everything PE recently interviewed Jay Barrus, President of ROHM Semiconductor Americas. ROHM Semiconductor designs and manufactures semiconductor products and electronic components.
Q. Can you give us a brief history of ROHM Semiconductor? When was the company founded and what was the goal?
Jay Barrus: ROHM Semiconductor, originally known as Toyo Electronics Industry Corporation, was founded by Kenichiro Sato on September 17, 1958, in Kyoto, Japan. The company initially focused on manufacturing resistors, which is reflected in its original name, R.ohm, combining “R” for resistors and “ohm,” the unit of electrical resistance.
Over the years, ROHM expanded its product line to include semiconductors, integrated circuits (ICs), and discrete semiconductors, which now account for a significant portion of its revenue. In 1979, the company officially changed its name to ROHM, and in 2009, it became ROHM Semiconductor.
ROHM has been a pioneer in various technological advancements, including the development of the industry’s first trench-type SiC MOSFETs and the world’s smallest 0402 size Zener diodes. The company has also made significant strides in automotive and industrial applications, particularly with its high-power ultra-low-ohmic shunt resistors and full SiC power modules.
Today, ROHM continues to innovate and expand globally, with a strong presence in markets such as automotive, industrial, and consumer electronics.
Q. Can you tell us more about your product portfolio?
Jay Barrus: ROHM Semiconductor offers a diverse product portfolio that includes:
Integrated Circuits (ICs):
- Memory ICs: Various types of memory solutions.
- Amplifiers: Operational amplifiers and comparators.
- Switches: Analog and digital switches.
- Data Converters: ADCs and DACs.
- Microcontrollers: For various applications.
Discrete Semiconductors:
Power Devices:
Passive Devices:
- Resistors: Including shunt resistors and chip resistors.
Optoelectronic Devices:
- LEDs: For lighting and display applications.
- Laser Diodes: For high-precision sensing and communication.
Sensor ICs and Optical Sensors:
- Temperature Sensors: For accurate temperature monitoring.
- Ambient Light Sensors: For adjusting display brightness.
Specialized Components:
- Printheads: For thermal printers.
- CIS (Contact Image Sensors): For scanning applications.
ROHM’s products are widely used in automotive, industrial, consumer electronics, and communication applications, contributing to advancements in these fields.
Q. Which market segments do you cater to?
Jay Barrus: ROHM Semiconductor targets several key segments, focusing on areas where their technology can make a significant impact:
Automotive: ROHM is heavily invested in the automotive sector, developing components for electric vehicles (EVs), advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), and in-cabin monitoring systems.
Industrial: This includes power management solutions, industrial automation, and energy-efficient devices.
Consumer Electronics: ROHM provides components for smartphones, tablets, and other consumer gadgets, focusing on miniaturization and energy savings.
Communication: They develop products for wireless communication, including RF components and optical communication devices.
Healthcare: ROHM is also expanding into healthcare, offering sensors and other components for medical devices.
These segments align with ROHM’s strategic goals to grow in the automotive market and expand its presence outside of Japan, aiming to become a major global player by 2030.
Q. Can you tell us about ROHM's Super Junction MOSFET technology? How does this technology improve MOSFET performance?
Jay Barrus: ROHM's Super Junction MOSFETs span a 600 V to 800 V range, offering a broad selection of packages and on-resistance values. Alongside their low on-resistance and high-speed switching capabilities, the 600 V Presto MOS, utilizing ROHM's proprietary technology delivers industry-leading reverse recovery characteristics (trr). This makes it a key enabler of energy efficiency across a wide spectrum of applications, from PFC circuits to inverter circuits.
Q. Can you tell us about the power supply solutions ROHM Semiconductors offers? How does the company leverage advanced technologies like SiC to deliver high efficiency and improved performance across various applications?
Jay Barrus: Modern power supplies rely on highly efficient power switching devices to minimize the losses and heat generation, increase switching frequency, and make the solution more compact. To that end, ROHM offers our 4th generation SiC MOSFET as a differentiator that delivers one of the best performing and cost-competitive SiC power switches in the industry, featuring low specific on-resistance and optimized capacitance ratio for fast switching speed. The devices are available in a variety of discrete packages as well as specialized power modules for a greater level of system integration.
Q. How does ROHM's EcoGaN technology impact the growing demand for energy-efficient solutions in consumer and industrial sectors?
Jay Barrus: To maximize the performance of GaN, people need to have a completely optimized gate driver IC and controller IC to drive GaN devices. Those would be different from conventional ICs for Si and SiC devices.
By combining Rohm IC technology and EcoGaN technology, Rohm can develop those ICs internally that align and match 100% Rohm EcoGaN. That way, Rohm can provide state of the art total solutions to the customers to grow demand/market volume.
Q. Can you tell us about ROHM's latest VCSELED technology? What are its advantages over LEDs?
Jay Barrus: ROHM Semiconductor has recently developed a novel technology called VCSELED. This technology combines the features of Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) and LEDs. Here are some key highlights:
- Infrared Light Source: VCSELED is designed as an infrared light source, encapsulating a VCSEL element in a resin optical diffusion material.
- Automotive Applications: It’s being developed to improve vehicle Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS) and In-Cabin Monitoring Systems (IMS), which are crucial for detecting driver drowsiness, sleepiness, and distracted driving.
- High-Accuracy Sensing: The technology offers minimal wavelength temperature variation and a wide emission beam angle, making it ideal for high-accuracy sensing in various applications.
- Compact Design: The light-emitting element and diffuser are integrated into a compact package, contributing to smaller and thinner applications.
