Nexperia

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For the line of processors by NXP Semiconductors, see Nexperia (processor)

Nexperia is a semiconductor manufacturer headquartered in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. It is a subsidiary of the partially state-owned Chinese company Wingtech Technology.^[3] It has front-end factories in Hamburg, Germany, and Greater Manchester, England.^[4] It is the former Standard Products business unit of NXP Semiconductors (previously Philips Semiconductors). The company’s product range includes bipolar transistors, diodes, ESD protection, TVS diodes, MOSFETs, and logic devices

History

Nexperia is a second-generation spin-off of Philips’ semiconductor division, whose history dates back to the 1920s when Philips acquired vacuum tubes manufacturer Mullard,^[6] whose facility in Hazel Grove became today’s Nexperia Manchester,^[7] and Valvo in Hamburg.^[8][9] In the early 1950s, Philips started with the production of semiconductors in Nijmegen^[10] and Hamburg,^[9] where the Nexperia wafer fab is located.^[11] In 1981, Philips opened a factory in Cabuyao, Philippines. The fab is owned and operated by Nexperia.^[12] In 1991, Philips founded ITEC, a manufacturer of semiconductor equipment. Today, ITEC is an independent subsidiary of Nexperia.^[13] Philips and Motorola established the Semiconductor Miniature Products factory in Seremban Malaysia in 1992 as a joint venture,^[14] which became part of Nexperia.^[11]

In 2006, Philips spun off its semiconductor division under the name NXP and sold an 80.1% stake to private equity investors.^[15][16] In August 2010, NXP completed its initial public offering and its shares were listed on the Nasdaq.^[17] On June 14, 2016, NXP Semiconductors announced an agreement to divest its Standard Products business to a consortium of Chinese financial investors consisting of Beijing Jianguang Asset Management Co., Ltd (“JAC Capital”), a subsidiary of a Chinese state-owned investment company, and Wise Road Capital LTD (“Wise Road Capital”).^[18] Following the official transaction on February 6, 2017, Nexperia became an independent company, and the entire scope of the NXP Standard Products business, including its management team, and approximately 11,000 NXP employees were transferred from NXP to Nexperia.^[19]

On October 25, 2018, Nexperia was acquired by Wingtech Technology, a partially state-owned Chinese ODM for smartphone companies for $3.6 billion.^[20][3]

In January 2023, Dutch public broadcaster Nederlandse Omroep Stichting reported that Nexperia chips ended up in Russian military kit despite international sanctions during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.^[21][22] Nexperia transceivers were discovered in a Russian Kh-101 missile, according to the Royal United Services Institute.^[23]

Acquisitions

In 2021, the company purchased the Inmos microprocessor factory in Newport, Wales.^[24][3] On 17 November 2022, the British government ordered Nexperia to divest 86% of its ownership interest in the Newport facility for national security reasons.^[25][26] Nexperia subsequently engaged New York law firm, Akin Gump to act on their behalf in their application for a judicial review of the UK government’s divestment decision.^[27] In November 2023, Nexperia agreed to sell the facility to Vishay Intertechnology for $177 million.^[28] In March 2024, the UK government approved the acquisition of the Newport wafer fab, as announced by Secretary of State Oliver Dowden.^[29][30][31]

In November 2022, Nexperia acquired the Delft-based manufacturer of power management integrated circuits, Nowi.^[32] Subsequently, the Dutch government announced that it would investigate Nexperia’s acquisition of Nowi on national security grounds.^[33] In November 2023, the Dutch government approved Nexperia’s acquisition of Nowi.^[34][35]

Products[edit]

Nexperia focuses on semiconductors with basic functions which are often called essential semiconductors due to them being needed in more complex chips.^[36][37][38] They are used in the automotive industry as well as other industrial, mobile and consumer products.^[39] Nexperia’s products include 650V silicon carbide Schottky diodes,^[40] bipolar transistors^[41] as well as 650V GaN FETs,^[42] MOSFETs like the NextPower series,^[43] or the PMCB60XN, which at launch was the most energy efficient 30V MOSFET on the market.^[44] LED drivers are offered with a side-wettable flank since 2020^[45] and since 2023 the company produces 600V IGBTs with low switching losses and conduction.^[46][47] Further products include ESD protection devices,^[48] Transient Voltage Suppressor Diodes,^[49] electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter^[50] as well as load switches.^[51] Nexperia also cooperates with other firms like Mitsubishi Electric or Kyocera AVX Components to develop products such as SiC power semiconductors or SiC rectifier modules.^[52][53]