Power GaN 2023

Aixtron, Allos, Alpha&Omega, Amec, Amkor, Apple, ASE, AT&S, Azur Space, BMW, CGD, Delta electronics, Efficient Power Conversion, Enkris, EpiGaN, Episil, Epistar, Exagan, Fuji Electric, GaN Systems, GaN Power, International, GCD, GlobalWafers, Huawei, IGaN, Imec, Infineon, Innoscience, IQE, IVWorks, LG electronics, Jedec, Mitsubishi Chemical, Navitas Semiconductors, Nexgen, Nuvoton, NXP, Odyssey Semiconductor, OKMETIC, onsemi, Panasonic, Power Integrations, Qromis, Samsung, Sanan IC, Siltronic, Soitec, STMicroelectronics, Sumco, Sumitomo SEI, Tagore Technology, Toshiba, Toyota, Texas Instruments, TSMC, Transphorm, Veeco, VIS, VisIC Technologies, Vitesco, Wingtech, Wise Integration, Xfab, Yaskawa, and more.

Power GaN market is expected to constitute over 6% of the power electronics market by 2028

Consumer fast chargers and adapters remain the main drivers for Power GaN. New trends include higher power (up to 300W) and 'all-GaN' chargers, leading to more GaN content per charger. Power GaN is expanding to other consumer applications, such as OVP in smartphones, presenting a billion-unit market opportunity.

Besides consumer, we expect two more growth drivers for Power GaN, automotive and datacom applications. For automotive, GaN devices can be adopted in diverse applications. 100V GaN devices are used in automotive LiDAR for ADAS. GaN adoption in the powertrain is no longer a question of 'if' but rather 'when,' as several automotive Tier 1s have been closely collaborating with device suppliers for nearly a decade, focusing on OBCs and DC-DC converters.

Regarding datacom, GaN-based power supplies of more than 3kW with 80Plus Titanium efficiency are already available, offering better form factors than Si-based alternatives. IBCs (Intermediate bus converters) are in development with several players. Analysis from GaN Systems shows that GaN in data centers allow a more sustainable business by reducing the OpEx while lowering the CO2 footprint.

With the overall growth in these different applications, the Power GaN device market is expected to be worth $2.04B in 2028 with a 49% CAGR2022-2028.

Fabless business model with open foundries and epihouses: is it sustainable ?

2023 has been marked by Infineon’s announcement to acquire GaN Systems for a record $830M transaction. Other IDMs are also making significant efforts and investments to strengthen their Power GaN activity. For example, STMicroelectronics is building its internal 8-inch GaN manufacturing fab in Tours, France. Nexperia is developing its e-mode technology, and ROHM entered the Power GaN market in 2022 with its EcoGaN 150V and 650V product portfolio. We expect other established power electronics IDMs to enter the Power GaN industry in the coming years, either through M&As or internal technology development.

The fabless business model still dominates the Power GaN ecosystem in 2023. Most of the fabless companies work with TSMC. Meanwhile, other foundries, such as X-fab and BelGaN, are attracting more attention and gaining more market share. These two foundries do not have internal epitaxy, which is an opportunity for epihouse businesses. 6-inch and 8-inch GaN-on-Si epiwafers are already commercially available from several epihouses, such as IQE, Siltronic, Enkris, and Soitec. Foundries and epihouses can also do business with IDMs when, for example, second sourcing is needed. We have already seen STMicroelectronics producing its MasterGaN products with TSMC.

Looking to the future, we expect some fabless companies to be acquired by IDMs. Other fabless or fablite companies will continue to grow by expanding to other markets and product diversification. For example, Navitas entered the Power SiC business by acquiring GeneSiC. To keep a sustainable business, fabless companies need to invest in foundries and epihouses to secure production capacity.

Power GaN technology comes with different solutions at epiwafer, device and system levels

As of 2023, there are more than 260 commercially available devices with different solutions to achieve normally-off operation, a wide range of voltage ratings, and several packaging types. Generally, GaN players are increasingly proposing pin-to-pin compatible devices, as several end users need multi-sourcing for some applications.

The main platform for GaN HEMT is still 6-inch GaN-on-Si. Meanwhile, 8-inch GaN-on-Si is gaining more share with Innoscience increasing its capacity, and other IDMs establishing 8-inch lines, such as STMicroelectronics in Tours and Infineon in Villach and Kulim. We expect 8-inch to account for more than 60% of the total Si wafer demand by 2028.

