CDIL teams up with Infineon to power India’s semiconductor ambitions

Homegrown semiconductor company Continental Device India Pvt Ltd (CDIL) is collaborating with Infineon Technologies, one of the world’s largest power semiconductor firms, to bring customised power solutions to the Indian market. As part of this collaboration, Germany’s Infineon will supply high-performance bare die wafers to Mohali-based CDIL, which will package them into discrete and module semiconductor products tailored to meet the needs of Indian customers.

Acknowledging the collaboration as a significant milestone for India’s semiconductor ambitions, Prithvideep Singh, General Manager of CDIL, said, “Just as we have ‘Intel Inside’ in computers, our power semiconductor devices will be akin to having ‘Infineon Inside.’ There is a vast opportunity in the Indian market, especially in power semiconductors. India is making rapid strides in renewable energy, electric vehicles, servers, and data centres. All these sectors require power electronics, creating a significant market for power semiconductors in India.”

The power semiconductor devices customised by CDIL will cater to various sectors, including:

Automotive and mobility, by supporting next-generation vehicle electronics and electrification.

Renewable energy and power semiconductors, with high-efficiency solutions for solar, wind, and power management applications.

Industrial and consumer applications, by enhancing energy efficiency, performance, and security in smart appliances and manufacturing processes.

“We are excited to partner with CDIL to drive growth and innovation in India's semiconductor ecosystem. Through this collaboration, we will deliver cutting-edge power semiconductor products and solutions to customers, addressing the growing demand in e-mobility, renewable energy, and energy-efficient appliances in India,” said Richard Kuncic, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Power Systems, Infineon Technologies. This collaboration also aims to ensure a cost-optimised, locally integrated supply, providing customers with high-performance, reliable, and energy-efficient solutions with significantly reduced lead times.

CDIL has already received wafers for trials, and following the qualification process, the power semiconductor devices will be shipped to Indian customers in the coming financial year. “Technology qualification, especially in semiconductors, takes time. We have our in-house automotive-grade and space-grade reliability lab, where we subject components to extreme stress tests. For example, we cycle devices between -55°C and +150°C for 500 to 1,000 cycles. This process exposes the device to extreme temperature variations. We also place them in high-humidity chambers while passing high current through them,” explained Singh.

CDIL has a long-standing presence in India’s semiconductor space. Founded in 1964, the company initially operated as an integrated device manufacturer (IDM) with in-house chip design, assembly, packaging, and wafer fabrication. However, in 2008, it pivoted to a fabless model, outsourcing fabrication while continuing to focus on semiconductor design, assembly, and testing. Today, CDIL has an annual packaging capacity of 650 million units. Over the last two years, it has expanded its operations to package products for the automotive sector, and last month, it added another production line dedicated to the solar sector.

CDIL has not applied under the Semicon India Programme, launched by the Government of India in December 2021. However, Singh acknowledged applying for the Ministry of Electronics & IT’s Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS), which was notified on April 1, 2020. “We have our facilities and clean rooms in place at our existing facility, providing ample room for expansion. Our new production line, launched in 2023, was developed under the SPECS scheme, even before the India Semiconductor Mission was introduced,” Singh added.