Polar Semiconductor will manufacture enhancement-mode gallium nitride devices on 8-inch wafers under a licence agreement with imec, the two organisations said.
The deal transfers imec’s GaN-on-silicon process, device design and epitaxy to Polar’s power and sensor foundry in Bloomington, Minnesota. The first phase covers voltage ranges from 40 to 650 volts, aimed at AI data centres, automotive systems, aerospace and defence, and industrial grid equipment.
Customers reach the technology through IC-Link, imec’s design and manufacturing arm, which gives early access for prototyping ahead of volume production.
Polar executive chairman Reza Kazerounian said the partnership reinforces the company’s push to build a leading American GaN centre of excellence and strengthen domestic supply chains.
Imec’s chief R&D programmes and portfolio officer, Thomas Piliszczuk, said the arrangement draws on more than fifteen years of GaN research at the Belgian institute.
The move widens the supply base for power components used in server racks, where rising current demands and tighter efficiency targets have made wide-bandgap materials increasingly attractive to chip designers.
