The Korea Semiconductor Industry Association (Chairman Lee Jung-bae) has organized an event to support the fostering of the power semiconductor industry as a next-generation growth driver and to secure global competitiveness.

The Semiconductor Association held the "4th Power Semiconductor-Power Korea Forum" at L Tower in Yangjae-dong, Seoul on the 23rd.

The forum was organized to raise awareness of the importance of power semiconductors, which are key to reducing energy consumption in electric vehicles and smartphones, and to support technology trends in power semiconductors as a next-generation growth driver and ecosystem activation both domestically and internationally.

To support power semiconductor ecosystem activation and industry-academia-research exchange in related fields, Part 1 of the forum featured technical exchange among domestic power semiconductor stakeholders including demand industry trends (Hyundai Motor), foundry (DB Hitech), and device, module, and IC-related industry, academia, and research sectors.

In Part 2, job-specific lectures and company briefing sessions were conducted for domestic university students in the power semiconductor field, conveying the actual voices from the corporate field through company introductions and job-specific lectures from domestic power semiconductor companies.

The forum has been pursued since 2018 as part of the Power Semiconductor Commercialization Project (Project Director Professor Koo Yong-seo of Dankook University), and is currently promoting technology and information exchange and various networking activities to foster the domestic power semiconductor industry.

The Power Semiconductor Commercialization Project began in earnest in July 2017. The project is broadly divided into technology development and infrastructure construction based in Busan, and is being implemented over approximately 7 years with a total investment of 83.65 billion won (54.32 billion won in national funds, 15.33 billion won in local funds, and 14 billion won in private funds) through December 2023.

During the project period, not only has the country secured the first domestic 6-inch based Trench SiC MOSFET device fabrication process technology, but prototype manufacturing for commercialization has been completed and sales are being generated.

Recently, the Semiconductor Association is actively promoting power semiconductor industry development through technology exchange among industry-academia-research entities, domestic and international marketing support, and energy sector convergence alliances.

Additionally, on the 16th of this month, together with the government, the association launched the "Gallium Oxide Alliance (K-GOAL)," which has garnered attention as a next-generation power semiconductor material, thereby beginning full-scale operation of gallium oxide power semiconductor industry development.

Vice Chairman Lee Chang-han of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association stated in his congratulatory remarks at the forum that efforts from industry-academia-research stakeholders are necessary "for the successful implementation of carbon neutrality and green new deal through securing next-generation power semiconductor technology that transcends the limitations of silicon (Si) materials, and for the formation of value chains and co-prosperity and development across industries in the renewable energy sectors such as electric vehicles and solar power."