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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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Qorvo® announced the industry’s first 4 milliohm silicon carbide (SiC) junction field effect transistor (JFET) in a TOLL package. It was designed for circuit protection applications including solid-state circuit breakers, where low resistance, superior thermal performance, small size and reliability are paramount.
With RDS(on) of just 4 milliohm, the UJ4N075004L8S offers the industry’s lowest on-resistance among the 650V to 750V class of power devices in standard discrete packages. This low RDS(on) drives significant reductions in heat generation and, when coupled with a compact TOLL package, enables a solution size that is 40% smaller than competing devices in TO-263 packages.
This small solution size supports the space-limited dimensions of today’s electromechanical circuit breakers and operates without the need for elaborate cooling systems, accelerating the transition from electromechanical circuit breakers to semiconductor-based solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBs).
“With the introduction of the UJ4N075004L8S, Qorvo continues to lead the way in SiC power innovation, catalyzing the emergence of applications such as circuit protection with ultra-low RDS(on) FET offerings in very small footprints,” said Ramanan Natarajan, director of product line marketing for Qorvo’s SiC Power Products business. “The SSCB market is growing rapidly, and Qorvo’s newest product marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the technology.”
Qorvo’s JFETs are highly robust devices well suited to meet the challenges of circuit protection, providing the ability to turn off at very high inrush currents during circuit faults. Qorvo’s newest JFET can also withstand high instantaneous junction temperatures without experiencing degradation or parametric drift. The normally-on nature of the JFET lends itself to seamless integration into systems where the switch is in the on-state by default and in turn-off state under fault conditions.
The UJ4N075004L8S is now available for sampling and will enter full production in Q4 2024, accompanied by additional JFET options, including 750V with 5 milliohm and 1200V with 8 milliohm ratings, all in TO-247 packaging. For more details about this transformative power technology and detailed product specifications, please visit UJ4N075004L8S.
Original – Qorvo
