March 6, 2024 /SemiMedia/ -- According to reports, Texas Instruments is transitioning its gallium nitride on silicon (GaN-on-Si) production process from 6 inches (150mm) to 8 inches (200mm). The strategy aims to increase production capacity and reduce costs.
The report pointed out that TI is shifting its 6-inch production process to 8-inch and its 8-inch production process to 12-inch to improve production efficiency. The area of an 8-inch wafer is 1.78 times that of a 6-inch wafer, and the area of a 12-inch wafer is 2.25 times that of an 8-inch wafer, so more semiconductors can be produced.
"There is a perception that GaN semiconductors are more expensive than silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors, but we are seeing a price reversal. We are building 8-inch fabs in Dallas, Aizu, Japan, and other places. When these are ready, we will be able to provide solutions that are significantly lower than the current price," Ju-Yong Shin, director of TI Korea, said in a recent interview.
"TI has traditionally produced gallium nitride semiconductors using a 6-inch process, and our Dallas factory is expected to transition to an 8-inch process by 2025. Taking the Aizu factory in Japan as an example, we are shifting existing silicon-based 8-inch production lines to GaN semiconductor production lines, but we cannot disclose the time required for conversion," Shin added.
Industry insiders said that TI's process transformation may lead to a decrease in the price of GaN semiconductors. Switching from a 6-inch production process to an 8-inch process is expected to reduce production costs by more than 10%. If TI shifts its power management integrated circuit (PMIC) production from an 8-inch process to a 12-inch process, it will also promote price reductions in the entire industry.
