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onsemi announced the completed expansion of its state-of-the-art, world-largest silicon carbide (SiC) fabrication facility in Bucheon, South Korea. At full capacity, this fab will be able to manufacture more than one million 200 mm SiC wafers per year.
To support the ramp in SiC manufacturing capacity, onsemi plans to hire up to 1,000 local employees over the next three years to fill the mostly highly technical positions – a more than 40% increase over the present workforce of about 2,300.
Silicon carbide devices are a critical component for power conversion in electric vehicles (EVs), energy infrastructure and high-power EV chargers. The rapidly growing demand for these products has created a surge in demand for SiC chips, with demand outpacing supply for the foreseeable future. The expansion of the Bucheon fab addresses the pressing need for additional production capacity, allowing onsemi to continue to provide supply assurance for its customers and strengthen its leadership in intelligent power solutions.
Construction of the new advanced 150 mm/200 mm SiC fab line along with the high-tech utility building and adjacent parking garage began in the middle of 2022 and was completed in September 2023. The expansion of the 150 mm/200 mm SiC Epi and wafer fab emphasizes onsemi’s focus on building out its vertically integrated silicon carbide manufacturing supply chain at brownfield locations. The Bucheon SiC line is starting with the production of 150 mm wafers and will be converted to 200 mm in 2025 upon qualification of the 200 mm SiC process.
onsemi’s leadership was joined by a delegation of dignitaries led by Vice Governor for Economy of the Gyeonggi-Do Taeyoung Yeom; followed by Bucheon City Mayor YongEek Cho; National Assembly delegates; and Bucheon Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman JongHuem Kim. Also in attendance were representatives from local communities, customers, suppliers and the semiconductor industry.
onsemi CEO Hassane El-Khoury opened the event, noting, “The 150 mm/200 mm SiC wafer fab in Bucheon is critical to the continued success of our fully integrated SiC supply chain, enabling us to support the acceleration of electrification globally. The last five years have shown what extraordinary performance our Bucheon team is capable of, and what we can achieve when we work together with governmental agencies toward the common goal of a more sustainable future.”
“I am truly impressed by onsemi’s diligent and yet fast execution of its strategic plan to expand the Bucheon SiC wafer fab,” said Bucheon City Mayor YongEek Cho. “Not only will the city of Bucheon benefit from the creation of new employment opportunities in technology, but it will also be a part of laying the foundation for a sustainable ecosystem through electrification.”
Original – onsemi
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LATEST NEWS / PROJECTS / TOP STORIESSamsung Electronics to Provide Service Across a Variety of Solutions, Including Power Semiconductors
October 19, 2023
3 Min ReadSamsung Electronics hosted Samsung Foundry Forum (SFF) 2023 Europe and unveiled its advanced and wide ranging automotive process solutions, from the most advanced 2-nanometer process to the 8-inch legacy process.
Alongside its customers and Samsung Advanced Foundry Ecosystem (SAFE) partners, Samsung Electronics showcased the latest technological trends and its business strategy tailored to the European market.
“Samsung Foundry is driving innovation in next-generation solutions to build an expanded portfolio that meets the growing needs of our automotive customers, especially as the era of electric vehicles becomes a reality,” said Dr. Siyoung Choi, President and Head of Foundry Business at Samsung Electronics. “We are strengthening our readiness to provide customers with distinguished service across a variety of solutions, including power semiconductors, microcontrollers and advanced AI chips for autonomous driving.”
Since participating in IAA Mobility 2023 for the first time in September, Samsung Electronics is strengthening engagement and partnership in specialty processes for automotive customers in the European market, further solidifying its status as a leading foundry partner for the industry.
Pioneering New Applications With Industry’s Most Advanced eMRAM
In order to meet the needs of the latest advancements in the automotive market, Samsung is setting out to develop the industry’s first 5-nanometer eMRAM for next-generation automotive technology. eMRAM is a next-generation memory semiconductor used for automotive applications that enables high read and write speeds as well as superior heat resistance.
Since developing and mass producing the industry’s first 28nm FD-SOI based eMRAM in 2019, Samsung Electronics has been developing 14nm for the FinFET process based on AEC-Q100 Grade 1. Samsung Foundry plans to expand its eMRAM portfolio by adding 14nm by 2024, 8nm by 2026, and 5nm by 2027.
