From variable-speed drives to high-voltage direct current power transmission, ABB technology is at the heart of many energy efficient applications. And at the heart of our technology, you will find ABB semiconductors; without these sophisticated switches, most modern technology simply could not operate.
ABB is presenting some of its most advanced energy-saving technologies for power and automation applications at the 2007 World Energy Congress in Rome (11-15 November 2007). ABB’s booth is in exhibition hall 7/Stand l34 (near the ’Piazza’) at the Nuova Fiera di Roma exhibition fairgrounds, near Fiumicino - Leonardo Da Vinci airport.
Semiconductors are switches that very precisely turn electrical current on and off. They are used in many, many applications, from cell phones to computers to cameras to industrial machines and powerful power transmission systems, like high-voltage direct current.
They are made from silicon, which is made from sand, so while there is no danger of running out of raw material, the demand for manufactured silicon wafers that are the raw material of semiconductors is at an all-time high.
An integrated gate-commutated thyristor (IGCT) like this one (held by ABB’s semiconductor key account manager, Paul Willi) has 2,500 single switching functions embedded in the disc.
Paul Willi, ABB’s manager of the key account management team for semiconductors in Lenzburg, Switzerland, says ABB’s specialty is manufacturing high-power semiconductors for applications like high-voltage transmission and distribution systems, such as High-Voltage Direct Current and High-Voltage Direct Current Light. These are systems where power is converted from alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) and back to AC in order to transmit electricity efficiently over long distances.
The power conversion in these efficient transmission systems is accomplished with thousands of semiconductors arranged in precise formations, the goal being to lose as little power as possible during the conversion process.
Industrial applications
Power semiconductors are also used in industrial applications, for example variable-speed drives, again to switch current on and off in precise operations to ensure electrical current is in phase and operating as efficiently as possible.
Semiconductors are also essential in traction applications, again for ensuring correct and efficient power conversion in electric rail lines.
Silicon does the job because it has the lowest electrical losses of any material used for this purpose, Willi said. Silicon wafers are bought blank, and then thousands of switches are etched and embedded into the wafer, a process that takes from six to 12 weeks.
’Careful control’
“It is a very important technology,” said Willi, “and it is very carefully controlled; embedding a single switch process can take 12 to 24 hours to complete.”
About 95 percent of ABB semiconductors are made to order - that is, they are designed and manufactured with direct customer input for use in specific processes.
It is a huge industry. The global market for high-power semiconductors alone - ABB’s area of focus - is in the region of $600 billion, and that is only about 10 percent of the total global market for semiconductors, Willi said.
Whenever there is current to be switched in a piece of technology, most probably a semiconductor will do the switching. This tiny piece of equipment plays a giant role in the efficient operation of just about any technology you can imagine.
