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IDTechEx Discusses Ag Sintering and Cu Sintering

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BOSTON, June 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Thermal management for EV power electronics has long posed significant challenges. The ongoing shift from Si IGBT and SiC MOSFET to potentially GaN HEMT in the future results in higher junction temperatures and increased demand for die-attach materials in EV power modules. In traditional Si IGBT power modules, die-attach materials like Pb95Sn5 and Pb92.5Sn5Ag2.5 struggle to meet reliability requirements for packaging power devices in high-temperature applications due to creep-fatigue concerns. Additionally, substrate-attach materials such as Sn96.5Ag3Cu0.5, with lower melting temperatures than solder used for die attachment, further constrain the reliability of SiC power modules for high-temperature applications. These challenges drive the market toward silver sinter materials, with the potential to extend to copper sinter materials, offering cost reductions.

Despite cost advantages, the IDTechEx report “Thermal Management for EV Power Electronics 2024-2034: Forecasts, Technologies, Markets, and Trends” identifies barriers hindering the widespread commercialization of copper sintering, such as challenging manufacturing environments due to copper oxidation and comparable or even higher costs than silver sintering as of early 2024 due to smaller commercialization scales.

Conventional die-attach and substrate-attach materials typically consist of solder alloys, featuring bondline thicknesses ranging from 50 to 100µm for die attachment and 100 to 150µm for substrate attachment. Despite their satisfactory performance, IDTechEx observes a growing preference for Ag sintering, driven by major automotive OEMs like Tesla, BYD, and Hyundai. Compared to traditional solder alloys, Ag sintering offers higher thermal conductivity (between 200 and 300W/mK), potentially reducing thermal resistance from junction to case by over 40%, along with significantly higher melting points and decreased electrical resistivity.

With the adoption of SiC MOSFETs, IDTechEx forecasts that Ag sintering will capture nearly or over 50% market share in regions like China in the near future, presenting significant market opportunities for thermal material suppliers.

Much of the available sintered Ag on the market requires pressure during sintering to enhance bond characteristics and reduce porosity, significantly reducing sintering time. However, this approach has drawbacks, including decreased yield and efficiency for bonding multiple chips, especially with complex architecture. Further, it also requires additional steps and machines, leading to higher costs. Therefore, manufacturers tend to avoid this and wait for solutions that are easy to implement in their already existing infrastructure: pressure-less sintering. Pressure-less sintering offers lower cost barriers and benefits in sinter-bonding multiple chips but is reliable only for surfaces with areas between 4 and 25mm2. More details about the pressure-less sintering process are included in IDTechEx’s report, ‘Thermal Management for EV Power Electronics 2024-2034: Forecasts, Technologies, Markets, and Trends’.

The cost of Ag sintering can vary significantly based on factors like customer relationships, order volumes, and suppliers. Ag sintered paste costs can easily be five to ten times higher than solder alloys. For instance, IDTechEx learned of an Ag sintered paste developed by a Japanese company costing around US$2-3/g, though this price has the potential to decrease significantly with increased volume and other material properties. Another supplier suggests that its sintered silver paste costs around US$1,400/kg. Overall, driven by leading automotive players, there is a discernible trend toward replacing solder alloys with Ag sintering pastes, creating market opportunities for material suppliers.

Cu sintering is proposed as an alternative approach to address the cost factor. Compared to Ag sintering, Cu sintering aims to offer similar performance at a lower cost. A supplier informed IDTechEx that Cu sintering technology can cost as little as half as much as Ag sintering technology. However, oxidation remains a significant challenge for Cu sintering. Therefore, a combination of a controlled atmosphere and reducing solvent/binders is the focus on the production of reliable materials. Cu sintering pastes have pressure and pessure-less variants under N2 or H2. However, this presents challenges during processing, leading to concerns around reliability.

IDTechEx is not aware of any automaker using Cu sintered materials as of early 2024, but given the historic timeline for Ag sintering adoption, IDTechEx forecasts that the large-scale commercialization will happen within five years and potentially as soon as late 2024 or early 2025.

