Soitec and ZenSemi have announced a strategic collaboration to enable high-volume manufacturing of 300 mm Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS on Silicon-on-Insulator (BCD-on-SOI) technologies, targeting next-generation power electronics for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, electric vehicles (EVs), humanoid robots, and industrial applications.
Under the partnership, Soitec will supply its advanced 300 mm Power-SOI engineered substrates to ZenSemi, supporting the development and production ramp of a new BCD-on-SOI manufacturing platform. By combining Soitec’s expertise in engineered semiconductor substrates with ZenSemi’s specialty foundry capabilities, the companies aim to provide fabless semiconductor companies and integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) with a high-performance manufacturing solution optimized for advanced power management integrated circuits (PMICs) and mixed-signal devices.
Compared with conventional BCD-on-bulk technologies, BCD-on-SOI provides significant advantages in both circuit integration and operational reliability.
The technology utilizes full dielectric isolation, which inherently eliminates parasitic latch-up while substantially reducing electrical crosstalk and parasitic coupling between circuit elements. These characteristics enable high-voltage power stages and sensitive low-voltage analog and digital control circuitry to be integrated onto a single chip with greater density and improved robustness.
As a result, BCD-on-SOI offers a highly reliable platform capable of supporting the increasing power density, performance, and functional safety requirements of modern power electronics.
The new 300 mm manufacturing platform is intended to address the growing demand for advanced power management solutions across several rapidly expanding markets, including:
- AI data center power distribution systems
- Electric vehicle battery management systems (BMS)
- Energy storage systems (ESS)
- Automotive power electronics requiring functional safety (FuSa)
- Humanoid robotics
- Industrial automation and power control
These applications require increasingly sophisticated mixed-signal devices capable of integrating precision analog circuitry with high-voltage power management while maintaining high reliability under demanding operating conditions.
The collaboration brings together complementary capabilities across the semiconductor value chain.
Soitec contributes its industry-leading engineered Power-SOI substrate technology, which has become a key enabling platform for advanced analog, RF, and power semiconductor applications.
ZenSemi contributes specialty foundry expertise, including process development and high-volume manufacturing capabilities focused on power electronics technologies. According to the companies, the partnership leverages ZenSemi’s experience in international power semiconductor manufacturing standards while building on Soitec’s established leadership in engineered substrate innovation.
René Jonker, Chief Product Officer at Soitec, stated that the collaboration demonstrates the growing maturity of China’s BCD-on-SOI ecosystem and establishes a new benchmark for advanced power electronics manufacturing by combining high-quality engineered substrates with specialized foundry capabilities.
ZenSemi also reported successful first-silicon validation with its lead customer.
The company demonstrated an 18-channel analog front-end (AFE) device implemented using the new SOI-based process, achieving approximately a 30% reduction in die size compared with traditional bulk BCD technologies.
According to ZenSemi, the result validates the inherent advantages of SOI technology for:
- Higher integration density
- Smaller chip area
- Improved circuit robustness
- Enhanced electrical isolation
Reducing die size not only lowers manufacturing costs but can also improve yield and enable greater functionality within the same silicon footprint.
As part of the partnership, ZenSemi plans to rapidly expand its 300 mm SOI-BCD manufacturing capacity to support commercial production.
Once fully ramped, the manufacturing platform is expected to serve both Chinese semiconductor design companies and international customers developing advanced power management ICs for automotive, AI infrastructure, industrial automation, and other high-growth applications.
Ruby Yan, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at ZenSemi, stated that the combination of Soitec’s engineered substrates and ZenSemi’s manufacturing platform will enable customers to develop smaller, more robust, and more cost-effective power ICs while addressing the rapidly growing demands of AI, automotive, and industrial markets.
By combining advanced substrate technology with high-volume specialty manufacturing, Soitec and ZenSemi aim to strengthen the ecosystem for next-generation BCD-on-SOI solutions and support the increasing power management requirements of AI, electrification, robotics, and industrial automation.
Original – Soitec