Navitas licenses GeneSiC tech to Magnachip for high-voltage SiC push
Navitas Semiconductor and Magnachip Semiconductor have announced a strategic licensing partnership that will give Magnachip access to Navitas' GeneSiC Trench-Assisted Planar silicon carbide technology. The agreement covers voltage ratings of 1200 V, 2300 V, 3300 V, and higher, targeting markets including grid infrastructure, energy storage, industrial electrification and automotive power systems.
Under the terms of the deal, Magnachip will license Navitas' Gen 4 and Gen 5 GeneSiC platforms and gain access to Navitas' SiC supply chain and materials ecosystem. The technology is planned to be ported, qualified, and eventually internalised at Magnachip's own fabrication facility in South Korea, which the companies say should accelerate time to market while preserving continuity with Navitas' established materials base.
Chris Allexandre, president and chief executive of Navitas, said the partnership was designed to "broaden GeneSiC adoption across high-voltage and ultra-high-voltage power markets" by creating a faster path to scale advanced SiC solutions through a deeper, long-term collaboration.
Magnachip's chief executive Chae Lee added that the GeneSiC licence "complements our existing MOSFET and power semiconductor portfolio" and positions the company to serve customers requiring higher efficiency and greater voltage capability in power conversion applications.
The two companies also indicated that the agreement extends beyond SiC technology, with additional areas of collaboration expected to be announced separately, though no further detail was provided in the release.
Market context
The SiC power semiconductor market has grown sharply on the back of electric vehicle adoption and grid modernisation programmes, with manufacturers competing for position across the full voltage spectrum. The ultra-high-voltage segment, covering 2300 V and above, is of particular interest for medium-voltage grid applications such as traction inverters, solid-state transformers and utility-scale storage systems. Incumbents in this space include Wolfspeed, Onsemi, STMicroelectronics and Infineon, all of which have made substantial capital commitments to expand SiC wafer and device capacity over recent years.
Navitas has sought to differentiate its GeneSiC line through its trench-assisted planar architecture, which the company says offers advantages in reliability and voltage capability compared with pure trench designs. Licensing this technology to a Korean manufacturer with existing fab capacity gives Navitas a royalty-generating route into the Korean supply chain without committing its own capital to additional production lines. For Magnachip, which has historically concentrated on lower-voltage MOSFET and power IC products, the deal represents an entry into the higher-margin, higher-complexity SiC device segment.
Regulatory and supply-chain read-across
South Korea has invested heavily in semiconductor self-sufficiency, partly in response to US-led export controls and geopolitical pressures on supply chains. The Magnachip partnership fits a broader pattern of Korean chipmakers seeking to internalise advanced power-device processes rather than rely on imported wafers or finished devices. Navitas' willingness to transfer technology and supply-chain access to a Korean fab also reflects the strategic weight that geography now carries in power semiconductor planning.
From a standards perspective, automotive-grade SiC devices must meet AEC-Q101 qualification, and grid-connected applications often require compliance with IEC standards for power electronics. Magnachip will need to complete its own qualification runs at its Korean facility before the licensed technology can enter volume production, a process that typically takes twelve to eighteen months from technology transfer. Navitas was certified CarbonNeutral by a third party, and the companies may need to address scope-three emissions reporting as supply chains for SiC substrates remain energy-intensive. Investors and customers will be watching for qualification milestones and named design wins as the clearest indicators of whether the partnership delivers commercial scale.