Electric machinery parts manufacturing in industry 

This guide delves into DFM's principles, implementation process, impacts, and challenges, aiming to provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of this integral concept.

Enhancing Industrial Processes through Design for Manufacturing: A Comprehensive Guide

The prototype fuel cell is wrapped in a fleece and is slightly larger than a thumbnail. (Photograph: Fussenegger Lab / ETH Zurich)

In this episode, we're exploring a groundbreaking innovation from ETH Zurich that could revolutionize how we power wearable devices. It's time to say goodbye to conventional batteries and hello to a sustainable, continuous, and convenient power source.

Podcast: Power Up Your Wearable Devices with Blood Sugar!

New research at the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis is the first to show that a solid-state electrolyte has a high level of similarity to liquid electrolytes, which is good news for designing safer and more efficient solid-state batteries based on reliable mechanistic knowledge.&ldquo;Our results reveal surprising similarities between the liquid and the solid electrolytes, and that allows us to borrow some ideas from the successful liquid electrolytes to help our design of the solid electrolytes,&rdquo; said Peng Bai, assistant professor of energy, environmental &amp; chemical engineering. &ldquo;Before our work, solid electrolytes, at least the ceramic ones we studied here, are considered distinctly different from their liquid counterparts.&rdquo;Batteries power so much of our lives, so finding new improvements will have a drastic societal impact, Bai said. A promising route is the development of a full solid-state battery. A key component is the electrolyte in the center of the battery which allows ion movement between the electrodes. Here, the traditionally used liquid electrolyte is replaced with a solid and coupled to a metal electrode. This not only boosts the amount of energy stored but also leads to a potentially safer battery. However, an increasing number of reports about solid-state batteries tell a story of a key barrier, known as the critical current density (CCD), beyond which small tree-like structures called dendrites grow, resulting in battery failure. These reported CCDs are relatively low, which hinders fast charging and compromises further development of solid-state batteries.&ldquo;The CCD of solid-state electrolytes is a mystery. We are working to reveal why it exists, what its true physics are, and how it changes under different operating conditions,&rdquo; said Bai, the principal investigator of this project and corresponding author of the paper published in&nbsp;ACS Energy Letters on April 12, 2023.&ldquo;Our discovery shows that the magnitude of CCD is linked to the thickness of the solid electrolyte, similar to the limiting current in liquid electrolytes that are well-known to have thickness dependence,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;If you can make the solid electrolyte thin enough, we can get away from this CCD issue, therefore avoiding dendrite growths and the internal short-circuiting.&rdquo;Experimental innovations involved in this study include taking a standard pellet, a small circular disc fully densified by controlled sintering of ceramic powders, and precisely cutting it into multiple smaller pieces. The pieces were then tested using an electroanalytical technique different from those commonly used.&ldquo;These child samples from the same mother pellet were almost identical,&rdquo; Bai said. &ldquo;Testing hundreds of these ideally consistent miniature samples made the results we obtained more reliable and the statistics more meaningful.&rdquo;Rajeev Gopal, a doctoral student in Bai&rsquo;s lab and first author of the paper, said this study can be a real difference-maker.&ldquo;Our work can shed light on the mysterious phenomenon of dendrite initiation at the CCD. The statistical trends we unveiled here will help predict and ultimately mitigate this type of growth, increasing the feasibility of these electrolytes in real-world batteries,&rdquo; Gopal said.<hr>Gopal R, Wu L, Lee Y, Gua J, Bai P. Transient Polarization and Dendrite Initiation Dynamics in Ceramic Electrolytes. ACS Energy Letters, April 12, 2023, DOI:&nbsp;<a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsenergylett.3c00499" target="_blank">10.1021/acsenergylett.3c00499.</a>

Ceramic solid electrolyte cells (vertical rectangular shapes) with dendrites (the lightning-like dark structures inside the rectangles) growing inside them from the bottom to the top. These solid electrolytes are floating on a liquid (blue puddle) which represents a liquid electrolyte. The reflections of the solid electrolytes in the blue liquid, particularly the dark dendrites, show the similarity in the dendrite initiation process in both the liquid and solid. (Credit: Rajeev Gopal, Bai lab)

New research at the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis is the first to show that a solid-state electrolyte has a high level of similarity to liquid electrolytes, which is good news for designing safer and more efficient solid-state batteries based on reliable mechanistic knowledge.

