Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE: HIT) and Fuji Electric Co, Ltd. today announced the conclusion of an
agreement to launch a joint-venture company to engage chiefly in the development and design of
power semiconductors. Establishment of the new company, tentatively named Fuji-Hitachi Power
Semiconductor Technologies Co., Ltd. is planned for November 1999.
Hitachi and Fuji Electric are also looking for other opportunities to expand collaboration in
power semiconductors, including sharing of production facilities.
Power semiconductors are key components of the electric energy control systems used in
various types of industrial equipment and consumer goods, such as power generation and
transmission equipment, railway cars, machine tools, and inverters. All processes in the production of
power semiconductors require a degree of environment cleanliness on a par with that in the
production of microcomputers, LSIs and other microchips. But power semiconductors have another
requirement not shared by microchips. They have to be fabricated to stand up under high voltage and
current. Facility and development costs are therefore formidable.
The power semiconductor market is increasingly demanding products that have a broader
range of applications and are more technically sophisticated in terms of intelligence, compactness and
other features. The market is also marked by rising demand for customized products and intensifying
price competition. These trends put strong pressure on the manufacturer to optimize R&D cost
effectiveness, use human resources more efficiently, minimize costs, and beat competitors to the
market with a product lineup matched to emerging customer requirements.
Hitachi and Fuji Electric believe the new company will provide a number of benefits. It will
allow the two companies to exploit the synergy between their world-class technologies to strengthen
market position. Also, by making it easier to boost cost effectiveness and accelerate the pace of R&D,
it will permit them to offer products with enhanced cost-performance. Another expected advantage is
an improvement in the profitability of the power semiconductor businesses of both companies owing
to the sharing of R&D costs.
As one of the world's top producers of large-capacity, high-voltage IGBTs, Hitachi, Ltd. is
particularly well known for IGBTs meeting the demanding reliability standards of railway cars. It is
also a global leader in the manufacture of diodes for automotive applications, high-voltage one-chip
inverters and similar products. Hitachi sets itself apart from other companies in this sector by also
offering a line of high added-value power electronic products incorporating its power semiconductor
devices.
The tie-up with Fuji Electric, an acknowledged force in the medium-capacity IGBT and
high-voltage diode sectors, will strengthen Hitachi's ability to respond rapidly to market priorities and
to upgrade the performance of its product systems.
Fuji Electric, a leading producer of power semiconductors, supplies advanced, high-
performance, high-functionality power devices to a broad spectrum of domestic and overseas
customers, including rolling stock manufacturers, manufacturers of factory automation and other
industrial equipment, automakers, information and communication system manufacturers, and home
appliance manufacturers. Fuji Electric is developing its power electronics business around the nucleus
of its power semiconductor operations.
By collaborating with Hitachi, a company with well-established expertise in large-capacity,
high-voltage semiconductors, Fuji Electric will be able to fill out its product lineup, speed up product
development, and expand the scale of its business.
Hitachi and Fuji Electric plan to use their complementary strengths in the power
semiconductor sector to speed up development of a diversity of products responding to customer
requirements. Their goal is to secure top status among power semiconductor producers worldwide.
Abbreviations in text
- LSI : Large Scale Integrated Circuit
- IGBT : Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor
- IC : Integrated Circuit
- UPS: Uninterruptable Power Supply
New company in profile
1. English name: Fuji-Hitachi Power Semiconductor Technologies Co., Ltd.
2. Location: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo
3. Capital: Pending decision (Hitachi and Fuji Electric 50% each planned)
4. Establishment: Planned for November 1999
5. President: Pending decision
6. Employees: About 130
7. Main business: Power semiconductor development and design
<Press Contacts>
Hitachi, Ltd. Japan Fuji Electric Co,Ltd. Japan
Hiroaki Ohi, Keisaku Shibatani Hideaki Kosugi
Tel: +81-3-3258-2057 Tel: +81-3-5435-7206
E-Mail:HIROAKI@cm.head.hitachi.co.jp E-Mail:kosugi-hideaki@fujielectric.co.jp
Shibakei@cm.head.hitachi.co.jp
Hitachi America, Ltd. USA
Terry Kubo
Tel: +1-650-244-7900
E-Mail:tatsuya.kubo@hal.hitachi.com
Hitachi Europe Ltd.
Masao Takebayashi
Tel: +44-1628-585000
E-Mail:mtake@hitachi-eu.com
Hitachi Asia Ltd.
Yuuji Hoshino
TEL: +65-231-2522
E-Mail:yhoshino@has.hitachi.com.sg
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