The Materials That Make Power Electronics Work

This article focuses on the critical role of materials in power electronics, especially as trends such as electric vehicles, AI data centers, and industrial electrification drive increasing demands fo... Read original →

Materials in power electronics are shifting from supporting actors to central enablers. Henkel’s silver and pressureless sintering technologies not only address SiC’s high-temperature packaging demands but also force upstream wafer fabs to redesign backside metallization and compel module makers to overhaul thermal architectures. Regulatory pressures—like the EU Critical Raw Materials Act and U.S. CHIPS incentives—are inflating compliance costs for multinationals, especially on strategic inputs like silver and rare earths. In response to Henkel’s IP dominance in copper ribbon bonding and thermal interface materials, rivals like DuPont and Shin-Etsu will likely acquire niche sintering startups to close capability gaps. Within 18 months, AI server racks and 800V EV platforms will drive pressure-assisted sintering into volume production; whoever achieves automotive-grade copper sintering certification first will lock in supply agreements with the top five power module manufacturers by 2027.