New study shows similarity between solid state and liquid state electrolytes used in batteries

Solar energy harvesting is increasingly being adopted in professional IoT applications, extending beyond hobbyists and makers. It has the potential to revolutionize the way we power our devices. This technology proves to be particularly advantageous for agricultural monitoring and asset tracking, where the difficulty of accessibility and high maintenance costs can be significant. The use of solar energy harvesting in these areas can greatly reduce costs and improve efficiency. Additionally, it has the added benefit of being an eco-friendly solution.<iframe id="645c016f1f67f100087c4425" width="250" class="specs-iframe" height="420" src="https://wevolver.com/iframe/specs/otii-arc-pro?iframe=true" frameborder="0" scrolling="true" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe>While the idea of solar-powered IoT applications is exciting, it is important to note that effective harvesting is necessary for successful implementation. However, focusing solely on the energy source, such as choosing the most energy-packed battery or the largest solar panels, can increase product size and cost while limiting potential uses. Therefore, it is imperative to optimize solar harvesting for your IoT device, considering the following three factors: access to natural or artificial light, the power consumption profile of the IoT device, and the performance of the solar panel and its energy storage.To determine whether solar energy harvesting is better than battery power for your IoT device, it is important to evaluate its economics. To do this, we recommend following these three best practices:<ol><li>Understand your use cases, including data collection frequency, information transmission, and the environments the device will operate in. This will help you determine whether solar energy harvesting is a feasible option for your device.</li><li>Profile your IoT device power consumption, measuring the energy consumption profile for different duty cycles and power levels to match it with the energy source. This will help you determine whether the solar panel is capable of meeting your device&#39;s energy requirements.</li><li>Profile the solar panel for available energy at the device location, evaluating the current-voltage (I-V) characteristic curve for different light levels to find the maximum power available to meet the IoT device&#39;s energy requirements.</li></ol>It is also important to note that solar panels can utilize artificial indoor light sources like LED, fluorescent, incandescent, and halogen in addition to direct and indirect sunlight to generate electricity. This expands the potential use cases, which require further evaluation. By following these best practices and optimizing solar harvesting for your IoT device, you can ensure that your device is efficient, cost-effective, and eco-friendly.For detailed information on how to profile and match your IoT device and solar panel check out these <a href="https://www.qoitech.com/blog/solar-energy-for-your-iot-device/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hands-on tutorials</a>. &nbsp;

To determine whether solar energy harvesting is better than battery power for your IoT solution, it is important to evaluate its economics. There are three best practices to find the right economics and IoT solar panel for your device.

