Director of Application Engineering
Automotive Team – Vehicle Motion

Presentation Title: Challenges & Opportunities for SiC in Automotive Applications

Abstract: The automotive industry is set for rapid growth of Electric Vehicles in the coming years, and this brings with it a great demand for efficient power conversion within the vehicle.  This call for efficiency is driven by automakers wanting to both increase the range of their vehicles, while also maintaining cost effective battery capacities.  So, while the automotive industry is going through it’s own rapid conversion to electrification, the power semiconductor industry is seeing a disruption of it’s own; the rapid changeover of traditional silicon devices, like IGBTs and Super Junction MOSFETs, to SiC based devices.  The introduction of SiC MOSFETs into traction inverters, On-Board Charger, and DC-DC converters brings with it large gains in efficiency, but it is not without challenges.  Semiconductor manufacturers must address key headwinds such as reliability concerns, building the necessary capacity and obtaining the needed quantities of raw materials to meet automotive demand, all while meeting the cost targets of the carmakers which are needed to product EVs profitably.  This presentation will discuss both the benefits of SiC for automotive applications as well as how the challenges are being addressed.

Bio: Carl Bonfiglio is a veteran of the automotive industry having spent the past 20 years focusing on automotive semiconductors and electronics.  He currently holds the position of Director of Application Engineering with Infineon Technologies in North America and is responsible for growing Infineon’s Vehicle Motion segment, which focuses on electrified powertrains.

 Prior to his current role, Carl held various positions in the field of application engineering and business development within Infineon.  He developed an expertise in the area of microcontrollers and automotive electronic systems such as powertrain controls, hybrid and electric vehicle components, and safety systems.   

Carl earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan and a M.B.A. from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.

Outside of his professional career, Carl enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, golfing, and honing his skills as an amateur chef.