STMicroelectronics launches 700V GaN power semiconductors for AI, industrial, and grid applications - Military Aerospace

STMicroelectronics has launched a new family of 700V gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductors designed to enhance power conversion efficiency in AI servers, industrial systems, robotics, and smart-g... Read original →

STMicroelectronics’ 700V GaN launch signals a strategic pivot from consumer chargers to mission-critical AI and grid infrastructure. This move pressures upstream GaN-on-Si wafer suppliers to boost 6-inch yield while compelling power designers to adopt MHz-range topologies, directly undermining silicon MOSFETs in 48V AI server rails. Geopolitically, U.S. and EU subsidies for domestic wide-bandgap fabs raise compliance barriers, yet ST’s European IDM model offers partial insulation. Competitors like Infineon and onsemi will likely accelerate 800V+ GaN or SiC rollouts, intensifying price and integration battles in industrial drives. Within 18 months, GaN will become irreversible in liquid-cooled data center PSUs and solid-state grid transformers due to its unmatched power density—unless foundries in Taiwan, China and mainland China solve dynamic Rds(on) degradation, they risk confinement to low-end segments.