Solar energy harvesting for your IoT solution

A formula that can draw important conclusions about a battery&rsquo;s internal components and condition from the way alternating currents move through it has been developed by Michigan Engineering researchers. It could help researchers identify battery faults during operation and design safer batteries.To ensure battery safety and performance, the industry needs effective techniques to monitor and diagnose a battery without tearing it apart. In a recent study that Applied Physics Letters highlighted as an editor&rsquo;s pick, a team led by Wei Lu, a professor of mechanical engineering, reported a formula that can do this with measurements of impedance, an electrical property that compares output voltage to input current.&nbsp;Until now, the relationship between impedance measurements and the internal state of the battery wasn&rsquo;t known well enough to be broadly useful. In addition, the formula can be applied to other electronic and photonic devices.&nbsp;The research team also includes first author Changyu Deng, a PhD student in mechanical engineering; Bogdan Epureanu, an Arthur F. Thurnau professor and professor of mechanical engineering; and Bogdan Popa, an associate professor of mechanical engineering.We sat down with Lu to find out more.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1682949990705-liu_ev_battery_content.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Wei Lu cycling batteries in his lab in June 2022. Brenda Ahearn/Michigan Engineering&nbsp;<h2 id="isPasted">What does your formula tell battery researchers?</h2>Batteries are complicated systems made of many materials, including two electrodes that are two different materials, the membrane between them, and the electrolyte that carries ions from one electrode to the other during charging and discharging.&nbsp;An important technique that researchers rely on when investigating batteries is applying an alternating current to probe the battery. This is the same kind of current you get from a wall plug, though much weaker, and the impedance changes depending on the frequency of the alternating current, or how quickly the current changes its flow directions.One key measure is how impedance varies with frequency, or an impedance-frequency signature curve. We obtain it by sweeping the frequency from low to high, or millihertz to kilohertz frequencies. This curve is important because it is closely related to the internal material condition and state of the battery. It can be used to diagnose a battery for early fault warning or design better, safer batteries using the measured data. However, to make this work, it is necessary to build a relationship between the signature and the battery materials. &nbsp;Therefore, we came up with our own formula to describe the relationship, and it works for any combination of battery materials. After measuring impedance at a few frequencies, the formula can predict impedance as a function of frequency for a wide range frequency range.<h2>How will this formula help design new, better batteries?</h2>The formula serves as a tool to express material impedance from a few experimental data points. It simplifies the way to model how electricity moves through devices made with many materials, including batteries but also other electronic and photonic devices. Unlike earlier formulas, it doesn&rsquo;t need to know the microstructure of the material in advance.In battery development, the theory behind the formula helps researchers to understand the mechanisms that govern the performance of solid-state electrolytes, helping them to discover new and better electrolytes. Solid state electrolytes could make EV batteries safer, as liquid electrolytes are typically flammable.The formula can also help guide which measurements a research team should make next, enabling teams to be more efficient as they design better solid electrolytes. By isolating the impedance of solid-state electrolytes, the formula can also help researchers to pinpoint the impedance features of other components of batteries, such as electrodes, and tune them for better designs.Beyond the battery design stage, engineers can use the formula to help build concise and accurate models of the battery in the battery management system to deliver safer and more efficient control during charging and discharging.<h2>What are your next steps?</h2>We are going to incorporate this formula in our battery work. We have been working on explaining how solid-state electrolytes, a material for next-generation lithium batteries, transport ions. This is a key function, as the movement of ions within the battery drives electrons through the circuit to power devices. We plan to use this formula to understand and design solid state electrolytes with mixed materials, which can provide higher capacity and better safety.

