Samsung Electronics is reportedly set to begin mass production at its gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductor foundry line as early as the second quarter, while also preparing silicon carbide (SiC) samples for production later this year, according to reports from The Elec and ZDNet.
Samsung is preparing to kick off operations at its 8-inch GaN power semiconductor foundry line, with mass production expected to start in the April–June period.
The move comes more than three years after Samsung announced plans to enter the power semiconductor foundry business. The company has reportedly secured initial customers, although revenue from GaN foundry services is expected to remain below KRW100 billion (US$66 million) in the early stages due to a limited client base.
Samsung offers a turnkey service excluding chip design to improve profitability, and produces its own wafers rather than sourcing them externally. While wafers were purchased during the pilot phase, the company has since developed mass-production-ready epitaxial (epi) wafers for GaN, which will be used once production begins.
Samsung declined to comment on details regarding the GaN foundry operation.
Competition builds at home
Domestic competitors are also moving to enter the GaN market. DB HiTek is expected to begin GaN foundry mass production in the second half of the year, roughly one to two quarters behind Samsung. Unlike Samsung, DB HiTek outsources packaging despite supplying its own wafers.
SK keyFoundry is also targeting the GaN foundry segment, though mass production remains some time away, according to industry sources.
SiC inches toward sample stage
Separately, Samsung is preparing to begin sample production of SiC power semiconductors in the third quarter.
The company has recently placed orders for the materials and components required for sample production, with preparations underway for initial output later this year. ZDNet described SiC as a next-generation power semiconductor material and a potential future growth driver for Samsung.
The first samples are expected to be planar SiC MOSFETs — a basic transistor structure known for its reliability, though with relatively lower performance. Industry sources told ZDNet that Samsung plans to begin with planar designs before transitioning to more advanced structures.
Samsung established a Compound Semiconductor Solutions (CSS) team in late 2023 to lead related research and development, and has introduced metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) equipment at its Giheung campus to support SiC production.
Where GaN and SiC diverge
Power semiconductors are broadly divided into GaN and SiC materials, both of which offer wider bandgaps than conventional silicon, enabling higher efficiency and improved performance under high-voltage and high-temperature conditions.
GaN devices are typically used in applications below 1,200 volts, including smartphone fast chargers, electric vehicle charging systems, and power conversion in artificial intelligence data centers. GaN components are used in converters that transform high-voltage direct current into lower voltages required by servers, supporting emerging 800V DC power architectures.
SiC, by contrast, is suited for higher-voltage applications such as electric vehicles and industrial inverters, where demand continues to grow owing to its durability and efficiency advantages.
Delays mount, but investment signals commitment
Samsung previously stated in 2023 that it would begin power semiconductor foundry operations by 2025, though the timeline has since slipped. Industry sources noted that foundry capacity is typically brought online only after customer orders are secured, suggesting that recent customer wins have supported the production decision.
The company is also expected to begin operating a SiC power semiconductor foundry this year, handling processes from design to packaging for products in the 1,200–1,700V range.
However, progress in SiC has been slower than initially anticipated. Growth in the SiC market has fallen short of earlier expectations amid a slowdown in electric vehicle demand. At the same time, Samsung's continued investment focus on memory products such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM) has delayed its expansion into new business areas, including SiC.
Article edited by Jerry Chen
