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Japanese motor manufacturers have stepped up production of "power semiconductors" that control electricity. This is because, with the global decarbonization atmosphere rising, power semiconductors are essential components for energy conservation, and the market is expected to expand rapidly, mainly for pure electric vehicles (EVs). The current situation of this component is that Japanese companies perform well, but it is foreseeable that investment competition will become fierce, and whether they can continue to maintain their presence will be tested.
Toshiba, which split into two companies in an effort to reorganize its operations, will make power semiconductors the main business of the semiconductor division's "equipment company" after the split, and will spend about 200 billion yen (about 10.8 billion yuan) to expand the factory in Nomi City, Ishikawa Prefecture, and strive to start production within 2024. Large disc materials with a diameter of 300 mm wafers will be used to produce multiple products at a time to reduce costs.
Mitsubishi Electric will invest approximately 130 billion yen by the end of fiscal 2025 to increase production capacity by approximately 100% compared to fiscal 2020, and introduce production using 300 mm diameter wafer materials at its plant in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture. Fuji Electric will begin mass production of high-performance next-generation products at its plant in Goshogawara City, Aomori Prefecture in fiscal 2024.
According to British research company Omdia, Japanese companies ranked high in terms of power semiconductor sales in 2020, with Mitsubishi Electric ranking third in the world, Fuji Electric fifth, Toshiba sixth, and Renesas Electronics seventh. However, Germany's Infineon Technologies, which ranked first, took the lead in using large-plate materials for production in 2021. Chinese companies are also growing in strength with strong support from the government.
Omdia's senior consulting director Akira Minamikawa believes that "there will be no chance of winning if we compete with Europe and China under the same conditions" and is worried about being caught in investment competition. He suggests that "Japan should vigorously promote areas where it excels," such as developing products that combine semiconductors and engines, improving performance and achieving miniaturization, etc.
In addition, Russia and Ukraine are important producers of palladium and neon used in semiconductor manufacturing, and Russia's attack has also become a risk factor.
Japan develops silicon carbide power semiconductors
瞄准纯电动汽车（EV）的需求扩大，日本企业纷纷开始增产节能性能更高的新一代半导体。材料使用的不是传统的硅而是新材料，东芝2025年度之前将把生産规模扩大到2020年度的10倍，罗姆（ROHM）也将投资500亿日元强化生産。为了稳定确保原材料，各企业还将通过併购（M&A）等构建包括材料厂商在内的“阵营”。
各企业将增産的是供应和控制电力的“功率半导体”的一种。半导体基板的晶圆不使用以前佔主流的硅，而是使用“碳化硅（SiC）”。碳化硅的结合力强，耐压性是硅的10倍。与硅相比，碳化硅即使施加高电压，也可以高效管理电力。
採用碳化硅的功率半导体如果用于纯电动汽车的逆变器时，可以将耗电量减少5～8％。这样可以延长续航距离，减小电池容量。预计在光伏发电设备及工业设备等需要支持高电压的领域也有望普及。
据日本调查公司富士经济（东京中央区）预测，2022年纯电动汽车的全球销量将超过混合动力车（HV），到2035年将达到2418万辆，是2020年的11倍。在纯电动汽车领域领先的美国特斯拉及部分中国企业已经开始採用碳化硅功率半导体。
如果碳化硅功率半导体被每辆配备个数多、産业规模也大的汽车相继採用的话，相关需求有可能迅速扩大。著眼于正式启动量産，从事功率半导体的各企业已开始构建增産体制。
罗姆为了在2025年之前将碳化硅功率半导体的産能扩大到5倍以上，将投资约500亿日元。该公司已在福冈县筑后市的工厂建成制造相关産品的新厂房，计划2022年投入使用。中国大型汽车厂商吉利汽车的纯电动车已决定採用罗姆的産品，目标是将现在佔近2成的全球份额儘快提高到3成。
东芝的半导体业务子公司东芝Devices&Storage计划2023年度将位于日本兵库县太子町的姬路半导体工厂的碳化硅功率半导体産量提高到2020年度的3倍以上，并儘快提高到10倍。力争最晚于2030年度获得全球1成以上的份额。
东芝Devices&Storage此前主要生産铁路用设备，年销售额为十几亿日元。据称，如果铁路系统用途産品全部改用碳化硅産品的话，与同时使用硅的原産品相比，设备体积可缩小约38％，耗电量也可减少约20％。今后还将扩大到用于伺服器和工业电源的産品，并争取在2024年以后投放车载産品。
日本富士电机也在考虑将碳化硅産品的投産时间比原计划（2025年）提前半年至一年。
增産面临的课题是材料的稳定採购。碳化硅産品要求很高的加工技术，因此与材料制造商的合作不可或缺。半导体企业与上游原材料企业签订供应合同的动向也开始活跃起来。
日本原材料大企业昭和电工9月发佈消息称，该公司已经与东芝Devices&Storage就碳化硅晶圆签订了两年半的长期供应合同。昭和电工5月还与佔据功率半导体总体两成以上份额的全球最大企业德国英飞凌科技（Infineon）签订了优先供货合同，订单不断增加。
半导体企业间还出现了通过併购（M&A）与材料厂商推进“垂直整合”的动向。功率半导体份额居世界第2位的美国安森美半导体（ON Semiconductor）8月宣佈，将以约460亿日元的价格收购一家从事碳化硅生産业务的美国公司。罗姆也于2009年收购碳化硅晶圆制造商德国SiCrystal，阵营的构建有望进一步取得进展。
在半导体领域,日本国内企业被指陷入低迷。在这一背景下，功率半导体是日本企业仍然显示出存在感的领域。三菱电机、东芝、富士电机、瑞萨电子等日本企业合计拥有超过两成的全球份额。日本企业能否在新一代産品“碳化硅功率半导体”领域也吸引到有实力的客户，将成为今后扩大市佔率的关键。
According to British research firm Omdia, the market size of silicon carbide power semiconductors, which was approximately US$1.2 billion in 2020, will reach approximately US$4 billion by 2025, more than tripling.
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