What sorts of differences are seen?
There are two major areas of difference and each impacts performance: • Workmanship: In good quality devices, manufacturers strive for superior alignment of semiconductor pellets, strong bonds between pellets and conductor tabs, strong bonds between tabs and substrates, and superior cleanliness. In poor quality devices, electrical and thermal shorting can be created by bad alignment and debris; furthermore, inadequate bonds can compromise strength. • Material Technology: Each manufacturer jealously guards its formulation of semiconductor material. Some companies, like Tellurex, have become international standards for the benchmarking of their materials. In fact, Tellurex has exclusive worldwide licensing to the highest performing power generation materials. Other companies are not as successful in the development of semiconductor material, and the differences in performance can be highly significant.
