According to Business Korea, Samsung Electronics recently held the 2023 Samsung Foundry Forum for industry insiders in both the United States and South Korea. At the event, Samsung announced that it will launch 8-inch gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductor foundry services for consumer, data center and automotive applications in 2025.
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Power semiconductors are commonly used in various electronic devices such as smartphones and home appliances, and are responsible for converting power and controlling current. In recent years, with the development of electric vehicles, the price of power semiconductors has been soaring. As a result, the semiconductor industry is banking on replacing silicon with compound materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) to make power semiconductors. These new materials are more durable and energy efficient than traditional silicon, so they can withstand the harsher conditions in which the car is located.
European semiconductor companies that currently dominate the power semiconductor market are already actively investing in new materials. Infineon, Germany’s leading power and automotive semiconductor company, is making large investments in Dresden, Germany, and Malaysia to expand production of silicon carbide semiconductors. France’s STMicroelectronics has also partnered with Sanan Optoelectronics to set up a joint venture plant in China to produce silicon carbide materials.
Samsung Electronics officially started its power semiconductor business by setting up a power semiconductor division earlier this year, and successfully took over Infineon’s power management IC orders, making a new breakthrough in power semiconductor foundry.
