Improving the efficiency of power sources and motors, which account for the majority of global electricity consumption, is a crucial step toward realizing a decarbonized society. Power devices are key components for efficiency improvement, and the utilization of new materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) and GaN is attracting attention to achieve high efficiency in various power sources.

Japanese global semiconductor company Rohm announced on the 27th that it will develop and mass-produce next-generation GaN (gallium nitride)-based power devices in cooperation with Taiwan's Delta Electronics. With these two global companies forming a strategic partnership, competition in the growing GaN power device market is expected to accelerate.

ROHM has combined its power device development and manufacturing technology with Delta's long-standing power development technology. They plan to jointly develop 600V withstand voltage GaN power devices that are optimal for a wide range of power systems.

Last March, ROHM established a mass production system for its '150V withstand voltage GaN HEMT,' which raised the gate withstand voltage to 8V, the highest in the industry. It has been expanding the EcoGaN™ lineup for power circuits in industrial equipment, including base stations and data centers, as well as various IoT communication devices. At the same time, we are focusing on improving device performance.

"In order to realize a decarbonized society, the role of power semiconductors, ROHM's flagship products, is becoming increasingly important," said Kazuhide Ino, Director, Senior Vice President, and CSO of ROHM. "ROHM has been pursuing the development of cutting-edge devices across a wide range of fields, from silicon to silicon carbide and GaN, while simultaneously promoting the provision of solutions that combine peripheral components, such as the development of control ICs that maximize performance."

He outlined future plans, stating, “We will also mass-produce GaN IPMs incorporating ROHM’s superior analog ICs early on to expand our lineup of user-friendly products.”

"The advancement of GaN power devices is a matter of great interest in the global electronics industry," said Mark Ko, Vice President of Delta Electronics. "We have been collaborating with ROHM for many years, and we intend to strengthen our partnership through the results of this technology exchange."

He emphasized, “As a key power business initiative to further strengthen our lineup, we look forward to product development involving not only this GaN collaboration but also ROHM’s analog technologies,” adding, “We will reinforce our collaboration with ROHM to provide a wide range of solutions to meet the needs of the global power market.”

Meanwhile, ROHM’s GaN device EcoGaN™ contributes to low power consumption and miniaturization by maximizing the low ON resistance and high-speed switching performance of GaN, thereby aiming for low power consumption in applications, miniaturization of peripheral components, and reduction of design effort and the number of components.