News: Microelectronics
15 June 2026
CGD and NXP collaborate to accelerate time to market
Fabless firm Cambridge GaN Devices Ltd (CGD) — which was spun out of the University of Cambridge in 2016 to design, develop and commercialize power transistors and ICs that use GaN-on-silicon substrates — has joined forces with NXP Semiconductors N.V. of Eindhoven, The Netherlands to accelerate time to market in data-center and automotive markets.
These high-growth markets represent a huge opportunity for gallium nitride (GaN), notes CGD. The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects the energy used by data centers to double by 2030, making energy-efficiency improvements a key imperative. It is forecasted that the data-center power semiconductor market will see a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11%, reaching global sales of US$4.29bn by 2032 (according to the ‘Data Center Power Semiconductor Market Size, Share & Growth Report 2032’) while ResearchandMarkets.com has forecasted that the electric vehicle (EV) traction inverter market will see a CAGR of 16.1%, reaching global sales of US$67.6bn in 2034.
The new long-term collaboration will enable NXP to develop GaN-based system solutions, leveraging CGD’s GaN products, early access to next-generation CGD GaN developments, and the team’s expertise in GaN processes and technologies. At the same time, CGD will benefit from access to NXP’s broad processor and analog product portfolios, system know-how and global commercial reach, accelerating market penetration through optimized system-level solutions.
“By working closely with NXP, we are accelerating the shift towards a new class of GaN-based power electronics,” says CGD’s CEO Fabio Necco. “This collaboration is about leveraging GaN performance to increase efficiency, power density and reliability into real-world data-center and automotive systems, where performance, cost and sustainability now must go hand-in-hand,” he adds.
“CGD combines advanced GaN innovation with practical, scalable power solutions, delivering superior robustness, reliability and system-level performance,” comments Chris Bretz, vice president, Advanced Power Systems, at NXP. “With deep device expertise and strong know-how, CGD is an ideal long-term collaborator for NXP to accelerate high-efficiency GaN adoption across high-growth markets.”
GaN enables switching at higher frequencies and achieves greater efficiency compared to competing technologies.
The rapidly increasing power demands in data centres is particularly driven by the growing use of AI. A single rack might have only consumed 40kW in 2022 yet today can draw 200kW or more, and it is expected that a single rack will require 1MW or more by 2030. The increased compute density and modern power architectures place stringent requirements on power density and the need to deliver high step-down ratios while maintaining power efficiency. CGD claims that its ICeGaN is uniquely positioned to address these requirements, enabling higher-switching-frequency operations, higher power density and delivering superior reliability compared to discrete GaN solutions.
In automotive traction inverters, GaN can improve efficiency at low load. CGD’s ICeGaN technology is claimed to be the only single-chip GaN-based technology running on a standard driver that enables paralleling of multiple devices to meet the high current requirements demanded by traction inverters.
It is expected that the complementary IP and set of skills of the two companies will enable uniquely differentiated system-level solutions for customers exploring the benefits of GaN devices in these two important markets.
CGD’s new 650V ICeGaN device for automotive applications helps increase EV range
CGD partners with GlobalFoundries to supply single-chip ICeGaN power devices
