Shanghai Jiachi Power Technology Co. Ltd has achieved operational milestones in the development and industrialization of gallium oxide power devices, positioning the fourth-generation ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor material for commercial automotive deployment. The company has completed the initial iterative tape-out validation phase for its vertical gallium oxide chip architecture and initiated technical evaluations alongside leading automobile manufacturers.
The development centers on an enrichment-type (normally-off) vertical gallium oxide MOSFET engineered for high-voltage power conversion. In power electronics systems, normally-off operation is essential to ensure fail-safe operation in high-voltage environments, preventing shoot-through currents during system start-up. Jiachi Power’s vertical device architecture demonstrated a conduction current exceeding 1 A—peaking at 1.2 A—alongside a measured breakdown voltage greater than 900 V. Operating parameters include a threshold voltage of 3.9 V, an on-state specific resistance of 33 mΩ·cm², and a reverse leakage current restricted to below 3 µA. Concurrently, the enterprise plans to release commercial prototype samples of a gallium oxide diode by late 2026 or 2027, followed by volume commercial product introductions in early 2027.
Gallium oxide (β−Ga2O3) represents a significant technical evolution beyond third-generation wide-bandgap materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN). Featuring an ultra-wide bandgap of roughly 4.8 to 4.9 electron-volts, gallium oxide exhibits a significantly higher critical electric breakdown field. This fundamental property allows devices to support elevated voltages across thinner drift layers, drastically cutting specific on-resistance and theoretical conduction losses. Furthermore, unlike SiC, bulk gallium oxide single crystals can be synthesized using melt-growth techniques such as the Czochralski or edge-defined film-fed growth methods, offering the long-term potential for lower substrate manufacturing costs and larger wafer diameters.
The technical validation program is being facilitated by regional industrial oversight bodies. A specialized project team overseeing fourth-generation semiconductors under the Shanghai Municipal Commission for Science and Technology has supported Jiachi Power during technical exchanges with major vehicle manufacturers. This coordinated engagement enables device designers and downstream automotive tiers to collaborate on targeted electrical specifications, accelerating system-level integration. In parallel, initiatives coordinated with the Municipal Commission for the Monitoring and Administration of Public Assets around “first order” advanced technology procurement are establishing supply networks linking chip providers with downstream original equipment manufacturers.
For the international semiconductor industry, transitioning vertical gallium oxide architectures from laboratory research into functional automotive testing marks a critical inflection point. As battery electric vehicle platforms migrate toward 800V and higher bus voltages, traction inverters and on-board chargers require power switches with superior breakdown tolerances and reduced die footprints. Successful commercialization of vertical gallium oxide devices will introduce high-voltage competition against incumbent silicon carbide platforms, reshaping power semiconductor supply chains.
