9 July 2015

Cree acquires SiC power module firm APEI

Cree Inc of Durham, NC, USA, which makes silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) power and RF products as well as LEDs, has acquired Arkansas Power Electronics International Inc (APEI) of Fayetteville, AR, USA, a provider of power modules and power electronics applications.

Cree reckons that, by combining two highly complementary firms, the acquisition enables its Power & RF business to help accelerate the market for SiC power modules, as well as strengthening the firm's position in SiC power electronics, infusing the Power & RF business with additional intellectual property and applications expertise at the systems level from APEI. The companies' shared focus on delivering SiC power products has already led to collaboration on multiple government contracts. In 2014, the co-development of a High-Performance Silicon Carbide-based Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Battery Charger on an ARPA-E program resulted in an R&D 100 award (recognizing the 100 most innovative technology advancements of the year).

"Extending our R&D capabilities with APEI, a leader in wide-bandgap power R&D, will help us accelerate delivery of a full spectrum of SiC power modules to meet customer requirements for performance and cost," says Frank Plastina, executive VP, Cree Power and RF.

"Joining forces with the market leader in silicon carbide power gives us an opportunity to commercialize our products faster," comments APEI's president & CEO Dr Alex Lostetter. "This ideal combination of chip technology and packaging will give us first-mover advantage, helping us to set the industry standard for power modules," he reckons.

The APEI team (now Cree Fayetteville Inc) will continue to be based in Fayetteville and will operate as part of Cree's Power & RF business. The transaction is not targeted to have a material impact on Cree's fiscal 2016 earnings. 

Tags: Cree APEI SiC power modules

Visit: www.apei.net

Visit: www.cree.com/power