Samsung’s 8nm eMRAM shows potential to deliver a 30% increase in density and 33% increase in speed, compared to the 14nm process.
Tackling the Market With Automotive Process Solutions From Cutting-Edge to Legacy
The company announced its advanced process roadmap, highlighting its plans to complete mass production readiness for its 2nm process for automotive applications by 2026.
Samsung Electronics is also bolstering its readiness to serve customer needs by expanding its 8-inch BCD (Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS) process portfolio. The BCD process combines the strengths of three different process technologies: Bipolar (B), CMOS (C), and DMOS (D) on one chip and is most commonly used in the production of power semiconductors.
Samsung Electronics plans to expand its current 130nm automotive BCD process to add 90nm by 2025. The 90nm BCD process is expected to bring a 20% decrease in chip area compared to the 130nm process.
Implementing Deep Trench Isolation (DTI) technology, which reduces the distance between each transistor to maximize the performance of power semiconductors, Samsung Foundry will be able to apply a greater voltage of 120V instead of 70V to a wider range of applications. This will enable readiness to provide a process development kit (PDK) that implements 120V to the 130nm BCD process by 2025.
Leading ‘Beyond-Moore’ Innovation Through Advanced Packaging Alliance
Samsung established a Multi-Die Integration (MDI) Alliance by collaborating with its SAFE partners as well as major players in memory, package substrate, and testing.
As part of an industry-wide partnership with 20 partners, Samsung is leading the development of 2.5D and 3D packaging solutions customized for all applications from automotive to high-performance computing (HPC).
Samsung Electronics hosted the annual Samsung Foundry Forum 2023 in the United States on June 27-28, in South Korea on July 4, and in Japan on October 17. The content from the forum will be available on the Samsung Semiconductor website for worldwide access to all visitors beginning November 2.
Original – Samsung Electronics
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Renesas Electronics Corporation announced a new organizational structure and leadership team appointments. These changes will take effect January 1, 2024, and will support the company in its next phase of growth and development to become the leader in embedded semiconductor solutions.
1. Establishment of four technology-based product groups
Renesas is establishing a technology-based organization designed to provide more comprehensive and tailored solution offerings. This is aimed at effectively addressing the converging needs of customers and markets by leveraging our embedded processing, analog, power, and connectivity expertise to create complete solutions. The new organization will also enable the company to capitalize on the scale advantages by fostering more cross selling opportunities and broader customer coverage. As part of these changes, Renesas’ businesses will be restructured into four new product groups.
- Analog & Connectivity
Davin Lee, currently Vice President of Advanced Analog Division, will assume the role of Senior Vice President and General Manager of Analog & Connectivity. Under Davin’s leadership, the group will be responsible for analog products as well as the company’s vast portfolio of connectivity products.
- Embedded Processing
Toshihiko Seki, currently Vice President of MCU Device Solution Division, will assume the role of Senior Vice President and General Manager of Embedded Processing. He will be responsible for Renesas’ entire standard catalog embedded processing products. The group is designed to accelerate the company’s efforts to provide more catalog products and solutions to go deeper and broader with new and existing customers.
- High Performance Computing
Vivek Bhan, who currently holds the position of Senior Vice President and Co-General Manager of High Performance Computing, Analog and Power Solutions Group, will assume the role of Senior Vice President and General Manager of High Performance Computing. He will be responsible for the company’s custom and application-specific high computing products.
- Power
Chris Allexandre who currently serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer (CSMO) and Head of the Global Sales and Marketing Unit will take on a new role as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Power. Chris will be responsible for overseeing Renesas’ power management and discrete products and executing the company’s power strategies.
2. Establishment of new Software & Digitalization team and centralization of Operations, Engineering and key foundational organizations
In addition to the establishment of four product groups, Renesas has also taken steps to streamline its organizational structure by establishing new groups of functions. The new organizations will serve as centralized foundations across all lines of business to better support customers, enhance performance and add value.
- Software & Digitalization
As the company aims to transform the way customers design solutions through an innovative cloud-based platform, Renesas has recently welcomed Buvna Ayyagari as Vice President of the new Software & Digitalization organization to spearhead this effort. Buvna will be responsible for driving Renesas’ unified vision for software and digitalization, ensuring they become a powerful differentiator for the company.
