Qingchun was founded in March 2021, and the core team members have been involved in SiC semiconductor technology for over 20 years, according to Nio Capital.
(Image credit: Nio Capital)
Nio Capital has invested in a local Chinese silicon carbide (SiC) chip maker as it continues to expand its investments in the new energy vehicle (NEV) industry chain.
The company recently co-led a several hundred million yuan Series A+ round of financing for Qingchun Semiconductor (or SICHAIN), which will be used to improve the SiC chip maker's supply chain layout, expand its team and build mass production labs, according to a press release today.
Founded in March 2021, Qingchun's core team members have been involved in SiC semiconductor technology for more than 20 years and are one of the few companies in China currently capable of achieving world-class performance and reliability of SiC devices, according to Nio Capital.
The SiC chip maker is also one of the companies able to mass produce automotive SiC MOSFETs based on its production line in China, and its products have been used in new energy power generation and NEVs, according to the release.
Since its inception, Qingchun has made a series of significant advances in SiC device technology and product development, including the maturation of its 1200V SiC MOSFET platform technology and the mass production of multiple products.
The company launched the first 15V drive SiC MOSFET to be mass-produced in China, shipping nearly one million units to various industries, particularly photovoltaics and energy storage, according to the release.
Qingchun also launched the 1200V 14mΩ SiC MOSFET, which has the lowest on-resistance and is currently being validated by several vehicle companies, according to Nio Capital.
The SiC market is spacious and growing fast, with a wide range of application scenarios in areas such as NEVs, and Qingchun is one of the best startups in China for that, said Ian Zhu, managing partner of Nio Capital.
Earlier today, Geely's electric vehicle brand Zeekr announced a long-term supply agreement with US chip maker Onsemi involving silicon carbide power devices.
Zeekr will use Onsemi's M3E 1200V EliteSiC MOSFET products to complement its expanding lineup of high-performance all-electric models, according to a press release.
The SiC module is an upgrade to the IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor chip) module, a third-generation power semiconductor with higher efficiency, higher temperature resistance and higher voltage characteristics.
The module will help upgrade the electrical architecture of NEVs from 400V to 800V and enable NEVs to charge from 0 to 80 percent in 10 minutes.
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