News: Microelectronics
25 October 2021
ROHM and Zhenghai to establish China-based SiC power module JV
Japan-based power semiconductor maker ROHM Co Ltd and Zhenghai Group Co Ltd of Shandong Province, China have agreed that in December they will establish the new China-based power module joint venture company HAIMOSIC (Shanghai) Co Ltd, to be owned 80% by Zhenghai Group subsidiary Shanghai Zhenghai Semiconductor Technology Co Ltd and 20% by ROHM.
Using silicon carbide (SiC) power devices, the new JV will employ about 120 staff engaged in the development, design, manufacturing and sales of power modules suitable for traction inverters and other applications in new energy vehicles. The agreement enables the development of highly efficient power modules by combining the inverter technology of the Zhenghai Group companies, the module technology of both companies, and ROHM’s SiC chips.
The modules to be developed are already scheduled to be used in electric vehicles, with mass production beginning in 2022.
Zhenghai Group and ROHM aim to work closely with the new JV to contribute to further technical innovation through the development and widespread use of SiC power modules.
“ROHM is a respected global leader in SiC devices. The establishment of a joint venture between ROHM and the Zhenghai Group to develop the SiC power module business will surely bring new changes to the power module market,” believes Zhenghai Group chairman Bi Bohai. “Through more than 30 years of development, Zhenghai Group has accumulated rich industrialization experience in many industries such as rare-earth permanent magnet, regenerative medicine, automobile interior, and electronic information. The Zhenghai Group has determined to make the power module business a strategic business for the group, giving it the greatest support in terms of capital and human resources. Combining ROHM’s advanced power device technology with Zhenghai’s industrialization capabilities, we believe that the joint venture will contribute to the development of China’s power module industry,” he adds.
Zhenghai Group has a wide range of businesses in China, notes ROHM’s president & CEO Isao Matsumoto. “As a leading company in SiC power devices, ROHM has been developing the world’s most advanced devices and providing power solutions together with peripheral components,” he adds. “The development of power modules in the new company will encourage the use of SiC power devices in new energy vehicles, which are gaining momentum in China, as well as play an important role in other application research.”
ROHM and Geely partner on silicon carbide power devices
ROHM and UAES open joint lab in Shanghai
