onsemi Acquires Silicon Carbide JFET Technology to Enhance Its Power Portfolio for AI Data Centers

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onsemi announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the Silicon Carbide Junction Field-Effect Transistor (SiC JFET) technology business, including the United Silicon Carbide subsidiary, from Qorvo for $115 million in cash. The acquisition will complement onsemi’s extensive EliteSiC power portfolio and enable the company to address the need for high energy efficiency and power density in the AC-DC stage in power supply units for AI data centers. Additionally, the move will accelerate onsemi’s readiness for emerging markets such as EV battery disconnects and solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBs).

SiC JFETs offer the lowest on-resistance per chip area, using less than half of any other technology. They also allow for the use of typical off-the-shelf drivers, which have been deployed with silicon-based transistors for decades. Together, these benefits result in faster development, reduced energy consumption and lower system costs, providing significant value to power supply designers and data center operators.

“As AI workloads become more complex and energy-intensive, the importance of reliable SiC JFETs that deliver high energy efficiency and are able to handle high voltages will continue to increase,” said Simon Keeton, group president and general manager of the Power Solutions Group, onsemi. “With the addition of Qorvo’s industry leading SiC JFET technology, our intelligent power portfolio offers our customers yet another solution to optimize energy consumption and increase power density.”

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be finalized in the first quarter of 2025.