Semi-conductor collaboration

Two companies are joining forces to help tackle the global semi-conductor issue, especially as EV demand increases.

Mobility supplier Denso Corporation and United Semiconductor Japan (USJC) – a subsidiary of global semi-conductor foundry United Microelectronics Corporation – have agreed to collaborate on producing power semi-conductors to serve the automotive market.

An insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) line will be installed at USJC’s wafer fab, which will be the first in Japan to produce IGBTs on 300mm wafers.

Denso will contribute its system oriented IGBT device and process technologies while USJC will provide its wafer manufacturing capabilities to bring them into mass production, scheduled to start in the first half of 2023.

IGBTs are core devices in power cards, serving as efficient power switches in inverters to convert DC and AC currents to drive and control EV motors.

As the development and adoption of electric cars accelerate amid a global effort to reduce carbon emissions, the demand for semi-conductors required in vehicle electrification is also rapidly increasing.

“Semi-conductors are becoming increasingly important in the automotive industry as mobility technologies evolve, including automated driving and electrification,” says Denso president Koji Arima.  

“Through this collaboration, we contribute to the stable supply of power semi-conductors and electrification of automobiles.”