ELECTRONICS NEWS HIGHLIGHT W32.2024

1. Onsemi announces a parts and solutions supply agreement with the Volkswagen Group.

Onsemi announced that Onsemi has signed a multi-year agreement with the Volkswagen Group to become the main supplier of the complete electrical box solution, as part of the next generation traction inverter for the SSP System Platform. . The solution is based on silicon carbide technology in an integrated module that is scalable across all power levels – from high to low power traction inverters for compatibility with all types of cars.

“By providing a complete electrical system solution that includes the entire electrical assembly, we provide Volkswagen Group with a single modular platform,” said Hassane El-Khoury, president and CEO of Onsemi. simple, scalable and simplified, helping to maximize the efficiency and performance of their vehicles.” “This new approach allows customizing power needs and adding features to different vehicle types without compromising performance, while reducing costs.”

Onsemi becomes the strategic supplier for the electric box of the traction inverter for Volkswagen’s first batch on the SSP platform. In addition, Onsemi is also the supply chain from raw materials to electrical box assembly for the Volkswagen Group.

Volkswagen Group will also benefit from Onsemi’s planned investment to expand silicon carbide production in the Czech Republic. This investment will establish a full-service manufacturing facility in Europe for traction inverter power systems. This will strengthen Volkswagen Group’s supply chain while improving logistics and allowing faster integration into the production process.

Learn more: Onsemi announces a parts and solutions supply agreement with the Volkswagen Group.

2. Amphenol will acquire CommScope’s mobile network business

Amphenol Corporation recently announced it would acquire CommScope’s mobile network business for $2.1 billion. The transaction includes the acquisition of CommScope’s OWN Outdoor Wireless division and the DAS Distributed Antenna Systems segment of CommScope’s NICS security, smart mobility and networking solutions division. The combined businesses are expected to have full-year 2024 revenue and EBITDA margins of approximately $1.2 billion and 25%, respectively.

Amphenol wants to add 4,000 talented Commscope employees to the group. CommScope’s offering of mobile network solutions, advanced technologies in the field of base station antennas and related connectivity solutions, as well as distributed antenna systems has added to the portfolio. products that they have not been able to make before. This acquisition further supports Amphenol’s long-term growth and balanced end-market exposure across all sectors of the electronics market.

Amphenol expects to fund the acquisition through a combination of cash and debt. Subject to receipt of customary regulatory approvals and other closing conditions, the deal is expected to close in the first half of 2025.

Learn more: Amphenol will acquire CommScope’s mobile network business

3. Japanese semiconductor manufacturers will expand investment

According to Nikkei News, 8 Japanese chip manufacturers including Sony, Mitsubishi Electric, Rohm Semiconductor, Toshiba, Kioxia, Renesas, Rapidus and Fuji Electric plan to invest a total of 5,000 billion yen (about 31 billion dollars) in semiconductors in 2029 to increase output of CIS image sensors, logic chips and power semiconductors to meet the needs of AI, electric vehicles and energy-saving and carbon-reducing industries.

The investment expansion indicates that the demand for image sensors in mobile phone cameras is huge, and the product’s application has expanded to the field of automated driving in recent years. To meet this strong demand, Sony plans to invest 1,600 billion yen in the period 2021-2026 to increase image sensor output.

Toshiba and Rohm are investing a total of 380 billion yen in power components in the AI data center and electric vehicle markets. Toshiba plans to increase output of silicon source semiconductors, while Rohm will increase output of silicon carbide source semiconductors. Mitsubishi Electric plans to increase its silicon carbide power semiconductor production capacity by five times that of 2022 by 2026, and plans to invest 100 billion yen to build a new factory in Kumamoto.