onsemi + GlobalFoundries GaN Deal to Produce 650V Power Devices

Key takeaways

• onsemi and GlobalFoundries will jointly develop and manufacture GaN power devices on GF’s 200mm eMode GaN-on-silicon platform, starting at 650V.
• onsemi expects customer sampling in the first half of 2026, followed by a staged production ramp.
• Target applications include AI data centers, EVs, renewable energy, industrial systems, and aerospace/defense.

Why this announcement matters beyond engineering

Power electronics has become one of the most contested segments in semiconductors. AI data centers are pushing higher power density per rack, EV platforms are tightening efficiency budgets, and industrial and renewable systems are being redesigned to deliver more power in smaller, thermally constrained footprints. Across these markets, power components increasingly set the critical path for product schedules.

onsemi’s collaboration with GlobalFoundries is less about introducing another GaN device and more about how GaN is being positioned for scale. The companies plan to manufacture 650V GaN devices using GF’s 200mm GaN-on-silicon process, leveraging large-diameter silicon wafers and established fab infrastructure rather than smaller, more specialized production flows.

This signals a shift toward GaN platforms that resemble mainstream semiconductor manufacturing models improving consistency and throughput over time. However, scale alone does not eliminate risk as new power platforms typically ramp in phases, with limited early SKUs, qualification gates, and controlled allocation before availability stabilizes.

What changes in day-to-day procurement operations

The move to 200mm GaN-on-silicon raises a familiar sourcing question: does this improve predictability? In the long term, it can but buyers should still expect constrained rollouts as the platform matures.

Starting at 650V targets the center of gravity for many high-volume power designs, including server power supplies, EV charging stages, industrial power conversion, and inverter-adjacent architectures. onsemi has explicitly tied the program to demand from AI data centers, automotive, industrial, and aerospace/defense markets.

onsemi has indicated it will pair GF’s GaN process with onsemi silicon drivers, controllers, and thermally enhanced packaging. This suggests that the buying` decision may increasingly shift from a discrete transistor toward an integrated power-stage platform, where packaging, gate-drive compatibility, and thermal performance determine adoption as much as electrical specs. In many cases, GaN will enter designs selectively used in stages where switching speed, efficiency, or thermal density offer clear system-level benefits.

Once those use cases are defined, planning needs to proceed on two parallel tracks. Engineering teams will need early access to samples to validate electrical performance, thermals, EMI, and reliability. At the same time, sourcing teams need clarity on lead times, package availability, test flows, and how quickly additional variants will follow initial releases. Treating these as separate conversations often introduces schedule risk later.

Packaging and qualification details deserve particular attention. In early GaN programs, these factors frequently drive timelines more than headline datasheet specifications. A technically attractive device can still force layout changes, thermal redesigns, or extended qualification cycles if packaging assumptions are misaligned.

Taken together, this makes 2025 a positioning year, not a volume year. Teams that begin technical and commercial alignment now will be better prepared to absorb GaN into 2026 builds without last-minute tradeoffs between performance, cost, and availability.