A Japanese startup originating from Waseda University, Power Diamond Systems (PDS), showcased its diamond-based semiconductors at SEMICON Japan 2025, presenting for the first time an evaluation system that confirmed the devices' operation after packaging.
According to reports from Nikkei and Dempa, PDS's demonstration featured diamond power MOSFETs: power semiconductors built on synthetic diamond wafers. These devices can withstand hundreds of volts, and the company envisions applications in electric vehicles (EVs) and communications satellites. PDS plans to collaborate with potential clients to commercialize the technology in the 2030s.
In July 2025, PDS announced a joint research initiative with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The partnership will test diamond power MOSFETs in space environments, with potential deployment in planetary probes, satellites, and other aerospace equipment. Ground-based verification of durability and operational performance is expected to begin in the 2025 fiscal year (April 2025–March 2026).
Before formalizing the collaboration, PDS and JAXA spent more than a year in detailed discussions to validate technical feasibility and performance.
Diamond offers exceptional durability and thermal conductivity, making it well-suited for harsh, heat-challenging space environments, outperforming traditional power semiconductors made from silicon or silicon carbide (SiC).
PDS was founded in August 2022 to commercialize the research of Professor Hiroshi Kawaharada at Waseda University's Faculty of Science and Engineering. The company's key technological advantage lies in its vertical MOSFET architecture, in which current flows perpendicularly through the substrate.
Compared with conventional lateral MOSFETs, where current flows horizontally across the wafer, vertical designs allow higher integration density and greater capacity to handle large power loads. PDS's diamond semiconductors have achieved record-breaking power density, positioning the company at the forefront of semiconductor technology.
Article edited by Jack Wu