In June 2024, Renesas Electronics officially completed the acquisition of Transphorm, a representative company in D-mode gallium nitride (GaN), which caused a stir in the industry last year. One year after acquiring Transphorm, Renesas officially fired the “first shot” for gallium nitride by launching the 4.5 generation GaN devices.
What advantages does Renesas’s 4.5 generation GaN platform have? What adjustments has Renesas made to its GaN strategy after acquiring Transphorm? What will the upcoming “second shot” and “third shot” be? With these questions in mind, “Expert Talks on Generation 3.5” recently interviewed Kenny Yim, Senior Director of GaN, Power Product Group at Renesas.
Renesas Fires the First Shot for GaN:
Launching 4.5 Generation Products, Focusing on High-Power Market
Recently, Renesas Electronics launched three 650V GaN devices. According to Kenny Yim, these products are the first batch based on Renesas’s Gen IV Plus platform. Gen IV Plus is Renesas’s 4.5 generation GaN technology platform.
Compared to the previous generation technology platform, Renesas’s 4.5 generation GaN has achieved multi-faceted performance improvements: chip size has been reduced by 14%; Rds(on)×Qg (quality factor) has improved by 50%; output capacitance (Qoss) performance has improved by 20%.
650V/30mΩ is the specification of the first batch of products from Renesas’s 4.5 generation GaN platform, reflecting Renesas’s strategic adjustments and considerations after acquiring Transphorm.
Kenny Yim told “Expert Talks on Generation 3.5” that the reason Renesas launched the 30mΩ specification GaN first is that the largest market for mid-to-high voltage GaN products is currently in the high-power market for 2kW-7.5kW data center server power supplies, electric vehicle chargers, UPS backup battery devices, battery storage devices, and solar inverters, which typically use 650V/30mΩ GaN products.
In addition, these markets not only have a large demand but also face relatively fierce competition, so Renesas’s introduction of 30mΩ GaN to replace 35mΩ products can enhance its competitiveness and provide greater value to customers.
Kenny Yim also revealed that Renesas will soon launch a 650V/22mΩ GaN product specifically for 6.6kW-7.5kW AI server power supplies, and “the 5th and 6th generation GaN technology platforms may be launched very soon.”
Of course, Renesas will not abandon the low-power market of 20W-300W. Kenny Yim stated that they will rhythmically launch 50mΩ, 240mΩ, 480mΩ and other 650V GaN series products to serve a broader market.
Renesas’s Second Shot: Low-Voltage GaN
Achieving Full-Link + System-Level Layout
In 2023, Transphorm was the first to mass-produce and release 1200V GaN devices, leading the trend of GaN technology research and development. However, Renesas has made planning adjustments for the 1200V GaN product market rhythm.
Kenny Yim stated, “We have had 1200V GaN technology and samples for a long time. Currently, Renesas’s strategy is to focus first on mid-to-high power applications, specifically in the 650V, 700V, and 800V range. Once the timing is right, we will definitely focus on promoting 1200V GaN.”
From the perspective of GaN voltage ratings, after Transphorm transitioned to Renesas, they repositioned their GaN product layout – “We want to first develop low-voltage GaN at 100V.”
According to the judgment of “Expert Talks on Generation 3.5”, focusing on low-voltage GaN is also based on the assessment of Renesas’s overall market demand and market entry barriers.
Renesas Electronics GaN Vice President Primit Parikh recently stated that in the next two years, the shipment volume of low-voltage GaN below 200V will significantly increase, especially by 2023, the demand for low-voltage GaN will account for about 30% of the overall GaN market.
GaN Market Demand Situation
Kenny Yim stated that Renesas Electronics has always had technical reserves for both D-mode and E-mode. D-mode is the best choice for high-voltage GaN, while E-mode is more suitable for low-voltage GaN.
He revealed that Renesas will launch a series of low-voltage E-mode GaN products by the end of this year, with voltage ratings ranging from 65V to 150V, mainly targeting DC-DC synchronous rectification topologies for server power supplies.
In addition to the adjustments in the planning of single GaN devices, Kenny Yim believes that Renesas’s GaN business, as the core of Renesas’s overall power development roadmap, is no longer limited to individual GaN devices but is consolidating and enhancing the existing advantages of GaN from a complete system solution perspective.
Renesas’s Complete GaN Solution for Server Power Supplies
Kenny Yim stated that Renesas has a wide variety of semiconductor products, and their goal is to achieve a “GaN + IC ecosystem,” integrating GaN products with Renesas’s embedded processing, power, connectivity, and analog products.
It is reported that Renesas is building a series of extensive products, including not only individual GaN devices but also complete solutions, such as system-in-package (SiP) modules that integrate power stages, GaN, drivers, controllers, and protection circuits.
This full-link GaN ecosystem covering AC-DC and DC-DC topologies can provide greater value to downstream customers. Kenny Yim cited an example where they are providing a complete 6.6kW GaN server power solution to Company A, with a system power efficiency exceeding 98% from high-voltage AC input to 48V low-voltage DC output.
Renesas’s Third Shot:
Moving to 8-Inch GaN to Enhance Capacity and Cost Competitiveness
Renesas is actively upgrading its GaN production manufacturing, which can be considered their “third shot.”
Kenny Yim told “Expert Talks on Generation 3.5” that after acquiring Transphorm, “We are currently taking many actions, including transitioning our GaN wafer production line from 6 inches to 8 inches, and we are also increasing MOCVD epitaxy equipment to expand capacity.”
It is well known that Transphorm’s previous GaN devices were mainly produced at the AFSW wafer factory in Japan. Renesas recently announced a more long-term independent research and development process and manufacturing plan.
In April of this year, Renesas reached a strategic agreement with Polar Semiconductor in the United States, announcing that it will produce silicon-based GaN devices at Polar’s 8-inch automotive-grade mass production factory in the U.S.
Renesas’s GaN Products, Technology, and Manufacturing Layout
According to Primit Parikh, Renesas’s GaN wafer manufacturing is currently conducted in Japan, with future plans for mass production at Polar and other internal wafer factories. Renesas’s GaN epitaxy production will take place in three factories located in California, Japan, and Taiwan.
Kenny Yim believes that these actions will greatly enhance Renesas’s GaN competitiveness, especially the transition from 6-inch wafers to 8-inch wafers, which can improve cost control for GaN and enhance Renesas’s large-scale supply capability for GaN, supporting their demand in high-growth markets from AI infrastructure, industrial energy to electric vehicles.
Since its establishment in 2007, Transphorm has been the first to achieve mass production and large-scale application of D-mode GaN technology, promoting the application development of GaN technology in the mid-to-high power market over the past 18 years. After transitioning to Renesas Electronics, they quickly completed a strong integration within a year and invested heavily to build a comprehensive GaN ecosystem, reflecting Renesas Electronics’ ambition in the GaN field. We look forward to Renesas continuing to lead the GaN industry to new heights in the future.
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Renesas Electronics (TSE: 6723)
Technology makes life easier, committed to creating a safer, smarter, and sustainable future. As a global supplier of microcontrollers, Renesas Electronics integrates expertise in embedded processing, analog, power, and connectivity to provide complete semiconductor solutions. Successful product portfolios accelerate the market launch of automotive, industrial, infrastructure, and IoT applications, empowering billions of connected smart devices to improve people’s work and lifestyle. For more information, please visit renesas.com