Buvna brings rich and multi-disciplinary expertise across the semiconductor industry from Applied Materials, Synopsys and Intel. She held leadership positions in Engineering, Field Applications Engineering, Marketing, Pre- and Post-sales Customer Support and drove products from definition to high volume. Buvna has experiences in leading digital transformations and has helped to build a team from the ground up to define a software platform, making her well-equipped to continue to drive Renesas’ excellence in software and digitalization.
- Operations
Renesas is accelerating efforts to drive operational excellence to improve service, quality and profitability. Dr. Sailesh Chittipeddi, currently Executive Vice President, General Manager of Embedded Processing, Digital Power and Signal Chain Solutions Group, will take on a new role to oversee the new operations organization. This brings Renesas’ entire manufacturing, supply chain and procurement into a single organization chartered to lead the company’s operational and strategic initiatives to provide exceptional customer experiences.
- Engineering
Renesas is creating a centralized engineering organization to solidify Renesas’ engineering foundation, from product to test engineering. This new organization will direct the development and execution of the company’s technology and product roadmaps. Takeshi Kataoka, Senior Vice President and Co-General Manager of High Performance Computing, Analog and Power Solutions Group, will newly head this Engineering organization.
- Quality Assurance
Takeshi Kataoka will also oversee the Quality Assurance function as Senior Vice President and Head of Engineering and Quality Assurance. His experience and profound expertise in leading Renesas’ automotive semiconductor business will help the company to continue to assure supreme quality levels throughout its products and solutions.
- Sales & Marketing
Bobby Matinpour, who currently serves as Vice President of Global Strategic Vertical & Regional Sales, will succeed Chris Allexandre in the role of Senior Vice President, CSMO and Head of Sales & Marketing.
These leaders in addition to leaders of each of four product groups will report directly to the CEO. This will allow them to have greater influence on Renesas’ strategy and execution, while enhancing accountability.
Hiroto Nitta will retire from his role of Senior Vice President of Information Technology. In addition to his current role, Nitta served multiple managerial positions at Renesas including Vice President and Deputy General Manager of Global Sales Units as well as Senior Vice President and Deputy General Manager of Broad-Based Solution Business Unit. He also served as Senior Vice President and Head of SoC Business in the IoT and Infrastructure Business. Renesas appreciates Nitta’s work over the past 40 years helping the company advance its product leadership and wish him and his family all the best for the future.
As a result of the organizational changes, Roger Wendelken, who has been serving as Senior Vice President and Head of Embedded Microcontroller in the Embedded Processing, Digital Power and Signal Chain Solutions Group will leave Renesas. Roger joined Renesas in 2017 following the Intersil acquisition. He contributed to Renesas as leader of worldwide sales for the broad-based solution business. In his current position, Roger played an instrumental role in releasing the ARM-based RA microcontrollers. The company is grateful to Roger for his significant achievements at Renesas.
Andrew Cowell will retire from his role of Senior Vice President and Head of Performance Power. Since joining Renesas in 2017 from Intersil, Andrew guided the foundation in strengthening the growth and market share gains of the digital multiphase controllers and smart power stages for the infra core power businesses. Renesas thanks Andrew for his remarkable contribution and wishes him all the best for his retirement.
Hiroto Nitta, Roger Wendelken and Andrew Cowell will assist with the transition and leave Renesas by the end of the year.
Brief Biography of the Newly Appointed Leadership Team Members
Davin Lee
Mr. Lee serves as the Vice President and General Manager of the Advanced Analog Division at Renesas Electronics Corporation. He joined Renesas in August 2021 through the acquisition of Dialog Semiconductor PLC where he was the Senior Vice President of the Advanced Mixed-Signal Business.
Prior to Dialog Semiconductor, Mr. Lee held executive-level management positions at numerous semiconductor companies including Scintera Networks (CEO), Intersil (VP/GM of Power Management), Xicor (VP of Marketing), Altera and National Semiconductor.
Davin Lee holds a BSEE degree from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA degree from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Toshihiko Seki
Mr. Seki serves as the Vice President of MCU Device Solution Business Division at Renesas Electronics Corporation since January 2022. In this role, he is mainly responsible for leading the company’s proprietary RL78 microcontroller (MCU) business and has been instrumental in achieving global leading market share position for the 16-bit MCU architecture category.
Mr. Seki has more than 30 years of experience in the semiconductors industry. He started his career in ASIC/memory product marketing at Hitachi, Ltd., and held various marketing management positions at Renesas, including Director of Marketing & Business operations at Renesas Electronics America.