A new formula makes sense of the way batteries respond to different alternating current frequencies, revealing materials, structures, faults and more.

Testing batteries for safety and performance without opening them up

Whether on glass surfaces of buildings, greenhouses or vehicles - with semi-transparent photovoltaics, usable areas for a climate-friendly energy supply could be significantly increased.&nbsp;In the SEMTRASOL research project, researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) are developing solar cells with precisely adjustable absorption properties and high efficiency.Organic solar cells are not only light, non-toxic, independent of rare raw materials and can be printed inexpensively and on a large scale.&nbsp;Compared to other photovoltaic technologies, they have another outstanding property: They can be made semi-transparent, which opens up many new applications.&nbsp;While silicon photovoltaics are now ubiquitously used to generate energy, the benefits of organic solar cells have been greatly underestimated.&nbsp;&quot;So the big breakthrough on the market hasn&#39;t materialized so far,&quot; says Dr.&nbsp;Christian Sprau from the Light Technology Institute of KIT.&nbsp;With his newly started research group and the SEMTRASOL research project, he wants to change that: &quot;With new material concepts and the latest organic semiconductors, it is becoming increasingly possible to<h2>Use on window fronts or in agriculture</h2>Organic solar cells use carbon-based semiconductors, which are typically characterized by narrow-band absorption ranges.&nbsp;Thanks to the development of novel acceptors, i.e. the electron-accepting molecules in the light-absorbing layer in a solar cell, they can now achieve efficiencies of up to 20 percent in the laboratory.&nbsp;Due to the large number of these new materials and in combination with targeted component design, it is possible to absorb incident light in precisely defined spectral ranges with a semi-transparent solar cell.&nbsp;In this way, areas can be used more than once in the future, Sprau explains: &quot;In agrivoltaics, for example, only the wavelengths required for growth have to reach the plants,&nbsp;whereas they are protected from other spectral components of light and can thus be prevented from drying out.&nbsp;The window front of a high-rise building, on the other hand, only has to let through the light that the human eye perceives as brightness.&nbsp;In both cases, high energy harvests can be achieved simultaneously with the unused portions of the sunlight.&rdquo;<h2>Booster for an accelerated energy transition</h2>According to the research team at KIT, a double use of space by photovoltaics will play an important role so that Germany and Europe can achieve climate neutrality in good time.&nbsp;The technological requirements have been met, and with SEMTRASOL they now want to be combined.&nbsp;&quot;Specific goals are tailoring the transparency, a printable and scalable component architecture, the use of the latest materials and environmentally friendly production,&quot; explains Sprau.&nbsp;&quot;It&#39;s not trivial, but I&#39;m convinced that semi-transparent solar cells will be a natural part of our everyday lives in the not too distant future.&quot; (mhe)<hr><h3>About SEMTRASOL</h3>The research project SEMTRASOL (stands for: Printable semi-transparent organic solar cells for photovoltaic surfaces of the future) is running at the Materials Science Center for Energy Systems and at the Light Technology Institute of KIT. The Vector Foundation is funding the research work as part of the junior group program &quot;MINT for the Environment&quot; with one million euros for four years.

