Rohm Co., Ltd. (Rohm) announced today that 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.”
SOURCE: Rohm
