KARIYA, Japan—Automotive supplier DENSO Corp. and United Semiconductor Japan Co. Ltd. (USJC) have agreed to collaborate on the production of power semiconductors at USJC’s 300-millimeter fab to serve growing demand in the automotive market.

An insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) line will be installed at USJC’s wafer fab, which will be the first in Japan to produce IGBTs on 300-millimeter wafers. DENSO will contribute its system-oriented IGBT device and process technologies, while USJC will provide its 300 millimeter wafer manufacturing capabilities to bring the new IGBT process into mass production, scheduled to start in the first half of 2023.

As the adoption of electric cars accelerates, demand for semiconductors is rapidly increasing. IGBTs are core devices in power cards, serving as efficient power switches in inverters to convert DC and AC currents to drive and control electric vehicle motors.