IDTechEx’s ‘Thermal Management for EV Power Electronics 2024-2034’ provides a comprehensive overview of Ag and Cu sintering technologies market opportunities, competitive landscapes, supply chains, and key players in the substrate-attach and die-attach sectors. To find out more about this report, including downloadable sample pages, please see www.IDTechEx.com/TMPE.

IDTechEx has also published a report on thermal interface materials, which includes details on die-attach and TIM2s for other emerging applications, including advanced driver-assisted systems (ADAS), 5G, data center semiconductors, EV batteries, and consumer electronics. To find out more about this report, including downloadable sample pages, please see www.IDTechEx.com/TIM.

For the full portfolio of thermal management market research from IDTechEx, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/Research/Thermal.

About IDTechEx:

IDTechEx provides trusted independent research on emerging technologies and their markets. Since 1999, we have been helping our clients to understand new technologies, their supply chains, market requirements, opportunities and forecasts. For more information, contact research@IDTechEx.com or visit www.IDTechEx.com.

Media Contact:
Lucy Rogers
Sales and Marketing Administrator
press@IDTechEx.com
+44(0)1223 812300

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LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/IDTechEx

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Booking.com’s Latest Travel and Sustainability Research Reveals Australian Generational Paradox

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SYDNEY, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today Booking.com released its 11th annual research report into consumer attitudes and understanding of the social and environmental impact of travel. With insights from 32,500 travellers across 35 markets globally, including 1,000 from Australia, this year’s research highlights a generational paradox.

While 83% of Australian travellers say that more sustainable travel is important to them, older generations demonstrate greater commitment through concrete actions, despite younger generations often expressing stronger sustainability intentions.

Older generations demonstrate greater commitment through concrete sustainable actions, with almost two–thirds of Boomers across Asia Pacific (63%) saying they will shop more at local, independent stores on their trips, three–quarters (75%) planning to reduce general waste, and 63% intending to reduce energy consumption, higher than Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z.However, younger travellers are leading in cultural and conservation management; more than a quarter of Gen Z (27%) and Millennials (26%) participated in a tour or activity that contributed to the health or conservation of the local ecosystem or wildlife.Extreme weather is actively reshaping travel choices. Nearly three-quarters of Australian travellers said they consider extreme weather risk when choosing both destination (72%), and timing (75%), and 27% reported having cancelled or changed trip plans in the past twelve months due to extreme weather or natural disaster.Australian travellers are shifting when and where they travel, seeking reliable climates and comfort. 43% say they plan to avoid overcrowded tourist destinations, 42% plan to travel outside of peak season, and 26% will seek out destinations with cooler temperatures.In 2025, travellers booked more than 100 million room nights on Booking.com at accommodation partners with a third-party sustainability certification, including at 363 third-party certified Australian properties.

To find Booking.com’s full 2026 research, visit here.

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/bookingcoms-latest-travel-and-sustainability-research-reveals-australian-generational-paradox-302760310.html

SOURCE Booking.com

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Florida Physician Specialists Data Breach: Edelson Lechtzin LLP Launches Investigation into Exposure of Personal Information

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National class action firm offering free case evaluations to individuals impacted by the Florida Physician Specialists cybersecurity incident

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., May 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Edelson Lechtzin LLP, a national class action law firm, is investigating data privacy claims arising from the Florida Physician Specialists data breach. Florida Physician Specialists learned of the cybersecurity incident between November 27 and 29, 2025.

What Happened

Florida Physician Specialists discovered that its network was hacked between November 27 and 29, 2025. An investigation launched in late November 2025 confirmed that an unauthorized third party accessed its network. The review of the exposed data was completed on April 6, 2026.

Information Exposed

Affected personal data includes full names and one or more of the following: Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers or state identification numbers, other government identification numbers, financial account information, credit or debit card information, medical information, and/or health insurance policy information.

Who May Be Impacted

Individuals who received a data breach notification from Florida Physician Specialists may face an increased risk of identity theft and fraud.

Your Legal Options

Edelson Lechtzin LLP is investigating a potential class action to pursue legal remedies on behalf of individuals whose sensitive personal data may have been compromised in the Florida Physician Specialists breach. The firm will evaluate your rights and potential claims at no cost.

