Excellence in Power: Three pillars driving Toshiba’s approach

In a video interview recorded at PCIM 2025, Armin Derpmanns, Vice President and Head of Marketing & Operations, and Matthias Diephaus, General Manager of Semiconductor Product Marketing at Toshiba Electronics Europe, discuss what Excellence in Power means for the company. Their conversation highlights the three pillars that underpin this approach: technology, quality, and sustainability. Together, these principles guide the development, manufacture, and delivery of Toshiba’s power semiconductor solutions for industrial, automotive, and energy applications.

Innovation with purpose

Power electronics play a central role in enabling efficient energy use and supporting the shift to electrification in transport, industry, and infrastructure. Toshiba’s work in this field builds on more than 150 years of engineering experience and a track record of introducing first-to-market innovations.

Toshiba’s current technology development combines expertise in digital solutions with the capabilities of its power semiconductor portfolio. This synergy enables the design of solutions that closely align with customer requirements, from discrete devices to integrated systems.

The company is actively advancing both wide bandgap (WBG) technologies, such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), and silicon-based devices. The recent launch of a 300mm wafer production line in Kaga, Japan, marks a significant step forward in manufacturing capability. Here, Toshiba applies AI-driven process optimisation to improve production efficiency and product quality, with plans for further capacity expansion.

Recent product introductions demonstrate the breadth of Toshiba’s development focus. These include:

●      1200V SiC MOSFET for traction inverters, optimised for switching performance and efficiency, and offered as a bare die for design flexibility

●      Reverse-conducting IGBT (RC-IGBT) devices that combine efficient switching with proven silicon technology

●      Low-voltage MOSFETs incorporating Toshiba’s latest chip designs to achieve extremely low RDS(on), supporting compact, efficient power stages

●      SmartMCD motor control ICs with integrated digital and analog functions, reducing external component count and lowering total system cost

●      Isolation and protection devices, including photo couplers, high-voltage photo relays for battery management systems, and gate drivers with active Miller clamp

These developments are guided by the aim of providing reliable, efficient, and application-focused power solutions that engineers can confidently integrate.

Quality, built into every stage

At Toshiba, quality is embedded throughout the entire product lifecycle, from initial design and component selection to manufacturing and delivery. The company’s approach is defined by a strong customer focus, ensuring that every device meets the specific requirements of its intended application. Toshiba maintains full compliance with all relevant laws and industry standards in every market where it operates. Continuous improvement is a core part of the company’s culture, with lessons from each production cycle feeding back into the processes. Robust risk management practices are applied to anticipate and address potential reliability issues. Above all, Toshiba is committed to transparency, giving customers clear insight into how the quality is maintained and monitored. This disciplined approach helps achieve and sustain exceptionally low defect rates across the portfolio.

Long-term commitment to sustainability

Toshiba’s Environmental Future Vision 2050 defines its commitment to supporting a sustainable society. This work focuses on mitigating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions across operations and supply chain. The company promotes a circular economy by designing products and manufacturing processes that conserve resources, extend product life, and enable recycling. Toshiba also prioritise preserving ecosystems by minimising environmental impact and managing natural resources responsibly. As an active member of the Carbon Disclosure Project, Toshiba implements proactive environmental management programmes aimed at consistently maintaining an A- rating or higher. Progress on these initiatives, along with long-term targets, is covered in company’s Environmental Report.

Power for the future

Excellence in Power is not a slogan; it is a framework that guides how Toshiba approaches technology development, manufacturing, and environmental responsibility. By combining innovation in power electronics, a rigorous approach to quality, and a long-term sustainability strategy, Toshiba aims to deliver solutions that meet today’s application demands and help shape a more efficient, resilient energy future.