Iron Device Expands GaN and SiC Power Semiconductor Business for Robotics and Data Centres
The South Korean fabless chipmaker has begun mass production of its 100V GaN gate-driver IC and is developing SiC products up to 1,700V as it targets humanoid robots, 800V data centres and other high-power applications.
South Korean fabless chipmaker Iron Device is stepping up its expansion into power semiconductors, targeting emerging demand from humanoid robots and data centres while continuing to grow its established smartphone amplifier business.
The company has begun mass production of its SMA6533, a 100V gate-driver IC designed to control gallium nitride (GaN) power devices. The chip delivers a propagation delay of 24 nanoseconds and includes protection features intended to prevent problems caused by under-voltage conditions and simultaneous switching. Iron Device chief executive Ki-tae Park said production has already reached hundreds of thousands of units, with the initial commercial application focused on aesthetic medical equipment.
Robotics is emerging as another important opportunity for the company. Iron Device is supplying samples to prospective customers in the US, China and Europe, with some devices already integrated into customer systems. The company expects its first commercial revenue from these programmes in early 2027. Humanoid robots are particularly attractive because a typical system can contain around 30 articulated joints, each requiring dedicated driver semiconductors, with the number increasing further when individual finger movements are included.
Iron Device is also positioning its power products for next-generation data-centre infrastructure. The company is targeting the move towards 800V DC power distribution, where higher-voltage SiC devices can be used at the front end of the power architecture and GaN technology can support intermediate conversion stages. Its existing 100V SMA6533 could also address 48V server power rails.
Alongside its GaN portfolio, Iron Device has completed prototype development of silicon carbide (SiC) products covering the 1,200V to 1,700V range. The company plans to introduce a commercial product capable of operating at up to 1,700V by the end of 2026 as it moves from development and sample shipments towards larger-scale production.
The expansion represents an effort to build a second growth engine alongside Iron Device's Smart Power Amplifier business. These amplifier products, used primarily in smartphones and increasingly in tablets, generated about 85% of the company's first-half revenue of approximately KRW10.4 billion. Iron Device expects full-year revenue to exceed KRW20 billion, compared with roughly KRW10.1 billion in the previous year.
As its power semiconductor business develops, Iron Device plans to focus on integrated and application-specific products rather than competing directly with larger suppliers in the conventional catalogue component market. The company sees closer integration of power devices, gate drivers and sensing functions as an important direction for compound semiconductor systems, particularly as GaN and SiC adoption expands across robotics, data centres and electric vehicles.