In the research project SEMTRASOL, highly efficient, semi-transparent organic solar cells are being developed at KIT (Photo: KIT)

KIT develops highly efficient, semi-transparent organic solar cells

Photovoltaics: Energy Supply with a View

Proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), which are being developed for use in electric vehicles, rely on nanoparticles called catalysts to trigger electricity-producing reactions between hydrogen and oxygen. Most PEMFC catalysts contain platinum &ndash; a scarce and precious metal. There is therefore a pressing global need to develop catalysts that can generate the most power while minimizing platinum content.Manufacturers integrate these catalysts in complex assemblies called catalyst layers. Until now, they had to do so without a detailed picture of the resulting structure, as traditional imaging processes almost always cause some degree of damage.Vasiliki Tileli, head of the&nbsp;<a href="https://ine.epfl.ch/" target="_blank">Laboratory for in-situ nanomaterials characterization with electrons</a> in the School of Engineering, has found a way around this challenge. By imaging catalysts and their environment at below-freezing temperatures using cryogenic transmission electron tomography and processing the images with deep learning, she and her colleagues have succeeded in revealing, for the first time, the nanoscale structure of catalyst layers.&ldquo;We&rsquo;re still far away from PEMFCs without platinum, which is very expensive, so in the short term, we need to reduce platinum loading to make this technology viable for mass production. It&rsquo;s therefore imperative to understand how platinum sits in relation to other materials within the catalyst layer, to increase the surface area contact required for chemical reactions to take place,&rdquo; Tileli explains.&ldquo;That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s quite an achievement to image these catalysts in three dimensions; before, it was impossible to have the right contrast between the different catalyst layer components.&rdquo;The work has recently been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41929-023-00947-y" rel="noopener" target="_blank">published</a> in the journal&nbsp;Nature Catalysis.<h2>Better preservation; higher resolution</h2>During imaging using conventional electron microscopy, delicate catalyst layer samples often become damaged by electron beams, causing materials to shrink or deform. By carrying out the imaging&nbsp;in-situ at cryo-temperatures, Tileli and her team were able to preserve most of the catalyst layer&rsquo;s morphology. Then, they used a machine learning algorithm to more accurately denoise and classify the images, allowing them to achieve a higher image resolution than had ever previously been possible.Crucially, the scientists were able to reveal the heterogenous thickness of a porous polymer layer on the catalysts called ionomer. Ionomer thickness strongly influences how well platinum catalysts perform.&ldquo;The ionomer must have a certain thickness for the catalytic reactions to happen efficiently. Because we could do a full reconstruction of catalyst layers with limited damage to the structure, we could show, for the first time, how much platinum is covered with ionomer and the thickness of that coverage,&rdquo; Tileli explains.Such information could be a gold mine for catalyst manufacturers, who could use it to produce catalysts with more platinum particles that are covered by the right amount of ionomer &ndash; and that therefore perform optimally.&ldquo;The cryo-aspect is the key component of this study. Ionomers are like proteins: they are soft, and require freezing conditions to stabilize and protect their structure,&rdquo; Tileli says.&ldquo;I think this advanced technique will therefore be useful not just for facilitating the mass manufacturing of PEMFCs through optimized platinum use, but also for many different materials science and energy applications &ndash; for example, battery storage, water electrolysis, and energy conversion systems in general.&rdquo;<hr>ReferencesGirod, R., Lazaridis, T., Gasteiger, H.A. et al. Three-dimensional nanoimaging of fuel cell catalyst layers. Nat Catal (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41929-023-00947-y

