Oudenaarde fab turns into GaN foundry

The On Semiconductor fab in Oudenaarde, Belgium, has been acquired by the Belgan Group. The group, in which former On Semi management is involved, plans to transform the 6-inch silicon site into a 6 and 8-inch gallium nitride (GaN) power electronics foundry. Target markets include automotive, mobile, industrial and renewable energy markets.

Newly-appointed CEO Alan Zhou considers it “an opportunity of a lifetime to build ‘GaN Valley’ in Belgium by leveraging Imec’s next-generation GaN power device innovations.” CTO Marnix Tack added: “The global market for GaN power chips is currently estimated at around 100 million dollars per year and is expected to accelerate to more than 1 billion dollars per year within the next 5 years.”

On Semi acquired the Oudenaarde fab from AMI Semiconductor in 2008. Two years ago, it decided to explore the sale of the facility to a strategic partner, which it has now found in Belgan. All 400+ employees will remain on board. In fact, the new owner is planning to expand and hire additional personnel.