-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueLearning to Speak ‘Fab’
Our expert contributors clear up many of the miscommunication problems between PCB designers and their fab and assembly stakeholders. As you will see, a little extra planning early in the design cycle can go a long way toward maintaining open lines of communication with the fab and assembly folks.
Training New Designers
Where will we find the next generation of PCB designers and design engineers? Once we locate them, how will we train and educate them? What will PCB designers of the future need to master to deal with tomorrow’s technology?
The Designer of the Future
Our expert contributors peer into their crystal balls and offer their thoughts on the designers and design engineers of tomorrow, and what their jobs will look like.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
DENSO, USJC Announce Mass Production Shipment of Automotive IGBT
May 11, 2023 | JCN NewswireEstimated reading time: 2 minutes

DENSO CORPORATION (DENSO), a leading mobility supplier, and United Semiconductor Japan Co., Ltd. (USJC), a subsidiary of global semiconductor foundry United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), announced a joint collaboration to produce insulated gate bipolar transistors* (IGBT), which have entered mass production at the 300mm fab of USJC. A first shipment ceremony was held today to mark this important milestone. It comes just one year after the companies announced a strategic partnership for this critical power semiconductor used in electric vehicles.
As adoption of electric vehicles accelerates, automakers are seeking to boost powertrain efficiency while also increasing cost-effectiveness of electrified vehicles. The jointly invested line at USJC supports the production of a new generation of IGBT developed by DENSO, which offers 20% reduction in power losses compared with earlier generation devices. Production is expected to reach 10,000 wafers per month by 2025.
The ceremony was held today at USJC's fab in Mie Prefecture, Japan. Attendees included by DENSO President Koji Arima, UMC Co-President Jason Wang, USJC President Michiari Kawano, Director-General of the Commerce and Information Policy Bureau at Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Satoshi Nohara, Governor of Mie Prefecture Katsuyuki Ichimi, and Mayor of Kuwana City Narutaka Ito.
"Today, we are thrilled to welcome a memorable shipping ceremony that symbolizes the partnership between DENSO, UMC and USJC. We are from different cultures such as semiconductor industry and automobile industry. However we have worked steadily with mutual respect which is a source of our strong competitiveness. DENSO, together with our trusted partners, will continue to further accelerate electrification through the production of competitive semiconductors in order to preserve the global environment and create a society full of smiles," said Koji Arima, President of DENSO.
"USJC is proud to be the first semiconductor foundry in Japan to manufacture IGBT on 300mm wafers, offering customers greater production efficiency than the standard fabrication on 200mm wafers. Thanks to our dedicated teams and support from DENSO, we were able to complete trial production and reliability testing without delay and honor the mass production date as agreed with the customer," said Michiari Kawano, President of USJC.
"It is an honor to be a strategic partner of DENSO, a leading automotive solution provider to global automakers. This collaboration fully demonstrates UMC's manufacturing capability and our collaborative approach to ensure the success of our foundry customers," said Jason Wang, Co-President of UMC. "The electrification and automation of cars will continue to drive up semiconductor content, particularly for chips manufactured using specialty foundry processes on 28nm and above nodes. As a specialty technology leader, UMC is well positioned to play a bigger role in the automotive value chain and enabling our partners to capture opportunities and win market share in this rapidly evolving industry."
*Insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) is a core device that acts as a switch in inverters to convert DC current from batteries to AC current to drive and control electric vehicle motors. Battery and plug-in electric cars require significantly more IGBT units than conventional ICE cars.
Suggested Items
'Let’s Talk Production Test' with Bert Horner of The Test Connection, Inc. at SMTA Long Island Chapter Technical Meeting
04/04/2025 | The Test Connection Inc.The Test Connection Inc. (TTCI), a leading provider of electronic test and manufacturing solutions, is pleased to announce that its President, Bert Horner, will present at the SMTA Long Island Chapter Technical Meeting & Dinner on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
'Let’s Talk Production Test' with Bert Horner of The Test Connection, Inc. at SMTA Long Island Meeting
04/02/2025 | The Test Connection Inc.The Test Connection Inc. (TTCI), a leading provider of electronic test and manufacturing solutions, is pleased to announce that its President, Bert Horner, will present at the SMTA Long Island Chapter Technical Meeting & Dinner on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. The event will take place at the Radisson Hotel Hauppauge in Hauppauge, NY.
NOTE Expands Collaboration with Waystream Group
04/02/2025 | NOTEAfter several years of successful collaboration for both parties, the Swedish telecom company Waystream has decided to appoint NOTE as the exclusive production partner of the company's products.
Upgrade and Set Sail: The New ViTrox Exhibition Center Opens Up New Innovative Experiences
04/02/2025 | ViTroxViTrox, committed to becoming the world's most trusted technology company, is pleased to announce that its showroom in Shenzhen, China has been completely upgraded and reopened.
Serial Production of High-tech Sensor as Saab Expands in Finland
04/01/2025 | SaabThe newly inaugurated serial production facility is a milestone both for Saab’s expansion in Finland and the development of Sirius Compact. Increasing demand for the passive electronic warfare sensor has driven the need for serial production.