Thanks to a novel combination of cryogenic transmission electron tomography and deep learning, EPFL researchers have provided a first look at the nanostructure of platinum catalyst layers, revealing how they could be optimized for fuel cell efficiency.

Cryo-imaging lifts the lid on fuel cell catalyst layers

The world needs cheap and powerful batteries that can store sustainably produced electricity from wind or sunlight so that we can use it whenever we need it, even when it&#39;s dark outside or there&#39;s no wind blowing. Most common batteries that power our smartphones and electric cars are lithium-ion batteries. These are quite expensive because worldwide demand for lithium is soaring, and these batteries are also highly flammable.Water-based Zinc batteries offer a promising alternative to these lithium-ion batteries. An international team of researchers led by ETH Zurich has now devised a strategy that brings key advances to the development of such zinc batteries, making them more powerful, safer and more environmentally friendly.<h2>Durability is a challenge</h2>There is a number of advantages to Zinc batteries: Zinc is abundant, cheap and has mature recycling infrastructure. Furthermore, zinc batteries can store a lot of electricity. &nbsp;Most importantly, zinc batteries don&rsquo;t necessarily require the use of highly flammable organic solvents as the electrolyte fluid, as they can also be made using water-based electrolytes instead.If only there weren&rsquo;t challenges that engineers must face with when developing these batteries: when zinc batteries are charged at high voltage, the water in electrolyte fluid reacts on one of the electrodes to form hydrogen gas. When this happens, the electrolyte fluid dwindles and battery performance decreases. Furthermore, this reaction causes excess pressure to build up in the battery that can be dangerous. Another issue is formation of spikey deposits of Zinc during charging of the battery, known as dendrites, that can pierce through the battery and in the worst case even cause short circuit and render the battery unusable.<h2>Salts make batteries toxic</h2>In recent years, engineers have pursued the strategy of enriching the aqueous liquid electrolyte with salts in order to keep the water content as low as possible. But there are also disadvantages to this: It makes the electrolyte fluid viscous, which slows down the charging and discharging processes considerably. In addition, many of the salts used contain fluorine, making them toxic and harmful to the environment.Maria Lukatskaya, Professor of Electrochemical Energy Systems at ETH Zurich, has now joined forces with colleagues from several research institutions in the United States and Switzerland to systematically search for the ideal salt concentration for water-based zinc-ion batteries. Using experiments supported by computer simulations, the researchers were able to reveal that the ideal salt concentration is not, as was previously assumed, the highest one possible, but a relatively low one: five to ten water molecules per salt&rsquo;s positive ion.<h2>Long-lasting performance and fast charging</h2>What&rsquo;s more, the researchers didn&rsquo;t use any environmentally harmful salts for their improvements, opting instead for environmentally friendly salts of acetic acid, called acetates. &ldquo;With an ideal concentration of acetates, we were able to minimise electrolyte depletion and prevent Zinc dendrites just as well as other scientists previously did with high concentrations of toxic salts,&rdquo; says Dario Gomez Vazquez, a doctoral student in Lukatskaya&rsquo;s group and lead author of the study. &ldquo;Moreover, with our approach, the batteries can be charged and discharged much faster.&rdquo;So far, the ETH researchers have tested their new battery strategy on a relatively small laboratory scale. The next step will be to scale up the approach and see if it can also be translated for large batteries. Ideally, these might one day be used as storage units in the power grid to compensate for fluctuations, say, or in the basements of single-family homes to allow solar power produced during the day to be used in the evening. There are still some challenges to overcome before zinc batteries will be ready for the market, as ETH Professor Lukatskaya explains: batteries consist of two electrodes &ndash; the anode and the cathode &ndash; and the electrolyte fluid between them. &ldquo;We showed that by tuning electrolyte composition efficient charging of Zinc anodes can be enabled,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Going forward, however, performance cathode materials will have to be optimised as well to realize durable and efficient zinc batteries.&rdquo;<hr><h2 id="isPasted">Reference</h2><a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/results?searchtext=Author%3ADario%20Gomez%20Vazquez" target="_blank">external pageGomez Vazquezcall_made</a> D, <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/results?searchtext=Author%3ATravis%20P.%20Pollard" target="_blank">external pagePollardcall_made</a> TP, <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/results?searchtext=Author%3AJulian%20Mars" target="_blank">external pageMarscall_made</a> J, <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/results?searchtext=Author%3AJi%20Mun%20Yoo" target="_blank">external pageYoocall_made</a> JM, <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/results?searchtext=Author%3AHans-Georg%20Steinr%C3%BCck" target="_blank">external pageSteinr&uuml;ckcall_made</a> HG, <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/results?searchtext=Author%3ASharon%20E.%20Bone" target="_blank">external pageBonecall_made</a> SE, <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/results?searchtext=Author%3AOlga%20V.%20Safonova" target="_blank">external pageSafonovacall_made</a> OV, <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/results?searchtext=Author%3AMichael%20F.%20Toney" target="_blank">external pageToneycall_made</a> MF, <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/results?searchtext=Author%3AOleg%20Borodin" target="_blank">external pageBorodincall_made</a> O, <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/results?searchtext=Author%3AMaria%20R.%20Lukatskaya" target="_blank">external pageLukatskayacall_made</a> MR: Creating water-in-salt-like environment using coordinating anions in non-concentrated aqueous electrolytes for efficient Zn batteries. Energy &amp; Environmental Science, 13 March 2023, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1039/D3EE00205E" target="_blank">external page10.1039/D3EE00205E</a>

