The company’s agreement with Tower Semiconductor advances Polar’s aim to onshore qualified defense technologies, bolstering U.S. national security.
BLOOMINGTON, Minn.—Polar Semiconductor stated in a release that it signed a technology licensing agreement with Tower Semiconductor to enable domestic production of Tower’s robust TS18 Power Management (TS18PM) process.
Under the terms of the agreement, Polar said it will “license Tower’s broad 180nm technology to become the only U.S.-based foundry capable of high-voltage power BCD semiconductor wafer production for aerospace and defense and commercial end markets.”
According to Polar Semiconductor, the collaboration advances its aim to onshore qualified defense technologies to bolster U.S. national security. Through this technology license, Polar is said to gain a versatile process design kit (PDK) to engage with its customers in design enablement and technology transfer. The license agreement between Tower and Polar will enable a U.S.-based fabrication site for this critical technology, while concurrently enabling ITAR fabrication and eventually, Trusted fabrication, the company said in the release.
“Tower is very pleased to expand onshore access of its technologies in support of the U.S. Aerospace and Defense community through this license arrangement with Polar,” said Tower Semiconductors General Manager for Aerospace and Defense, Mike Scott, in the release. “This mature technology is in high-volume production in Japan and Israel, serving automotive, industrial, and consumer applications, and Polar will provide access for customers that have requirements to manufacture in the U.S., such as USG Primes serving the aerospace and defense market.”
Polar is reportedly the only U.S.-owned merchant foundry specializing in sensor, power, and high-voltage semiconductors.
“One of the key tenets of Polar’s transformation roadmap is our commitment to support U.S. National Security interests as we work to expand our facility and broaden our technology base,” said Polar Semiconductor President and Chief Operating Officer Surya Iyer, in the release. “All of us at Polar are very excited to offer our customers a versatile process technology manufactured in an automotive quality fab, and a robust PDK to enable design of their innovative products.”
Polar stated that it has more than 60 years of experience in the automotive, consumer, and industrial market. The company is investing approximately $525 million to expand its foundry and branch into innovative technologies to serve new customers and markets. Its semiconductor manufacturing facilities operate with state-of-the-art automation systems to manufacture integrated circuit (BCD, BiCMOS) and discrete (MOSFET, IGBT) 8-inch silicon wafers for the power and sensor markets.
“Building on the announcement of a direct funding award as part of the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act and investment through the Minnesota Forward Fund, our strong and growing partnership with Tower is a major step forward in becoming an independent, U.S.-owned foundry and supporting technologies that are critical to DoD customers,” Iyer said.