DENSO, USJC Announce Mass Production Shipment of Automotive IGBT
May 11, 2023 | JCN NewswireEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
DENSO CORPORATION (DENSO), a leading mobility supplier, and United Semiconductor Japan Co., Ltd. (USJC), a subsidiary of global semiconductor foundry United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), announced a joint collaboration to produce insulated gate bipolar transistors* (IGBT), which have entered mass production at the 300mm fab of USJC. A first shipment ceremony was held today to mark this important milestone. It comes just one year after the companies announced a strategic partnership for this critical power semiconductor used in electric vehicles.
As adoption of electric vehicles accelerates, automakers are seeking to boost powertrain efficiency while also increasing cost-effectiveness of electrified vehicles. The jointly invested line at USJC supports the production of a new generation of IGBT developed by DENSO, which offers 20% reduction in power losses compared with earlier generation devices. Production is expected to reach 10,000 wafers per month by 2025.
The ceremony was held today at USJC's fab in Mie Prefecture, Japan. Attendees included by DENSO President Koji Arima, UMC Co-President Jason Wang, USJC President Michiari Kawano, Director-General of the Commerce and Information Policy Bureau at Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Satoshi Nohara, Governor of Mie Prefecture Katsuyuki Ichimi, and Mayor of Kuwana City Narutaka Ito.
"Today, we are thrilled to welcome a memorable shipping ceremony that symbolizes the partnership between DENSO, UMC and USJC. We are from different cultures such as semiconductor industry and automobile industry. However we have worked steadily with mutual respect which is a source of our strong competitiveness. DENSO, together with our trusted partners, will continue to further accelerate electrification through the production of competitive semiconductors in order to preserve the global environment and create a society full of smiles," said Koji Arima, President of DENSO.
"USJC is proud to be the first semiconductor foundry in Japan to manufacture IGBT on 300mm wafers, offering customers greater production efficiency than the standard fabrication on 200mm wafers. Thanks to our dedicated teams and support from DENSO, we were able to complete trial production and reliability testing without delay and honor the mass production date as agreed with the customer," said Michiari Kawano, President of USJC.
"It is an honor to be a strategic partner of DENSO, a leading automotive solution provider to global automakers. This collaboration fully demonstrates UMC's manufacturing capability and our collaborative approach to ensure the success of our foundry customers," said Jason Wang, Co-President of UMC. "The electrification and automation of cars will continue to drive up semiconductor content, particularly for chips manufactured using specialty foundry processes on 28nm and above nodes. As a specialty technology leader, UMC is well positioned to play a bigger role in the automotive value chain and enabling our partners to capture opportunities and win market share in this rapidly evolving industry."
*Insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) is a core device that acts as a switch in inverters to convert DC current from batteries to AC current to drive and control electric vehicle motors. Battery and plug-in electric cars require significantly more IGBT units than conventional ICE cars.
Suggested Items
mPower Technology Wins Landmark Solar Power Modules Contract
10/04/2024 | PRNewswiremPower Technology, Inc., the emerging solar provider of choice for Space 2.0, announced its selection by Airbus Netherlands B.V. to provide Solar Power Modules (SPMs) for the Sparkwing solar arrays that Airbus is providing to the MDA AURORATM supply chain.
Toyota to Invest $500 Million in Joby Aviation
10/04/2024 | JCN NewswireToyota Motor Corporation and Joby Aviation, Inc., a company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, announced that Toyota will invest an additional $500 million to support the certification and commercial production of Joby's electric air taxi, with the aim of realizing the two companies' shared vision of air mobility.
IPC Cyber Disaster Recovery Webinar: Essential Preparedness for Electronics Manufacturers
10/03/2024 | IPCIn today's fast-evolving electronics manufacturing landscape, where digital threats loom large, safeguarding operations requires more than just IT solutions—it demands full production line awareness.
HBM3e 12-Hi Faces Yield Learning Curve and Customer Validation Challenges; 2025 HBM Supply Outlook Remains Uncertain
09/30/2024 | TrendForceConcerns over a potential HBM oversupply in 2025 have been growing in the market. TrendForce’s Senior Vice President of Research, Avril Wu, reports that it remains uncertain whether manufacturers will be able to ramp up HBM3e production as planned next year.
GPV Enters Power Purchase Agreement for Danish Solar Park
09/26/2024 | GPVRecently, GPV entered into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Reel for its Danish entities. The PPA supports the construction of a 14,00 GWh/year solar park situated at Mesballe on Djursland in Denmark.