DB HiTek Secures Next-Generation Power Semiconductor Process

DB HiTek, a foundry specializing in semiconductor contract manufacturing, has completed the development of its next-generation power semiconductor process. The company plans to offer a Multi Project Wafer (MPW) service that will allow customers to conduct trial production of their products by the end of next month.

On September 11, DB HiTek announced that it has finalized the development of its 650V enhancement-mode gallium nitride high electron mobility transistor (E-Mode GaN HEMT) process and plans to provide a GaN-exclusive MPW to customers by the end of October.

DB HiTek Bucheon Campus View. DB HiTek

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Semiconductors made from GaN materials are more resistant to high voltage, high frequency, and high temperatures compared to conventional silicon (Si)-based semiconductors, and they offer superior power efficiency. Alongside silicon carbide (SiC), GaN is emerging as a next-generation power semiconductor. In particular, demand is rapidly increasing in new high-growth sectors such as electric vehicles, artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, fast charging, 5G, and robotics.

According to market research firm Yole D?veloppement, the GaN market is expected to grow rapidly from $530 million in 2025 to $2.013 billion in 2029, with an average annual growth rate of about 40%. The newly developed product by DB HiTek is characterized by high-speed switching and stability, making it highly applicable for use in electric vehicle chargers and data center power converters.

DB HiTek has identified compound semiconductors such as GaN and SiC as next-generation businesses since 2022, when the market was still in its early stages, and has been developing related processes. A DB HiTek representative stated, "We have already been recognized for our global technological competitiveness in silicon-based power semiconductors, having developed the world's first 0.18㎛ Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS (BCDMOS) device. With the addition of the GaN process, we expect our competitiveness as a power semiconductor foundry to be further strengthened."

Starting with the development of the 650V GaN HEMT process, DB HiTek plans to sequentially develop a 200V GaN process and another 650V GaN process, both of which can be designed in integrated circuit (IC) form, by the end of next year. Afterward, the company intends to further expand its process capabilities to wider voltage ranges, solidifying its business foundation by considering market conditions and customer demand.

Additionally, DB HiTek is working on expanding its cleanroom at the Sangwoo Campus in Eumseong County, North Chungcheong Province. According to the company, the new cleanroom will have the capacity to increase production by 35,000 8-inch wafers per month and will be used to manufacture GaN, BCDMOS, and SiC products. Once the expansion is complete, DB HiTek's production capacity will increase by 23%, from the current 154,000 wafers to 190,000 wafers.

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