Mr. Seki holds a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts from Sophia University, Japan.
Bobby Matinpour
Mr. Matinpour serves as the Vice President of Global Strategic Vertical & Regional Sales at Renesas Electronics Corporation since April 2022. Previously at Renesas, he was the Vice President of Timing and Standard Product Business Division since March 2019.
Prior to joining Renesas, he served as the Vice President of High Speed Data & Clock Business Unit at Texas Instruments. A 20-year veteran of semiconductor industry, Mr. Matinpour has a diverse and wholistic industry experience covering engineering, product marketing, operations, and sales management for a wide-range of products and solutions addressing industrial, infrastructure, consumer, and automotive markets.
Prior to joining Texas Instruments, Mr. Matinpour held various engineering and marketing management positions at National Semiconductor, Epson-Toyocom, and several semiconductor startups.
Mr. Matinpour holds a BSEE from Virginia Tech and MS and PhD EE from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Buvna Ayyagari
Ms. Ayyagari joined Renesas in August 2023 as Vice President of Software and Digitalization. In this newly created role, Ms. Ayyagari is responsible for spearheading the definition, development, and implementation of a market leading platform with industry standard customer tools.
Ms. Ayyagari brings rich and multi-disciplinary expertise across the semiconductor industry from Applied Materials (AMAT), Synopsys (IP and EDA) and Intel where she held executive and leadership positions in R&D, Product Engineering, Field Applications Engineering, Marketing, Pre- and Post-sales Customer Support and drove products from definition to high volume.
Ms. Ayyagari holds a master’s degree in computer engineering from the University of South Carolina. She is the author of several publications and patents and serves on the Board of non-profit organizations.
Original – Renesas Electronics
- Analog & Connectivity
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ROHM has developed dual MOSFETs that integrate two 100V chips in a single package – ideal for fan motor drive applied in communication base stations and industrial equipment. New five-models have been added as part of the HP8KEx/HT8KEx (Nch+Nch) and HP8MEx (Nch+Pch) series.
Recent years have seen a transition to higher voltages from conventional 12V/24V to 48V systems in communication base stations and industrial equipment, – intending to achieve higher efficiency by reducing current values. In these situations, switching MOSFETs are required a withstand voltage of 100V to account for voltage fluctuations, as 48V power supplies are also used in the fan motors for cooling these applications.
However, increasing the breakdown voltage raises ON resistance (RDS(on)) (which is in a trade-off relationship), leading to decreased efficiency, making it difficult to achieve both lower RDS(on) and higher breakdown voltage. Moreover, unlike multiple individual drive MOSFETs normally applied in fan motors - dual MOSFETs that integrate two chips in one package are increasingly being adopted to save space.
In response, ROHM developed two new series – the HP8KEx/HT8KEx (Nch+Nch) and the HP8MEx (Nch+Pch) – that combine Nch and Pch MOSFET chips using the latest processes. Both series achieve the industry’s lowest RDS(on) by adopting new backside heat dissipation packages with excellent heat dissipation characteristics. As a result, RDS(on) is reduced by up to 56% compared with standard dual MOSFETs (19.6mΩ for the HSOP8 and 57.0mΩ for the HSMT8 Nch+Nch), contributing to significantly lower set power consumption.
At the same time, combining two chips in a single package provides greater space savings by reducing area considerably. For example, replacing two single-chip TO-252 MOSFETs with one HSOP8 decreases footprint by 77%.
Next, ROHM will continue to expand its dual MOSFET lineup to withstand voltages ideal for industrial equipment while also developing low-noise variants. This is expected to contribute to solving social issues such as environmental protection by saving space and reducing power consumption in various applications.
Application Examples
– Fan motors for communication base stations
– Fan motors for factory automation, and other industrial equipment
– Fan motors for data center servers, etc.Original – ROHM
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Infineon Technologies AG and Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation have signed a multi-year supply agreement for silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon (Si) power semiconductors. Infineon will build and reserve manufacturing capacity to supply SiC as well as Si power modules and chips to Hyundai/Kia until 2030. Hyundai/Kia will support the capacity build-up and capacity reservation with financial contributions.