Zinc batteries are considered promising alternatives to lithium-​ion batteries. (Visualisations: ETH Zurich / Xin Zou)

It is not easy to make batteries cheap, efficient, durable, safe and environmentally friendly at the same time. Researchers at ETH Zurich have now succeeded in uniting all of these characteristics in zinc metal batteries.

Progress in alternative battery technology

<h2 id="isPasted">Introduction</h2>The 21st century has seen a rapid advancement in semiconductor technology, leading to the development of highly complex electronic devices and systems. Engineers today face the challenge of delivering high levels of performance and functionality within increasingly restrictive size and power constraints. Moreover, with a rising global focus on minimizing energy costs and gas emissions, the cost and power requirements of electronic devices will only become more demanding. Therefore, engineers and designers must have an in-depth understanding of the devices and components they are utilizing to build complex systems.&nbsp;Currently, a number of manufacturers around the globe offer discrete semiconductor device technologies with features suitable for wide-ranging applications. However, there is a gap between the technical specifications of these devices, their behaviours and operating principles and the knowledge and understanding of the engineers who use them. This know-how is imperative for engineers today to achieve the high-efficiency standards set by consumers.&nbsp;Nexperia, a global producer of essential semiconductor devices, recognizes these design challenges, and aims to address them by providing engineers and designers with a greater understanding of their products and solutions. They are doing this by developing a comprehensive library of advanced support tools comprising of improved simulation models, interactive application notes, video resources and handbooks[1]. Nexperia&rsquo;s aim is to facilitate engineers while using its products in their designs to achieve a higher level of efficiently, reduced costs and faster time to market.<h2>Precision Electrothermal Models</h2>Compared to integrated circuit (IC) components, board level discrete power devices are typically manufactured with very limited modelling data. These models are simulated using a few device parameters covering only typical temperatures and do not provide an in-depth analysis of the device&rsquo;s behaviour at extended temperature ranges. When designing more complex systems, engineers are therefore, forced to resort to their experience or estimation to analyse device performance in wider case scenarios.&nbsp;Data regarding characteristics like electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is often completely overlooked. This means that critical weaknesses and flaws in electromagnetic interference and compatibility are sometimes only revealed after complete product design and testing. As a result, companies have to do costly and time consuming debugging and redesigning late in the product design cycle.To solve this issue, Nexperia has released highly comprehensive Electrothermal models for its power MOSFETs[2,3]. These models were developed in close collaboration with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) with focus on their application specific requirements regarding modelling data. The models provide engineers with the thermal and electrical interdependency data of all device parameters simulated across a large operating temperature range of -55 &deg;C to 175 &deg;C.&nbsp;The electrothermal models also include reverse diode recovery time and better estimations of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) performance. The EMC modelling of devices is especially important, as EMC performance cannot be tested until a device is fully manufactured. Without simulation data, engineers would have to completely redesign a product if it does not meet the specified EMC criteria. Accurate models representing EMC and reverse diode recovery time allow engineers to build more complex systems, save valuable design time, and lower the risk of re-design costs.&nbsp;Nexperia&rsquo;s advanced electrothermal models allow devices to be simulated under all possible thermal and electrical conditions that will be encountered in their applied use. Consequently, engineers can design products and systems with complete confidence of their end operation.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GS-mlkSKcRc??list=TLGGURexvjFQ50QyMTA0MjAyMw&wmode=opaque&rel=0&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe><h2>Quick Learning Videos</h2>Another unique support tool offered by Nexperia is a compilation of &ldquo;Quick Learning Videos&rdquo;[4]. As the name suggests, the videos are created to provide users with quick and easy understanding of the principles behind Nexperia products. The videos are designed in the traditional chalkboard style to make learning more convenient and informal and can be used by professional engineers and amateur designers alike to get a head start in creating new products.The videos encompass a range of topics from basics like the correct method of interpreting a device datasheet, selecting the right power MOSFET for a specific application as well as more advanced topics such as the design considerations for sub-milliohm MOSFETs, evaluation of switching performances and connecting various devices to the power MOSFETs. The videos feature Nexperia&rsquo;s own community of engineers and designers who guide the audience on insights regarding its products and best practices of designing and testing.Although the videos focus on Nexperia&rsquo;s products, however, they are a valuable resource for anyone hoping to learn about power MOSFET design. They also prove to be an effective tool in introducing Nexperia&rsquo;s products and solutions to customers worldwide and help them understand which applications they are best suited for.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GFVde4Nayqw?