Recommended Protective Steps

Review account statements and credit reports regularly and remain vigilant for suspicious activity. Confirm whether your information was involved in the Florida Physician Specialists incident and preserve any letters or emails you received about the breach. Consider placing fraud alerts and credit monitoring.

Contact Us for a Free Case Evaluation

Speak confidentially with a data privacy attorney today: Marc Edelson, Esq., Edelson Lechtzin LLP, 411 S. State Street, Suite N-300, Newtown, PA 18940; Phone: 844-696-7492 ext. 2; Email: medelson@edelson-law.com; Web: www.edelson-law.com. Or click HERE to request a free consultation.

About Florida Physician Specialists

Based in Jacksonville, Florida, Florida Physician Specialists is a multi-specialty private physician practice serving patients in Northeast Florida.

About Edelson Lechtzin LLP

Edelson Lechtzin LLP is a national class action law firm with offices in Pennsylvania and California. In addition to data breach litigation, the firm handles class and collective actions involving securities and investment fraud, federal antitrust violations, ERISA employee benefit plans, wage theft, and consumer fraud

Media and Partnership Inquiries: Use the contact information above to connect with our team regarding interviews, co-counsel opportunities, and referral partnerships.

Legal Notice: This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/florida-physician-specialists-data-breach-edelson-lechtzin-llp-launches-investigation-into-exposure-of-personal-information-302760742.html

SOURCE Edelson Lechtzin LLP

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Sandhills Medical Foundation, Inc., d/b/a Sandhills Medical Data Breach: Edelson Lechtzin LLP Launches Investigation into Exposure of Personal Information

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National class action firm offering free case evaluations to individuals impacted by the Sandhills Medical cybersecurity incident

MCBEE, S.C., May 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Edelson Lechtzin LLP, a national class action law firm, is investigating data privacy claims arising from the Sandhills Medical data breach. Sandhills Medical learned of the cybersecurity incident between November 27 and 29, 2025.

What Happened

On May 8, 2025, Sandhills Medical discovered it had been the victim of a ransomware attack. Sandhills Medical began an investigation with the help of cybersecurity experts and a forensic firm. That investigation determined an unauthorized third party accessed Sandhills Medical’s server directly and obtained personal information for select patients.

Information Exposed

Affected personal data includes names, personal health information, and birth dates. This data breach has affected an estimated 169,017 people.

Who May Be Impacted

Individuals who received a data breach notification from Sandhills Medical may face an increased risk of identity theft and fraud.

Your Legal Options

Edelson Lechtzin LLP is investigating a potential class action to pursue legal remedies on behalf of individuals whose sensitive personal data may have been compromised in the Sandhills Medical breach. The firm will evaluate your rights and potential claims at no cost.

Recommended Protective Steps

Review account statements and credit reports regularly and remain vigilant for suspicious activity. Confirm whether your information was involved in the Sandhills Medical incident and preserve any letters or emails you received about the breach. Consider placing fraud alerts and credit monitoring.

Contact Us for a Free Case Evaluation

Speak confidentially with a data privacy attorney today: Marc Edelson, Esq., Edelson Lechtzin LLP, 411 S. State Street, Suite N-300, Newtown, PA 18940; Phone: 844-696-7492 ext. 2; Email: medelson@edelson-law.com; Web: www.edelson-law.com. Or click HERE to request a free consultation.

About Sandhills Medical

Based in McBee, South Carolina, Sandhills Medical operates as a Federally Qualified Community Health Center (FQHC) that provides community-based primary health care services.

About Edelson Lechtzin LLP

Edelson Lechtzin LLP is a national class action law firm with offices in Pennsylvania and California. In addition to data breach litigation, the firm handles class and collective actions involving securities and investment fraud, federal antitrust violations, ERISA employee benefit plans, wage theft, and consumer fraud

Media and Partnership Inquiries: Use the contact information above to connect with our team regarding interviews, co-counsel opportunities, and referral partnerships.

Legal Notice: This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sandhills-medical-foundation-inc-dba-sandhills-medical-data-breach-edelson-lechtzin-llp-launches-investigation-into-exposure-of-personal-information-302760743.html

SOURCE Edelson Lechtzin LLP

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