Date: 10/08/2015

Cree acquires APEI

Cree acquired APEI, a Silicon Carbide (SiC) semiconductor material based power module maker. In 2014, both Cree and APEI co developed Silicon Carbide-based Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Battery Charger on an ARPA-E program, which received award.

“Adding this expert team of innovators and portfolio of patents will enable us to further disrupt and expand the market,” said Frank Plastina, executive vice president, Cree Power and RF. “Extending our research and development 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.”

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

The APEI team, now Cree Fayetteville, Inc., will continue to be based in Fayetteville, AR., and will operate as part of Cree’s Power and RF business.
Author: Srinivasa Reddy N
Author: Srinivasa Reddy N