News: Microelectronics
12 November 2025
SK keyfoundry accelerating development of SiC-based power semiconductor technology
South Korea-based SK keyfoundry — which provides specialty analog and mixed-signal foundry services on 8-inch wafers for consumer, communications, computing, automotive and industrial applications — says that it is accelerating the development of silicon carbide (SiC)-based compound power semiconductor technology, bolstering its efforts for the global power semiconductor market. Leveraging its manufacturing expertise and intellectual property (IP) portfolio across the semiconductor manufacturing process, in first-half 2025 the firm acquired SK powertech (formerly Yes Power Technix, until its acquisition by SK Inc in 2022), which has core competencies in the SiC sector.
SK keyfoundry says that it has accumulated a range of process optimization technologies and know-how for yield improvement based on its manufacturing expertise from wafer fabrication to back-end operations. Through this acquisition, SK keyfoundry has secured SK powertech’s SiC processes and power device design technologies, establishing a foundation for technological self-reliance in the SiC power semiconductor field.
Building on this, SK keyfoundry is accelerating development with the goal of providing SiC MOSFET 1200V process technologies by the end of 2025 and launching a SiC-based power semiconductor foundry business in first-half 2026. In particular, it plans to expand its process technology, focusing on high-voltage and high-efficiency applications such as electric vehicle powertrain systems, industrial power converters, and renewable energy inverters. To achieve this, SK keyfoundry is strengthening its process optimization and reliability evaluation process, while also establishing a dedicated team to provide customized SiC solutions.
In recent years, global demand for compound power semiconductors, including SiC, has been growing rapidly, notes SK keyfoundry. The adoption of SiC is accelerating across industries where energy efficiency has become a key competitive factor, such as electric vehicles, energy storage systems (ESS), 5G infrastructure, and data centers. According to market research firm Omdia, the global SiC market is expected to grow at a robust annual rate of over 24% from 2025 to 2030. Amid these market shifts, SK keyfoundry aims to make the SiC-based power semiconductor sector its next growth engine and to expand collaboration with domestic and international customers to increase its global market share.
“The acquisition of SK powertech, a specialist in SiC, marked a pivotal step for SK keyfoundry in securing its own distinctive technological edge in the compound semiconductor field,” says SK keyfoundry’s CEO Derek D. Lee. “By combining the core development capabilities of both companies and launching high-efficiency SiC power semiconductor process technologies and products, SK keyfoundry aims to establish differentiated technological leadership in the rapidly growing global market for high-voltage and high-efficiency compound semiconductor applications.”
SK keyfoundry intensifying efforts to develop GaN for power electronics
