News: Microelectronics
24 October 2024
TI adds 200mm GaN power semiconductor production in Japan, quadrupling internal capacity
Dallas-based Texas Instruments Inc (TI) has begun production of gallium nitride (GaN)-based power semiconductors at its factory in Aizu, Japan. Coupled with its existing GaN manufacturing in Dallas, Texas, TI will internally manufacture four times more GaN-based power semiconductors as Aizu ramps to production.
“Building on more than a decade of expertise in GaN chip design and manufacturing, we have successfully qualified our 200mm GaN technology – the most scalable and cost-competitive way to manufacture GaN today – to start mass production in Aizu,” says Mohammad Yunus, TI's senior VP of technology & manufacturing. “This milestone enables us to manufacture more of our GaN chips internally as we grow our internal manufacturing to more than 95% by 2030, while also sourcing from multiple TI locations, ensuring a reliable supply of our entire GaN portfolio of high-power, energy-efficient semiconductors.”
TI claims that it currently offers the widest portfolio of integrated GaN-based power semiconductors, ranging from low to high voltage, to enable the most energy-efficient, reliable and power-dense electronics.
“With GaN, TI can deliver more power, more efficiently in a compact space, which is the primary market need driving innovation for many of our customers,” says Kannan Soundarapandian, VP of high-voltage power. “As designers of systems such as server power, solar energy generation and AC/DC adapters face challenges to reduce power consumption and enhance energy efficiency, they are increasingly demanding a reliable supply of TI’s high-performance GaN-based chips.” He adds. “TI’s product portfolio of integrated GaN power stages enables customers to achieve higher power density, improved ease of use and lower system cost.”
Further, with the company’s proprietary GaN-on-silicon process, more than 80 million hours of reliability testing, and integrated protection features, TI says that its GaN chips are designed to keep high-voltage systems safe.
GaN manufacturing technology
TI says that its new capacity enables increased product performance and manufacturing process efficiency, as well as a cost advantage.
Also, the more advanced, efficient manufacturing tools can produce smaller chips, packing more power. Such designs can be manufactured using less water, energy and raw materials, and end products that use GaN chips enjoy these same environmental benefits.
Scaled for future advances
TI says that the performance benefits of its added GaN manufacturing also enable it to scale its GaN chips to higher voltages, starting with 900V and increasing to higher voltages over time, furthering power-efficiency and size innovations for applications like robotics, renewable energy and server power supplies.
TI’s expanded investment also includes a pilot earlier in 2024 for the development of GaN manufacturing processes on 300mm wafers. Further, the firm’s expanded GaN manufacturing processes are fully transferable to 300mm technology, positioning it to readily scale to customer needs and move to 300mm in the future.
TI unveils first 650V three-phase GaN intelligent power module for 250W motor drive applications
