ROHM and BASiC team on SiC power devices

Rohm Semiconductor and Shenzhen BASiC Semiconductor have entered into a strategic partnership agreement to develop SiC power devices for automotive applications. The partnership will leverage each of the company’s expertise – Rohm’s SiC device supply and technical support and BASiC’s development and manufacturing of automotive SiC power modules.

By providing innovations in power solutions for electric vehicle technologies, the partnership also will contribute to reducing CO2 emissions and a “decarbonized society,” according to the companies.

Caption: Rohm’s 4th generation SiC MOSFETs (Source: Rohm Semiconductor)

BASiC approached Rohm to collaborate on the development of power solutions for automotive applications, starting with a technology exchange in 2021. Under the new agreement, the two companies will work together to improve the performance of SiC power devices and develop higher performance and more efficient SiC solutions for new energy vehicles. Both companies expect to handle their respective work within their existing teams.

The first step will involve supplying onboard power modules to several major automakers for use in electric vehicle powertrains, said the companies. The first automotive power module, adopting Rohm’s 4th generation SiC MOSFETs, will be available in December 2022.

Rohm’s 4th Generation SiC MOSFETs deliver low on-resistance with high-speed switching performance. The company said this contributes to greater miniaturization and lower power consumption in a variety of applications. At the time of introduction, the SiC MOSFETS  reduced on-resistance by 40% compared with traditional products without sacrificing short-circuit withstand time and achieved 50% lower switching loss over its previous generation of SiC MOSFETs.