News
Furukawa Electric Develops New Low Young's Modulus Heat-Resistant Oxygen-Free Copper (TOFC) to Enhance Power Semiconductor Module Performance
Thursday, November 27, 2025 at 03:40 AM
Furukawa Electric has developed "TOFC," a low Young's modulus heat-resistant oxygen-free copper, to be used in components like heat sinks and terminals for power semiconductor modules. The new material is designed to significantly improve reliability by suppressing warping, deformation, and thermal stress in high-temperature applications, which is critical for next-generation SiC-based modules used in EVs, renewable energy, and data centers.
Context
On November 27, 2025, materials supplier Furukawa Electric announced the development of "TOFC," a new oxygen-free copper designed to solve a critical reliability problem in high-performance power semiconductor modules. As electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy systems demand more power, the SiC and GaN chips inside generate extreme heat, causing standard copper components to warp and break their connections. This material innovation directly targets that failure point, promising to enhance the durability of power modules essential for the green energy transition.
The new material's key advantage is its unique combination of properties: it maintains a low Young's modulus of 85 GPa for flexibility while resisting heat up to 500°C—a significant improvement over conventional copper. This reduces thermal stress during operation, a crucial benefit for power module manufacturers like Fuji Electric. Furukawa Electric plans to begin mass production and sales during fiscal year 2025, signaling a near-term opportunity for supply chain integration into next-generation EV inverters and power control units.
Sources (13)
Furukawa Electric Develops Oxygen-free Copper Strips ...Electronic Product Materials - Copper and Copper AlloySee raw diffDevelopment of Oxygen-free Copper Strips “GOFC” With ...古河電工、パワー半導体モジュールの高性能化を可能とする低 ...低ヤング率耐熱無酸素銅TOFC™を開発｜2025｜ニュースリリース2025｜News Release｜Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.News Release｜Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
Related Companies
Fuji Electric
6504