October / November 2021

10 MARKET NEWS Issue 4 2021 Power Electronics Europe www.power-mag.com ROHM and Geely Focus on SiC Automotive Applications The Japanese-based semiconductor manufacturer ROHM, together with Chinese Geely Automobile Group, have entered into a strategic partnership to develop advanced technologies in the automotive field. Both companies have been collaborating on a variety of automotive applications since 2018, when they first agreed to carry out technical exchange. This partnership is expected to further promote cooperation and accelerate innovation for automotive applications. Geely is working to extend the cruising range of electric vehicles while reducing battery costs and shortening charge times by developing high efficiency traction inverters and onboard charging systems that adopt ROHM’s SiC power devices. At the same time, Geely is committed to improving user experience through the development of high performance ADAS and intelligent cockpit systems using a wide range of products and solutions, including communication ICs and discrete devices. As a first step, traction inverters equipped with ROHM’s SiC power devices are being integrated in electric vehicle platforms currently being developed by Geely. www.rohm.com/eu GaN Systems Signs Semiconductor Capacity Agreement with BMW GaN Systems announced the signing of a capacity agreement with BMW Group for GaN Systems’ automotive-grade GaN power transistors, which increase the efficiency and power density of critical applications in electric vehicles. GaN power semiconductors are a key ingredient to achieve the small size, lightweight, and high efficiency required in the next generation of high- performance inverters of electric vehicles. Under the terms of the agreement, GaN Systems will provide capacity for multiple applications in series production. The guaranteed volumes by GaN Systems are a key building block for reliability in the supply chain for automotive players like BMW. “Electric vehicles represent the future of transportation, and we are delighted to continue to support BMW with our design and production capacity,” stated Jim Witham, CEO of GaN Systems. “This multi-$100 million agreement demonstrates BMW’s commitment to innovation and sustainability.” BMW’s relationship with GaN Systems began more than four years ago when BMW’s engineers found that small size, lightweight, low-cost onboard chargers, DC/DC converters, and traction inverters were enabled by GaN. This led to investment from BMW’s venture capital firm, BMW I Ventures, to support and accelerate the automotive qualification of the GaN technology. “The close collaboration among GaN Systems and BMW’s engineers has helped to solidify the technology for automotive series production, resulting in the most advanced GaN power transistors in the marketplace today,” said Kasper Sage, managing partner BMW i Ventures. “As electric vehicles become more prominent, the demand for critical semiconductor components is only going to increase, thereby making strategic partnerships with suppliers like GaN Systems even more important.” www.gansystems.com