GaN-on-Sapphire is also used for power applications, with 6-inch as the main platform. As of 2023, PI is still the main user of Sapphire, while transphorm is developing a 1200V GaN-on-Sapphire device to be available for sampling by 2024. Other startups and companies from the LED business, such us GaNrich, a spinoff from Epistar, are entering the Power GaN market by leveraging their know-how in GaN epitaxy on sapphire and their installed epitaxial growth capacity. These companies will face the challenge of developing the front-end process for GaN HEMTs, which differs from GaN LEDs.

Looking to the future, we see some innovations toward bringing Power GaN to higher breakdown voltages (>1200V), such as vertical GaN-on-GaN, and toward more monolithic integration by using electrically isolated substrates, such as IMEC’s work on GaN-on-SOI or GaN-on-QST.

Key Features

• 2018-2028 forecast for power GaN devices revenue and shipment by application, (Munits, $M)
• 2018-2028 forecast for RF GaN devices revenue breakdown by technology GaN-on-Si and GaN-on-Saphire, by voltage <200V and 600V, and device type Discrete SiP and SoC ($M)
• 2018-2028 forecast for power GaN wafer units, epiwafer revenue and shipment 6” equivalent and by wafer size, open and captive market. (Munits, $M)
• Overview of Power GaN, GaN on Si and GaN on Saphire supply chain from Wafer to system, including  a specific focus on Chinese ecosystem.

What’s new?

• 2018-2028 Power GaN forecasts
• New identified players

Product Objectives

• To provide context on the market and forecast in the 2018-2028 timeframe
  • What are the key market drivers for the growing GaN business?
  • What are the GaN market values and volumes, by application and technology?
• To provide an overall view on the global Power GaN market trends
• To review the GaN supply chain
  • Players and strategies at different levels of the supply chain
  • Analysis on demand and supply of GaN wafers, focus on capacity
  • Significant events and latest trends of market players
  • Focus on China
• Technology trends and status of currently available products
  • What are the latest technological developments and the focus of major players?
  • Who has the technology and products?

Glossary

Table of contents

Report’s objective

Scope of the report

Report methodology

About the authors

What we got right, what we got wrong

Comparison with Yole’s previous forecasts

Companies cited in this report

3-page summary

Executive Summary

Context

Market forecasts

• GaN power device market
• GaN power market: HEMT vs. SiP vs. SoC
• GaN power devices: Market forecast split by application (Units and $M)
• GaN power device market - Split by substrate technology
• GaN power device market in $M – Split by voltage
• Open and captive GaN power epiwafer volume – 6” equivalent
• GaN-on-Si open epiwafer Market ($M and units) - 6-inch equivalent
• GaN power Si wafer demand (Units) by size
• GaN Power epiwafer pricing ($)
• Device revenue market share in $M: SiC vs. GaN vs. Silicon

Market trends 

• Mobile and Consumer
• Telecom and infra
• Automotive and mobility
• Industrial applications:
• Defense and aerospace
• Medical
• Overview of GaN power application markets

What’s new/Top news

Supply Chain  

• GaN power supply chain and business models
• Mapping of key players in different geographical regions
• A closer look at supply chain relations
• Capacity at epi and process manufacturing
• Market share of GaN foundries
• GaN industry timeline, key investments and partnerships
• Focus on fabless business model
• Focus on open foundry business model
• Focus on epihouse business model
• Focus on design house” business model (example IMEC), IMEC website
• Yole’s Analysis of Navitas’ activities
• Infineon acquisition of GaN Systems
• The power electronics industry landscape
• Analysis on potential newcomers to the Power GaN business
• Funded R&D projects – Focus on European union
• Focus on China
• Market share of GaN power device players
• Company profiles
• Conclusion – Supply chain

Power GaN device technology trends

• GaN device technology overview
• Epitaxy and epiwafers
• GaN power device integration (D-mode, E-mode GaN, SoC, SiP, discrete+driver)
• Manufacturing process flow- GaN-on-Si Compatibility with CMOS line
• Toward higher voltages - >1200V devices
• Toward more monolithic integration
• Packaging and GaN power module
• Commercially available Devices
• GaN ASP device vs Si vs SiC - Focus on 600V-700V devices
• GaN power device reliability
• Focus on system integration: Gate driver and passive requirements
• Focus on multi-level approach 
• Conclusion – Technology trends

Conclusions and Outlooks

Related products

About Yole Group