will combine their technology and products in Smart Metal Core SiC power blocks to create high voltage chip-scale packaging. Watch their 90-second submission summary video to learn more.
Stony Brook Power Packaging Team (Stony Brook, New York)
This team will develop high-voltage, high-current, fast-switching, and cost-effective modules and create a business entity for engineering sampling and commercialization. Watch their 90-second submission summary video to learn more.
Superior SiC Power Module Team (Gainesville, Florida)
This team plans to develop an interdisciplinary approach for SiC power modules with high-speed, high-energy efficiency, and low EMI. Watch their 90-second submission summary video to learn more.
Team Raiju - University of Arkansas (Fayetteville, Arkansas)
This team will embed 128 SiC die in LTCC controlled by an active dV/dt voltage balancer and cooled with integrated microchannel busbars. Watch their 90-second submission summary video to learn more.
Phase 2 of the SiC Packaging Prize will begin December 2024 and conclude in late 2025 after a 3-month prototype testing period at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Due to a slight delay in the Phase 1 winner announcement, competitors should expect more information about an updated prize timeline soon.
Thank you to each team that applied for this prize!
