According to reports, Samsung has spent about 200 billion won to begin producing silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors for power management ICs. It also plans to use 8-inch wafers to produce such chips, skipping the entry-level 6-inch wafer initiated by most power semiconductor manufacturers.

"I understand that Samsung Electronics has decided to promote a plan to mix some 8-inch devices used in LED processes developed for SiC and GaN to improve development efficiency," said a person familiar with the matter

SiC and GaN are considered to be the next generation of power semiconductor materials. Compared to traditional silicon, it has excellent high-temperature resistance, high-voltage durability, and power efficiency. In particular, the durability of SiC is good, and the demand for it in the automotive market, represented by electric vehicles, is increasing. Due to its fast switching speed, GaN is evaluated as more suitable for wireless communication in high-frequency environments.

Samsung established a power semiconductor working group in early 2023 as the first step in manufacturing SiC and GaN semiconductors. In addition to Samsung Semiconductor employees, the LED team and Samsung Advanced Technology Institute (SAIT) also participated in the team. Samsung plans to manufacture GaN and SiC semiconductors on 8-inch wafers, directly skipping the entry stage of most power semiconductors using commercial 6-inch wafers.

Micro LED will also be produced using 8-inch wafers, representing Samsung Advanced Technology Institute to enable Samsung Micro LED production to have GaN related technology.

Samsung's production of SiC and GaN products on 8-inch wafers has attracted widespread attention. Currently, SiC products are still mainly produced using 4/6-inch wafers, while GaN products are gradually produced using 8-inch wafers. A Samsung spokesperson said that their SiC semiconductor business is still in the "research stage" and no decision has been made.