Germany-based Infineon Technologies announced on March 2, 2023 its plan to acquire Canada-based GaN Systems. According to a joint press release, the two have signed a definitive agreement under which Infineon will acquire GaN Systems for US$830 million.
"The planned acquisition of GaN Systems will significantly accelerate our GaN roadmap, based on unmatched R&D resources, application understanding and customer project pipeline," said Jochen Hanebeck, Infineon CEO, "the planned acquisition of GaN Systems will significantly accelerate our GaN roadmap, based on unmatched R&D resources, application understanding and customer project pipeline."
In February 2022, Infineon announced doubling down on wide bandgap by investing more than EUR2 billion (US$2.1 billion) in a new frontend fab in Kulim, Malaysia, strengthening its market position. The first wafers will leave the fab in the second half of 2024, adding to Infineon's existing wide bandgap manufacturing capacities in Villach, Austria.
"Combining GaN Systems' foundry corridors with Infineon's in-house manufacturing capacity enables maximum growth capability to serve the accelerating adoption of GaN in a wide range of our target markets," said Jim Witham, CEO of GaN Systems.
GaN Systems predicts that high-performance GaN solutions in the design stage in 2022-23 will go mainstream in 2025-26. The company believes that as OEMs accelerate production with GaN this year, 2023 will see GaN semiconductor companies increase their share of EV designs, especially when more 400V system designs rise in importance and more milti-level GaN solutions for 800V systems are validated.
In 2022, GaN Systems set up offices in Shenzhen, China, and Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan - close to its foundry partner TSMC.
