ROHM Semiconductor and AIXTRON scale GaN power production for AI and EV markets - eeNews Europe

Japanese power semiconductor supplier ROHM Semiconductor is expanding its gallium nitride (GaN) manufacturing capabilities through a strategic partnership with German equipment maker AIXTRON. This col... Read original →

ROHM’s in-house GaN epitaxy move isn’t just vertical integration—it’s a preemptive strike to lock down capacity ahead of AI power supply and 800V EV adoption curves. By deploying AIXTRON’s G10 platform, ROHM bypasses foundry bottlenecks and sets a new yield benchmark that fabless rivals, especially those in Taiwan, China lacking epitaxial control, will struggle to match. Geopolitically, the Japan-EU equipment partnership sidesteps potential U.S. export curbs on advanced power devices, though Japan’s revised Foreign Exchange Law may increase compliance overhead. Within 18 months, GaN-on-SiC could lose traction in cost-sensitive segments, while ROHM’s 6-inch GaN-on-Si scale-up will dictate pricing in the mid-to-high voltage market, forcing Infineon and STMicroelectronics to rationalize non-core fabs and double down on system-level differentiation.