- Enhanced Performance: VCSELED provides a narrow emission wavelength bandwidth and faster response time, which improves resolution and performance in Time of Flight (ToF) applications.
ROHM plans to commercialize this technology, with prototype samples available now and mass production scheduled for late 2024 and 2025.
Q. Can you tell us about the key features of ROHM's LDO voltage regulators? How do you compare your LDO voltage regulators with those from other manufacturers?
Jay Barrus: ROHM Semiconductor’s Low Dropout (LDO) voltage regulators – using technology such as “Nano Cap” and “QuiCur” - are known for several key features that make them suitable for a wide range of applications:
- Low Power Consumption: These regulators are designed to consume minimal power, making them ideal for battery-operated devices.
- High Current Capability: They can handle high current loads, which is essential for powering various electronic components.
- High Voltage Resistance: ROHM’s LDO regulators can operate under high voltage conditions, ensuring reliability and stability.
- Low Dropout Voltage: They maintain a stable output voltage even when the input voltage is very close to the output voltage, which is crucial for efficient power management.
- Compact Design: These regulators come in small, space-saving packages, making them suitable for compact electronic devices.
- Low Noise: They provide low output noise, which is important for sensitive analog and RF circuits.
- Wide Operating Temperature Range: ROHM’s LDO regulators can operate in a broad temperature range, making them suitable for automotive and industrial applications.
These features make ROHM’s LDO voltage regulators versatile and reliable for various applications, including mobile phones, automotive systems, consumer electronics, and industrial equipment.
Q. How is ROHM positioning itself in the global EV semiconductor market? What are the key challenges the company faces in this domain?
Jay Barrus: ROHM is positioned to be a leader in EV power semiconductors through our advanced device technologies, vertically integrated production system, expanded manufacturing capacity, and consistent focus on product quality. This includes our high-power products for the traction drive application (SiC, Si IGBT) as well as battery charging and other on-board converters (SiC, GaN, Si). In the automotive market, cost reduction is almost always a key challenge for suppliers as automakers try to close the price gap between traditional vehicles and EVs for consumers, which motivates vendors like ROHM to continuously invest in larger wafer diameters, and production capacity, improved product yields, and enhanced power efficiency. OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers are also raising the bar for product quality on advanced semiconductor devices such as SiC and GaN, expecting extensive reliability testing and analysis to minimize field failure rates. As a company that always puts quality first, ROHM is fully committed to providing the best possible semiconductors consistent with or exceeding industry standards, even though at times this could extend our development cycle for a new generation of technology.
Q. How does ROHM optimize power management in battery-powered applications? How is Nano Energy technology impacting the lifespan of batteries in IoT devices?
Jay Barrus: ROHM Semiconductor optimizes power management in battery-powered applications through several innovative approaches:
- Nano Energy Technology: ROHM’s proprietary Nano Energy technology significantly reduces power consumption. This technology is integrated into their power supply ICs, achieving ultra-low quiescent current (as low as 180 nA), which minimizes energy loss and extends battery life.
- High-Efficiency Power Management ICs: ROHM develops high-efficiency DC/DC converters and LDO regulators that ensure a stable power supply with minimal energy waste. These components are designed to operate efficiently even at low voltages, which is crucial for battery-powered devices.
- Advanced Battery Management Solutions: ROHM offers comprehensive battery management solutions, including battery charger ICs that support a wide range of rechargeable batteries. These ICs provide optimal charging, monitoring, and discharging capabilities, ensuring efficient battery usage.
- Compact and Thin Designs: ROHM’s components are designed to be compact and thin, making them ideal for space-constrained applications like IoT devices, wearables, and portable electronics. This design approach helps in integrating larger battery capacities without increasing the overall size of the device.
- Evaluation Boards: ROHM provides evaluation boards, such as the REFLVBMS001-EVK-001, to facilitate the verification of their ultra-efficient battery management solutions. These boards combine various technologies to offer a low-profile, high-efficiency solution for battery-powered applications.
By leveraging these technologies and solutions, ROHM helps extend the operational life of battery-powered devices, making them more reliable and efficient.
Q. What are ROHM's key goals for 2024? Are there plans to expand the company's product lineup?
Jay Barrus: ROHM Semiconductor has set several key goals for 2024, focusing on innovation and efficiency:
- Quantum Technology Integration: ROHM plans to fully implement quantum technology in their Electrical Die Sorting (EDS) process by April 2024. This marks the world’s first use of quantum technology for manufacturing process optimization in a large-scale semiconductor plant.
- SiC Power Modules: ROHM premiered new Silicon Carbide (SiC) power modules for automotive applications at PCIM Europe 2024. They are also converting their production to 8-inch SiC wafers, which will enhance their product development and manufacturing capabilities.
- Production Capacity Expansion: ROHM is expanding its investments and production capacities, particularly in SiC semiconductor wafers, to meet growing demand.
These goals align with ROHM’s broader strategy to enhance its technological capabilities and maintain a competitive edge in the semiconductor industry.
About Jay Barrus
Jay Barrus is the President of ROHM Semiconductor Americas. With 30+ years of experience, both in fab and out, he has extensive experience in the semiconductor industry and has been featured in various interviews and profiles. Jay graduated from Arizona State University and finished his graduate work at the Haas School of Business University of California, Berkeley. Having joined Rohm Semiconductor in 2003, the main drive in his work has been to help brand Rohm’s name in the US semiconductor industry. Jay’s current focus is capturing market share in both wide band gap components – SiC die and module as well as GaN devices – as well as various Analog IC components like Gate Drive ICs, Automotive LED Drivers, and standard regulators.
