Nexperia is a second-generation spin-off of Philips' semiconductor division, whose history dates back to the 1920s when Philips acquired vacuum tubes manufacturerMullard,[6] whose facility inHazel Grove became today's Nexperia Manchester,[7] and Valvo inHamburg.[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 inCabuyao, 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 andMotorola established the Semiconductor Miniature Products factory inSeremban 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 itsinitial public offering and its shares were listed on theNasdaq.[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 Chinesestate-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]
Nexperia has been accused of labor violations at its facility in the Philippines. On December 17, 2024, four officials of the Nexperia Philippines Inc. Worker's Union, an affiliate of theMetal Workers Alliance of the Philippines and theKilusang Mayo Uno, were dismissed by the company amid an ongoing collective bargaining association. The officials were accused of obstructing entry and exit points to the factory.[28] Trade union members reported layoffs and management interference in a strike vote earlier that year.[29]
In 2021, the company purchased theInmos microprocessor factory in Newport, Wales.[30][21] On 17 November 2022, the British government ordered Nexperia to divest 86% of its ownership interest in the Newport facility, citing national security reasons around the company's ownership.[31][32] Nexperia subsequently engagedNew York law firm,Akin Gump to act on their behalf in their application for ajudicial review of the UK government's divestment decision.[33] In November 2023, Nexperia agreed to sell the facility toVishay Intertechnology for $177 million.[34] In March 2024, the UK government approved the acquisition of the Newport wafer fab, as announced by Secretary of StateOliver Dowden.[35][36][37]
In November 2022, Nexperia acquired theDelft-based manufacturer ofpower management integrated circuits, Nowi.[38] Subsequently, the Dutch government announced that it would investigate Nexperia's acquisition of Nowi on national security grounds.[39] In November 2023, the Dutch government approved Nexperia's acquisition of Nowi.[40][41]
Nexperia focuses on semiconductors with basic functions which are often called essential semiconductors due to them being needed in more complex chips.[42][43][44] They are used in the automotive industry as well as other industrial, mobile and consumer products.[45] Nexperia's products include 650V silicon carbideSchottky diodes,[46] bipolar transistors[47] as well as 650V GaN FETs,[48] MOSFETs like the NextPower series,[49] or the PMCB60XN, which at launch was the most energy efficient 30V MOSFET on the market.[50] LED drivers are offered with a side-wettable flank since 2020[51] and since 2023 the company produces 600VIGBTs with low switching losses and conduction.[52][53] Further products includeESD protection devices,[54] Transient Voltage Suppressor Diodes,[55]electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter[56] as well as load switches.[57] In July 2024 the company launched the NPS3102 family of e-Fuses, which, unlike traditionalfuses, can be used multiple times. The B-series can attempt to reset itself after a fault, while the A-series requires a manual reset.[58][59]
Nexperia also cooperates with other firms likeMitsubishi Electric or Kyocera AVX Components to develop products such as SiC power semiconductors or SiC rectifier modules.[60][61] Following the acquisition of Nowi, Nexperia also offersenergy harvesting PMICs designed to complement or replace batteries in low power applications such aswearables.[62] The first energy harvesting chip released by Nexperia was the NEH2000BY in April 2023.[63]
In 2022, Nexperia implemented a newpower factor correction (PFC) policy which was aimed at further reducing its carbon footprint. The company is aiming to be carbon neutral by the year 2035 for both direct operation emissions as well as the indirect emissions that come from creating operation energy.[64] Also in 2022, the company introduced its Social Responsibility Auditable Standard Program, which aims to create a safe workplace and supply chain with transparency, equal pay, training, non-discrimination policies, and human rights standards.[65]
^abcShead, Sam (2021-07-07)."The Chinese firm behind the acquisition of the UK's largest chip plant is state backed, analysis shows".CNBC.Archived from the original on 2022-04-01. Retrieved2022-04-01.The layers lead to the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, which is a special commission of the People's Republic of China, as well as specific government-run semiconductor investment funds. Almost 30% of Wingtech's shares can be traced back to the Chinese government...
