Rohm licences TSMC production technology for GaN semiconductors
“By licensing TSMC GaN technology, ROHM will strengthen its supply capability to meet growing demand for GaN in applications such as AI servers and electric vehicles,” the Japanese company states. In other words, Rohm will licence TSMC’s production technology to expand its own production of gallium nitride semiconductors.
Gallium nitride power semiconductors, as an alternative to chips based on silicon or silicon carbide (SiC), offer ‘excellent high-voltage and high-frequency performance, helping to improve efficiency and reduce size in a wide range of applications,’ according to Rohm. This technology is already widely used in consumer products such as power supplies, but Rohm also sees significant potential in onboard chargers for electric vehicles and in more powerful power supplies for AI servers.
The Japanese company has been at the forefront of developing GaN products and opened a mass-production facility for 150 V GaN semiconductors in Hamamatsu in 2022. For higher voltages, Rohm has collaborated with partners, including TSMC. In late 2024, the two companies announced a partnership in the field of ‘automotive GaN.’
Rohm and TSMC have now signed a licensing agreement, under which TSMC’s 650-volt process technology will be transferred to Rohm’s Hamamatsu facility. According to the company, Rohm plans to complete the production facility by 2027 to meet rising demand.
While this agreement is presented as ‘an evolution of that partnership,’ it also marks a partial conclusion to it, at least for products in the automotive sector: “Upon completion of the technology transfer, ROHM and TSMC will amicably conclude their automotive GaN partnership,” the statement reads. “At the same time, the two companies will continue to strengthen collaboration for higher efficiency and more compact power supply systems.”
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