– DENSO’s transistor fabrication technology enables more energy-efficient and smaller power units –
DENSO Corporation today announced that it has signed a licensing agreement for its Super Junction Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (SJ MOS) transistor manufacturing technology, with Tokyo-based New Japan Radio Co., Ltd – a company that manufactures semiconductors and electronic components. DENSO’s new technology realizes a power semiconductor device with the world’s lowest level*1 of on-resistance*2, which results in an improvement in efficiency and a smaller power device.
Developed with DENSO’s own technology, the new SJ MOS transistor can be used to increase the energy efficiency of personal computer AC adapters, servers, in-vehicle power converters, and other devices, while also making them smaller in size. Also, the new transistor involves fewer fabrication steps than those made by conventional SJ MOS fabrication technologies, which reduces the manufacturing cost.
DENSO is committed to further expand its licensing business of the SJ MOS transistor technology in the global market.
DENSO has developed the trench-filling technology to fabricate SJ MOS transistors. With this technology, micron-scale (µm: one millionth of a meter) trenches are etched on the surface of a silicon substrate, then using epitaxial growth*3, a thin-stripe structure of N- and P-type semiconductors are formed. DENSO’s own trench-filling technology allows finer fabrication, which reduces the on-resistance and increases the switching speed of SJ MOS transistors, thus reducing the size and power consumption of power units, in-vehicle power converters, and other devices.
DENSO’s fabrication technology
Conceptual diagram of DENSO’s Super Junction (SJ)
In anticipation of the widespread use of automotive electronics, DENSO established the IC Research Center in 1968. Since then, the company has designed, developed, and produced in-vehicle semiconductor devices for more than 40 years. DENSO will continue to develop more advanced semiconductor technologies based on those it has already developed.
*1: DENSO’s survey of SJ MOS transistors as of February 2013
*2: The resistance value of a power semiconductor when activated (energized). A lower value of resistance means less power loss and higher energy efficiency.
*3: A technique to produce thin films from crystals on a substrate in a chemical reaction
