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onsemi has unveiled plans to acquire Qorvo’s Silicon Carbide (SiC) JFET business, a strategic move that enhances its portfolio in high- and mid-voltage power semiconductors. The $115 million deal includes Qorvo’s United Silicon Carbide subsidiary and is expected to close in Q1 2025. This acquisition is projected to expand onsemi’s market opportunity by $1.3 billion by 2030, focusing on AI, data centers, EVs, and industrial markets. By leveraging its vertically integrated SiC supply chain, onsemi aims to boost efficiency, profitability, and innovation across key technology areas.
SiC JFET technology offers superior power efficiency, reduced costs, and versatility in advanced applications, including EV battery systems, AI-driven data centers, and renewable energy solutions. It promises to disrupt traditional silicon-based and GaN technologies, with its superior switching speed, lower on-resistance, and smaller die size. This acquisition positions onsemi to capitalize on the growing demand for sustainable, high-performance power solutions in a wide range of industries.
Moreover, SiC JFETs are designed to enable transformative advancements in industrial applications such as power supplies, solar power converters, and energy storage systems. These innovations align with market trends emphasizing higher efficiency and reliability. The technology also offers critical advantages in EV battery safety, ensuring quicker response and long-term dependability through solid-state switches that surpass conventional electromechanical solutions.
By integrating Qorvo’s business, onsemi also strengthens its presence in the competitive AI and data center markets. The shift to higher voltages and power capacities in these areas provides a unique opportunity for SiC JFETs to reduce costs and improve performance, establishing onsemi as a leader in next-generation semiconductor solutions.
Original – onsemi
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ROHM and TSMC have entered a strategic partnership on development and volume production of gallium nitride (GaN) power devices for electric vehicle applications.
The partnership will integrate ROHM’s device development technology with TSMC’s industry-leading GaN-on-silicon process technology to meet the growing demand for superior high-voltage and high-frequency properties over silicon for power devices.
GaN power devices are currently used in consumer and industrial applications such as AC adapters and server power supplies. TSMC, a leader in sustainability and green manufacturing, supports GaN technology for its potential environmental benefits in automotive applications, such as on-board chargers and inverters for electric vehicles (EVs).
The partnership builds on ROHM and TSMC’s history of collaboration in GaN power devices. In 2023, ROHM adopted TSMC’s 650V GaN high-electron mobility transistors (HEMT), whose process is increasingly being used in consumer and industrial devices as part of ROHM’s EcoGaN™ series, including the 45W AC adapter (fast charger) “C4 Duo” produced by Innergie, a brand of Delta Electronics, Inc.
“GaN devices, capable of high-frequency operation, are highly anticipated for their contribution to miniaturization and energy savings, which can help achieve a decarbonized society. Reliable partners are crucial for implementing these innovations in society, and we are pleased to collaborate with TSMC, which possesses world-leading advanced manufacturing technology” said Katsumi Azuma, Member of the Board and Senior Managing Executive Officer at ROHM. “In addition to this partnership, by providing user-friendly GaN solutions that include control ICs to maximize GaN performance, we aim to promote the adoption of GaN in the automotive industry.”
“As we move forward with the next generations of our GaN process technology, TSMC and ROHM are extending our partnership to the development and production of GaN power devices for automotive applications,” said Chien-Hsin Lee, Senior Director of Specialty Technology Business Development at TSMC. “By combining TSMC’s expertise in semiconductor manufacturing with ROHM’s proficiency in power device design, we strive to push the boundaries of GaN technology and its implementation for EVs.”
Original – ROHM
