GE Appliances (GE) will integrate Texas Instruments' (TI's) microcontrollers, Wi-Fi connectivity solutions and analog components including TI's gallium nitride (GaN) motor drives into its next-generation connected appliances, like laundry machines.
The deal will see TI semiconductors supply one-third of chips for products made in GE Appliances’ new laundry plant at its Louisville, Kentucky, headquarters. Production is expected to begin in 2027.
GaN appliances
Since 2024, TI has detailed that GaN technology would remake how home appliances handle power — quieter, more precise switching, no heat sinks and smaller boards. But no named customer had put the technology into an appliance to prove it. The GE deal changes that. It is the first time TI has attached a named appliance customer to its GaN technology, a milestone two years in the making.
It is likely that this is just the start of GaN use in appliances as market research firm Yole Group forecasts GaN power chips use in the consumer market — which includes mobile electronics and appliances — to reach $1.7 billion by 2031, up from about $390 million in 2025. This represents the largest anchor segment by revenue for GaN devices, Yole said.
TI flagged GaN motor use in HVAC and home appliances as a demand driver in November 2024. That came as TI’s Aizu, Japan, fab came online, which increased its GaN output by 400% along with an expansion of its Dallas, Texas, GaN fab.
This was just the beginning of TI’s domestic U.S. production push as it started production on its 300 mm semiconductor fab, SM1, in Sherman, Texas. This was part of TI’s $60 billion, seven-fab domestic buildout across Texas and Utah. GE touted TI’s U.S. manufacturing infrastructure as a big part of its sourcing of semiconductors and its own domestic supply chain goals.
The GaN motor drive technology enables advanced control of the appliance’s drain pump system that optimizes washing performance and enables quieter operation, GE said. GaN motor drives also boost power density and overall system efficiency, the company added.
GE connected appliances, like laundry machines, will use a variety of semiconductors from TI including GaN motor drives in a major boon for the technology. Source: GE
Domestic chip sourcing
GE Appliances said sourcing semiconductors from TI’s domestic fabs continues its network of 6,500 U.S.-based suppliers as part of its “Zero Distance” strategy. This aims for its chips to be as close to its customers and consumers as possible.
Lee Lagomarcino, vice president of clothes care for GE Appliances, said that due to TI's domestic chip manufacturing, its R&D teams can “save significant time on new solutions” while giving it “access to a differentiated semiconductor portfolio.”
With its fabs in Texas and Utah, GE called TI one of the few suppliers that offer high-volume chipmaking in the U.S. that supports both the company’s supply chain resiliency and domestic sourcing goals.
Future collaborations
As part of the arrangement for a domestic supply of chips for its appliances, GE and TI will explore future projects like implementing TI’s intelligent microcontroller unit (MCU) platform for a centralized, AI-capable control architecture.
That will combine:
- Analog
- Advanced security
- Integrated TinyEngine neural processing unit
The goal would be to incorporate precise load control, low-power operation and other intelligent features such as predictive maintenance and adaptive performance algorithms into future appliances.
Additionally, GE said TI will have further opportunities to bid on supplying additional chips as the company makes even more U.S. manufacturing investments and develops new products.
