News: Microelectronics
2 July 2025
Navitas plans 200mm GaN production with PSMC
Gallium nitride (GaN) power IC and silicon carbide (SiC) technology firm Navitas Semiconductor Corp of Torrance, CA, USA has announced a strategic partnership with Taiwanese foundry Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (PSMC) to start production and continue development of 200mm GaN-on-silicon technology.
Navitas’ GaN IC portfolio is expected to use Powerchip’s 200mm in Fab 8B, located in Zhunan Science Park. The fab has been operational since 2019 and supports various high-volume manufacturing processes for GaN, ranging from micro-LEDs to RF GaN devices.
Powerchip’s capabilities include an improved 180nm CMOS process, offering smaller and more advanced geometries, which bring improvements in performance, power efficiency, integration, and cost. “200mm GaN-on-silicon production on a 180nm process node enables us to continue innovating higher-power-density, faster and more efficient devices while simultaneously improving cost, scale and manufacturing yields,” says Dr Sid Sundaresan, senior VP of WBG Technology Platforms at Navitas.
Powerchip is expected to manufacture Navitas’ GaN portfolio with voltage ratings from 100V to 650V, supporting the growing demand for GaN for 48V infrastructure, including hyper-scale AI data centers and electric vehicles (EVs). Qualification of initial devices is expected in fourth-quarter 2025. The 100V family is expected to start production first at Powerchip in first-half 2026. The 650V devices are expected to transition from Navitas’ existing supplier TSMC to Powerchip over the next 12–24 months.
Navitas recently made several announcements in the AI data center, EV and solar markets, including its collaboration with NVIDIA to support GaN and SiC technologies for 800V HVDC architectures for 1MW IT racks and beyond. Enphase announced that its next-generation IQ9 would include Navitas’ 650V bi-directional GaNFast ICs, and Changan Automobile announced its first commercial GaN-based OBC (on-board charger) using Navitas’ GaNSafe technology.
“Through our partnership with Powerchip, we are well-positioned to drive sustained progress in product performance, technological evolution, and cost efficiency,” reckins Navitas’ CEO & co-founder Gene Sheridan.
“Powerchip has collaborated with Navitas on GaN-on-Si technology for years, and we're thrilled to announce that product qualification is nearly complete — bringing us to the verge of mass production,” says Powerchip’s president Martin Chu. “Building on this strong partnership, Powerchip is committed to expanding our cooperation and continuously supporting Navitas in exploring and growing the GaN market.”
Navitas launches 12kW GaN & SiC platform, achieving 97.8% efficiency for hyperscale AI data centers
