FREMONT, Calif., Nov. 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aehr Test Systems ( NASDAQ: AEHR), a worldwide supplier of semiconductor test and reliability qualification equipment, is pleased to announce today that it has joined the PowerAmerica Institute (PowerAmerica), a public-private research initiative dedicated to accelerating the adoption of high performing, next generation silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) power electronics.

The collaboration will result in bringing next generation silicon carbide and gallium nitride power electronics to markets faster, reducing cost and risk factors associated with new generation technologies. An organization that brings together the semiconductor manufacturers and the companies that use semiconductor power electronics in their products, PowerAmerica Institute is well placed as an information hub. With the backing of the U.S. Department of Energy and the engagement of top researchers, knowledge and processes can be provided to educate the American workforce and provide more innovative product designs.

“Wafer test and burn-in equipment play a key role in high volume SiC and GaN production, as wafer level stress testing contributes to highly reliable SiC and GaN power electronic products," said Victor Veliadis, Executive Director of PowerAmerica. "We welcome Aehr to the PowerAmerica family and look forward to working with them to accelerate the adoption of wide bandgap technology.”

Gayn Erickson, President and CEO of Aehr Test Systems, commented, “Aehr Test is excited about becoming the newest member of PowerAmerica and joining the other prestigious organizations in advancing wide bandgap (WBG) Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) technologies and accelerating the next generation of power electronics. We look forward to joining some of the brightest minds in WBG research, device manufacturing, power electronics and systems, with the objective of reducing cost and the inherent risks in this new technology.

“Wide bandgap semiconductors permit devices to operate at much higher temperatures, voltages, and frequencies, making the power electronic modules using these materials significantly more powerful and energy efficient than those made from conventional semiconductor materials. The benefits of bringing the more robust and cost effective SiC and GaN technologies to market will drive longer range in electric vehicles, along with energy savings in consumer, data center and industrial processes and help deliver renewable energy onto the electric grid.”

About PowerAmerica
PowerAmerica is a public-private partnership between industry, government, national labs, and academia, that is accelerating the commercialization of wide bandgap semiconductor technology. These energy efficient silicon carbide and gallium nitride technologies improve the performance of a wide range of products and systems, including electric vehicles, battery chargers, renewable energy and defense systems. In doing so, silicon carbide and gallium nitride technology is expanding U.S. manufacturing and creating new jobs

About Aehr Test Systems
Headquartered in Fremont, California, Aehr Test Systems is a worldwide provider of test systems for burning-in and testing logic, optical and memory integrated circuits and has installed over 2,500 systems worldwide. Increased quality and reliability needs of the Automotive and Mobility integrated circuit markets are driving additional test requirements, incremental capacity needs, and new opportunities for Aehr Test products in package, wafer level, and singulated die/module level test. Aehr Test has developed and introduced several innovative products, including the ABTS™ and FOX-P™ families of test and burn-in systems and FOX WaferPak™ Aligner, FOX-XP WaferPak Contactor, FOX DiePak^® Carrier and FOX DiePak Loader. The ABTS system is used in production and qualification testing of packaged parts for both lower power and higher power logic devices as well as all common types of memory devices. The FOX-XP and FOX-NP systems are full wafer contact and singulated die/module test and burn-in systems used for burn-in and functional test of complex devices, such as leading-edge memories, digital signal processors, microprocessors, microcontrollers, systems-on-a-chip, and integrated optical devices. The FOX-CP system is a new low-cost single-wafer compact test and reliability verification solution for logic, memory and photonic devices and the newest addition to the FOX-P product family. The WaferPak contactor contains a unique full wafer probe card capable of testing wafers up to 300mm that enables IC manufacturers to perform test and burn-in of full wafers on Aehr Test FOX systems. The DiePak Carrier is a reusable, temporary package that enables IC manufacturers to perform cost-effective final test and burn-in of both bare die and modules. For more information, please visit Aehr Test Systems’ website at www.aehr.com.

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