Navitas Semiconductor and Magnachip Semiconductor Corporation have entered into a strategic licensing and manufacturing partnership to accelerate the commercialization of Silicon Carbide (SiC) power devices across high-voltage (HV) and ultra-high-voltage (UHV) markets. The collaboration establishes a dual-track framework: transferring proprietary wide-bandgap (WBG) device architectures while linking manufacturing assets and raw material supply chains.
Under the agreement, Magnachip will license Navitas’ proprietary GeneSiC™ Trench-Assisted Planar™ (TAP) technology. The license spans critical power nodes including 1200 V, 2300 V, 3300 V, and higher-voltage platforms. The TAP architecture integrates shallow trenches within a planar gate structure. This design mitigates peak electric field stress at critical junctions, shrinks cell pitch, and lowers specific on-resistance (RDS(ON)) at elevated operating temperatures. Crucially, it provides high avalanche robustness and switching efficiency without the complex fabrication challenges and yield degradation associated with deep-etched, high-aspect-ratio trench gates.
Operationally, the partnership accelerates Magnachip’s roadmap by integrating Navitas’ established SiC substrate, epitaxy, and material ecosystem. Rather than operating purely as a fabless licensee, Magnachip plans to port, qualify, and internalize the GeneSiC process directly into its existing front-end 8-inch wafer fabrication facility in South Korea. This localized fab internalization shortens market entry timelines and expands regional SiC manufacturing capacity while ensuring technical continuity with Navitas’ qualified wafer baselines.
From an application standpoint, the HV and UHV SiC devices target high-power conversion topologies across industrial electrification, grid-scale renewable energy storage, utility infrastructure, and commercial electric vehicle powertrains. In parallel, high-voltage SiC plays a growing structural role in hyperscale artificial intelligence data centers, where megawatt-class server power supplies and solid-state transformers require high power density and reduced thermal dissipation to drive efficiency.
“This strategic partnership with Magnachip reflects our long-term vision to broaden GeneSiC adoption across high-voltage and ultra-high-voltage power markets,” stated Chris Allexandre, President and CEO of Navitas. “By licensing our proven GeneSiC technologies and supporting Magnachip through our supply-chain and materials ecosystem, we are creating a path to scale advanced SiC solutions more rapidly.”
Chae Lee, CEO of Magnachip, noted that the addition of GeneSiC TAP technology complements the company’s existing silicon power MOSFET and mixed-signal portfolio, positioning the company to address demanding high-power conversion segments. Both chipmakers indicated that the engagement establishes a broader foundation, with additional collaborative vectors expected in the future.
