【World Express】FLOSFIA Secures Project Support to Advance Development of α-Ga₂O₃ 1200V MOSFET Devices

      Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) has announced that, under the “Research Results Deployment Support Program (A-STEP) Implementation Support” initiative, it has decided to provide development support to FLOSFIA Inc.. Through the A-STEP program, FLOSFIA aims to leverage the material properties of α-gallium oxide (α-Ga₂O₃) to develop power semiconductors featuring world-leading low power loss and high breakdown voltage performance, while promoting their industrial adoption as a practical technology capable of achieving both highly efficient power conversion and reduced costs.

Industrial Vision for α-Ga₂O₃ Power Semiconductors

Growing Power Demand and the Challenge of Power Loss

      In recent years, global electricity consumption has rapidly increased due to the expansion of AI data centers, the growth of electric vehicles (EVs), and the continuous advancement of industrial equipment. Electricity generated at power plants cannot be used directly; instead, voltage and current must be converted depending on the application scenario. Significant energy losses occur during this conversion process, making power loss a major social and industrial challenge.

      In Japan alone, losses associated with power conversion are estimated to account for more than 10% of total electricity generation. Therefore, reducing power loss has become a key factor in improving overall energy efficiency.

Power Semiconductors Supporting Modern Infrastructure

      Power semiconductors play a central role in power conversion systems and are widely used in AI data center power supplies, electric vehicles, fast chargers, industrial equipment, and power transmission and distribution infrastructure.

      Conventional silicon (Si)-based power semiconductors are highly reliable but suffer from relatively high power losses. Meanwhile, silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), which are attracting attention as next-generation high-performance semiconductor materials, offer superior performance but face challenges related to high manufacturing costs, limiting their broader adoption.

The Material Being Developed by FLOSFIA

      FLOSFIA is developing a semiconductor material known as α-gallium oxide (α-Ga₂O₃). This material offers high breakdown voltage capability and the potential to significantly reduce power loss. Theoretically, its performance could surpass that of existing semiconductor materials.

      One of FLOSFIA’s major strengths lies in its proprietary “Mist Dry®” technology, developed through joint research with Kyoto University, which enables relatively low-cost mass production of high-performance materials.

      This technology atomizes a liquid containing α-Ga₂O₃ crystal materials into a mist and transports it onto a substrate, allowing high-quality crystal growth under relatively simple conditions such as low temperature and atmospheric pressure.

Goals of the Current Development Program

      Under the JST-supported project, FLOSFIA has outlined several development objectives:

      ●Further improve its existing 600 V-class devices;

      ●Develop 1200 V-class high-breakdown-voltage power MOSFETs (transistors that control current flow through gate voltage);

      ●Conduct performance validation for AI data center and electric vehicle applications;

      ●Provide prototype samples to customer companies;

      ●Carry out long-term reliability testing based on international semiconductor reliability standards to ensure practical-level reliability.

Potential Social Impact of Commercialization

      If successfully commercialized, this technology could significantly reduce power loss during electricity conversion, thereby lowering overall electricity consumption, reducing energy costs, and decreasing CO₂ emissions.

      FLOSFIA is targeting a broad range of applications, including AI data centers, EV inverters and chargers, industrial power supplies, and power infrastructure equipment.

      By simultaneously achieving low power loss, high breakdown voltage, and low cost, FLOSFIA aims to provide a new option for the power semiconductor market and contribute to the realization of a more energy-efficient society.