Soitec, a world leader in the design and manufacturing of innovative semiconductor materials, and ZenSemi, announced a strategic collaboration to enable high-volume production of 300mm BCD-on-SOI (Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS on Silicon-on-Insulator) technologies for next-generation power electronics powering AI datacenters, EVs, humanoid robots and industrial applications.
In this partnership, Soitec will supply ZenSemi with its advanced 300mm Power-SOI substrates to support the development and capacity ramp-up of a new BCD-on-SOI process. By combining Soitec’s expertise in the supply of engineered substrates with ZenSemi’s specialty foundry capabilities, the two companies aim to provide fabless companies and integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) with a high-performance manufacturing platform tailored to market needs.
Compared with traditional BCD-on-bulk solutions, BCD-on-SOI technology serves as a critical enabler for advanced chip integration and reliability. Through full dielectric isolation-which inherently eliminates parasitic latch-up and drastically reduces electrical crosstalk and parasitics-the technology allows high-voltage power stages and sensitive low-voltage control circuitry to be densely integrated onto a single chip.
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The result is a highly reliable, power-dense platform capable of handling the intense energy demands and strict functional safety (FuSa) requirements of next-generation applications.
The 300mm BCD-on-SOI process is designed to meet increasing requirements in high-value applications, including high-efficiency power distribution for AI datacenters, automotive and robotics systems subject to rigorous FuSa requirements and battery management systems (BMS) for electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
“This partnership underscores the maturity of the BCD-on-SOI ecosystem in China. By leveraging ZenSemi’s specialized foundry services, led by a team with a proven track record in international power electronics standards, and Soitec’s recognized engineered substrate quality, we are creating a new benchmark for power electronics,” said René Jonker, Chief Product Officer at Soitec.
“We are extremely encouraged by successful first-silicon validation with our flagship lead customer. For an 18-channel analog front-end (AFE) device, our SOI-based implementation achieves a striking ~30% die size reduction versus traditional bulk BCD processes. This outcome powerfully validates SOI’s unmatched strengths in die area miniaturization and circuit resilience.
Through our collaboration with Soitec, we will rapidly ramp our 300mm SOI-BCD manufacturing capacity. Once our platforms move into full-volume production, we will empower both domestic Chinese design houses and worldwide clients to build smaller, more robust, cost-optimized power ICs catering to fast-expanding automotive, artificial intelligence, and industrial markets,” said Ruby Yan, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at ZenSemi.
SOURCE: Soitec