&wmode=opaque&rel=0&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe><h2>Interactive Application Notes</h2>Analysing extensive datasheets to work out the operating parameters of a device is familiar for electronics engineers. Nexperia has transformed this previously often tedious activity by introducing interactive application notes. This novel approach allows engineers to use embedded Cloud-based simulations and see the behavior of the company&rsquo;s Power MOSFETs[5].&nbsp;Users can open an application note and view a component&rsquo;s simulation simply by clicking on it. From there, users can open the schematics of the design and play around with different device parameters. The notes are designed to aid in modelling any physical system comprising electrical, mechanical, electromechanical, thermal or pneumatic components. They also provide guidelines on how to employ various power designs and topologies leading to design optimization, faster prototyping and a greater degree of design validation before moving on to the manufacturing stage.&nbsp;<h2>Engineer&rsquo;s Handbook</h2>Perhaps the largest and most comprehensive resource provided by Nexperia is its Engineer&rsquo;s handbook [6]. It is designed to provide up-to-date information to professional engineers using a collection of technical data and application notes. The handbook is a &ldquo;go to&rdquo; resource for engineers tasked with integrating MOSFETs and GaN FETs into real-world systems, already appearing on the workstations of tens of thousands of engineers, and rated 4.8 out of 5 stars by readers.Through the handbook, Nexperia shares the expertise and knowledge gathered by its engineers through decades of assisting customers in building their applications through the initial stages of prototyping all the way to end production. The handbook investigates issues and challenges an engineer typically faces when dealing with complex designs using MOSFETs and Power GaN FETs. Coming from the perspective of veteran engineers who have had hands-on experience with these devices, the book serves as a guide that is more helpful than any publication written from a purely theoretical or academic point of view.The MOSFET and GaN FET <a href="https://efficiencywins.nexperia.com/efficient-products/nexperia-design-engineers-guides.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Engineers&rsquo; Handbook</a> features in a library of Design Engineers&rsquo; Guides from Nexperia, with additional editions for ESD Protection, Diodes, and Logic products.<h2>Design Acceleration with Nexperia</h2>Nexperia&rsquo;s advanced support tools tackle a crucial problem in modern electronic design i.e. the increasing compromise between design complexity, efficiency, cost and time. Engineers are expected to produce highly complex systems with dozens of interdependent parameters and deliver the complete design within ever-tightening time, size, cost, and power constraints. In order to achieve this, they must be equipped with the most relevant and practical information and knowledge regarding their tools and materials.&nbsp;Nexperia&rsquo;s advanced support tools aim to achieve this on several distinct levels. The electrothermal models and application notes are designed to give engineers the complete arsenal required to design a system for unpredictable or extreme electrical and thermal conditions. On the other hand, the quick learning videos and handbooks are to help and aid the engineer in a visual manner regarding design pitfalls and best practices.&nbsp;The tools can allow engineers and amateur designers to spend more time optimizing their project rather than waste valuable time and resources on the initial steps of device selection and behavioural simulation. In turn, companies can develop prototypes faster with more certainty of their performance.<h2>About the sponsor: Nexperia</h2>Nexperia is a dedicated global leader in Discretes, Logic and MOSFETs. We became independent at the beginning of 2017. Focused on efficiency, Nexperia produces consistently reliable semiconductor components at high volume: more than 90 billion annually. &nbsp;Our extensive portfolio meets the stringent standards set by the automotive industry. And industry-leading small packages, produced in our own manufacturing facilities, combine power and thermal efficiency with best-in-class quality levels. Built on over half a century of expertise, Nexperia has over 11,000 employees across Asia, Europe and the U.S. supporting customers globally.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjgyMDY0MzYzOTUyLW5leHBlcmlhIGxvZ28ucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h3>References</h3>&nbsp;1.&nbsp;Nexperia. Advanced Support Tools [Internet]. Nexperia. [cited 2023 Apr 2]. Available from: https://www.nexperia.com/applications/advanced-support-tools/2.&nbsp;Nexperia. Advanced Support Tools - Electrothermal MOSFET models [Internet]. Nexperia. [cited 2023 Apr 3]. Available from: https://www.nexperia.com/applications/advanced-support-tools/3.&nbsp;Berry A. Discrete MOSFETs Finally Get the Models they Deserve [Internet]. Nexperia. [cited 2023 Apr 3]. Available from: https://efficiencywins.nexperia.com/efficient-products/Discrete-MOSFETs-Finally-Get-the-Models-they-Deserve.html4.&nbsp;Nexperia. Advanced Support Tools - Quick Learning Videos [Internet]. Nexperia. [cited 2023 Apr 3]. Available from: https://www.nexperia.com/applications/advanced-support-tools/5.&nbsp;Nexperia. Advanced Support Tools - Interactive Application Notes [Internet]. Nexperia. [cited 2023 Apr 3]. Available from: https://www.nexperia.com/applications/advanced-support-tools/6.&nbsp;Nexperia. MOSFET and GaN FET application handbook | Efficiency Wins [Internet]. 2nd ed. 2020 [cited 2023 Apr 3]. 600 p. Available from: https://efficiencywins.nexperia.com/efficient-products/mosfet-and-gan-fet-application-handbook.html

Semiconductor manufacturers are providing more support to engineers to  support in the design of highly complex electronic systems. The tools include highly detailed models of semiconductor devices, interactive application notes, quick learning videos and a handbook designed specifically for power electronics engineers.