GaN Power Tech. Ltd. forms an alliance with Japan’s NTT-AT to establish a presence in the Hsinchu Science Park, seizing opportunities in 5G and electric vehicle markets with their third-generation power components.

To meet the market demand for high-end power management ICs and power amplifiers in industries such as future electric vehicles and 5G high-speed communication, GaN Power Tech. Ltd. (referred to as GaN Power Tech.), together with Japan’s NTT-AT, has developed industry-leading 650V or higher breakdown voltage GaN-on-Si power devices and GaN-on-SiC epitaxial chips, breaking through competition from international giants in Europe, America, Japan, and other countries with advanced technology, seizing emerging market opportunities such as automotive electronics and AI intelligent control chips.

Power semiconductor devices are important components for power management such as energy conversion and circuit control. Traditional first-generation semiconductor material, silicon (Si), and second-generation gallium arsenide (GaAs) have reached their physical limits and cannot meet the technological requirements of emerging industries such as electric vehicles. Therefore, third-generation semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), which have wide band-gap (Wide Band-gap) properties, are expected to gradually replace existing gallium arsenide materials in the power semiconductor market due to their characteristics such as high temperature resistance, low on-resistance, low switching losses, and high-frequency operation. According to Yole Developpement analysis, the global SiC power semiconductor market is expected to grow rapidly from $302 million in 2017 to $1.399 billion in 2023, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29%. The main growth drivers come from the automotive industry’s demand for on-board chargers (OBCs), DC converters, power management ICs, and other needs, making it a fiercely competitive field for international giants in Europe, America, and Japan.

GaN Power Tech. Ltd. exclusively transferred the silicon nitride gallium (GaN-on-Si) epitaxial technology and mass production process equipment from NTT-AT, Japan in December 2018. This transfer has greatly enhanced GaN Power Tech.’s leading process technology for power semiconductor components. In March 2019, GaN Power Tech. was approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology to move into the Hsinchu Science Park and invest in the development of silicon nitride gallium and silicon carbide nitride gallium power epitaxial wafers, as well as nitride gallium power transistors. The breakdown voltage of the GaN-on-Si power transistor can reach above 650V, which has an irreplaceable competitive advantage over other international manufacturers whose breakdown voltage is below 400V. In the future, GaN Power Tech. will continue to promote silicon nitride gallium power epitaxial wafers with a voltage of over 900V to meet the technical requirements of high-power motors and the electric vehicle industry. In addition, the development of microwave-specific silicon carbide nitride gallium power epitaxial wafers will enable power amplifiers to replace current gallium arsenide power components and enter into new application areas in the 5G industry.

After entering the Hsinchu Science Park, GaN Power Tech. Ltd. will continue to deepen its research and development of third-generation power semiconductor components by forming an alliance with NTT-AT in Japan based on its own technical foundation. It can also leverage the manufacturing and cost advantages of the semiconductor industry chain in the park to establish an upstream and downstream supply chain of nitride gallium crystal chips and component modules, enabling Taiwan to establish a leading technological threshold and seize an important position in the international market in AI control chips, automotive electronics, electric vehicle industry, and 5G industry.