onsemi to acquire Qorvo's SiC JFET business
onsemi has entered into an agreement to acquire the Silicon Carbide Junction Field-Effect Transistor (SiC JFET) technology business, including the United Silicon Carbide subsidiary, from Qorvo for USD 115 million in cash.
The acquisition complements onsemi’s EliteSiC power portfolio and enables the company to address the need for high energy efficiency and power density in the AC-DC stage in power supply units for AI data centers. Additionally, the move will accelerate onsemi’s readiness for emerging markets such as EV battery disconnects and solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBs).
“As AI workloads become more complex and energy-intensive, the importance of reliable SiC JFETs that deliver high energy efficiency and are able to handle high voltages will continue to increase,” said Simon Keeton, group president and general manager of the Power Solutions Group, onsemi, in a press release. “With the addition of Qorvo’s industry leading SiC JFET technology, our intelligent power portfolio offers our customers yet another solution to optimize energy consumption and increase power density.”
SiC JFETs offer the lowest on-resistance per chip area, using less than half of any other technology. They also allow for the use of typical off-the-shelf drivers, which have been deployed with silicon-based transistors for decades. Together, these benefits result in faster development, reduced energy consumption and lower system costs.
The transaction is expected to be finalised in the first quarter of 2025.