“Infineon stands as a valued strategic partner, boasting steadfast production capabilities and distinct technological prowess within the power semiconductor market,” said Heung Soo Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Strategy Office (GSO) at Hyundai Motor Group. “This partnership not only empowers Hyundai Motor and Kia to stabilize its semiconductor supply but also positions us to solidify our leadership in the global EV market, underpinned by our competitive product lineups.”
“The future car will be clean, safe and smart and semiconductors are at the heart of this transformation. As a trusted partner, we are proud to advance our long-term partnership with Hyundai/Kia,” said Peter Schiefer, President of Infineon’s Automotive Division. “We contribute premium products of high quality, our system knowledge and application understanding combined with continued investments in manufacturing capacity to address the increasing demand for automotive power electronics.”
Infineon’s power semiconductors are key enablers for the transition to electromobility. This transition will lead to strong market growth for power semiconductors, especially those based on wide bandgap materials like SiC.
With the significant expansion of its Kulim fab, Infineon will build the world’s largest 200-millimeter SiC power fab and further strengthen its market-leading role as a high-quality, high-volume supplier to the automotive industry. In line with Infineon’s multi-site strategy, the Kulim facility will complement Infineon’s current manufacturing capacity in Villach, Austria, and further capacity expansions in Dresden, Germany.
Original – Infineon Technologies
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Power semiconductors are electronic components which are key enablers to tackling major challenges of decarbonization and digitization on the path to an energy-wise society.
This IEC White Paper establishes the critical role that power semiconductors play in various aspects of modern industry and in society – from renewable power generation and transmission, electromobility, automated factories, energy-efficient data centres to smart cities and smart homes. It covers the various expected trends, opportunities and challenges surrounding the power semiconductors industry. Significant challenges are mentioned such as the need for change in industry practices when transitioning from linear to circular economies, and shortage of skilled personnel required for power semiconductor development.
The white paper stresses the need for strategic actions at the policy-making level to address these concerns and calls for stronger government commitment, policies, and funding to advance power semiconductor technologies and integration. It demands recognition of the crucial role played by power semiconductors in global decarbonization efforts.
It further highlights the pivotal role of standards in removing significant technical risks, increasing product quality and enabling faster market acceptance. According to the authors, IEC can play a leading role in promoting collaboration among stakeholders, aligning methodologies, and ensuring that international and national standardization bodies work closely with industry. Additionally, the white paper delivers recommendations to IEC stakeholders for collaborative structures and accelerating the development and adoption of standards.
In a first for the IEC Market Strategy Board’s White Paper series, the authors aim to inspire the engagement of young professionals in the area.
This white paper has been prepared by a project team representing a variety of organizations, working under the IEC Market Strategy Board (MSB). The project team included representatives from semiconductor network businesses, academia, equipment vendors from around the world, and IEC Young Professionals. Dr Kazuhiko Tsutsumi, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and MSB Chair, served as the project sponsor. Dr Munaf Rahimo and Dr Iulian Nistor of MTAL GmbH served as coordinating authors and project partner.
Original – IEC
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With support from the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau and the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES), the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with mainland China-based microelectronics enterprise J2 Semiconductor (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. (J2 Semiconductor), to set up a global research and development (R&D) Centre focusing on third-generation semiconductors at the Hong Kong Science Park, and to set up Hong Kong’s first Silicon Carbide (SiC) 8-inch advanced wafer fab.
This is a milestone moment in the government’s ambition to establish Hong Kong as a leading microelectronics hub in the region. This further promotes new industrialisation, a core for the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau which published its “Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Development Blueprint”, with a mission to develop strategically advanced manufacturing industries, such as microelectronics and semiconductors. As one of the world’s largest import and export markets for semiconductors, Hong Kong is at the heart of the Greater Bay Area which offers huge potential in becoming a key hub in the global semiconductor supply and value chain.
Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, said “This collaboration between HKSTP and J2 Semiconductor to set up the Hong Kong’s first-ever large-scale semiconductor wafer fab, demonstrates the commitment of the HKSAR Government in taking the initiative to turn its ‘new industrialisation’ vision into action. J2 Semiconductor is proactively building up the capacity, quality and competitiveness of Hong Kong’s tech talent pool. The project will also drive the development of related industries, including semiconductor equipment manufacturers, material suppliers, testing service providers, to develop a complete ecosystem to reinforce Hong Kong’s position in the global semiconductor industry value chain.”
The collaboration between HKSTP and J2 Semiconductor is jointly supported by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau and OASES with a view to sustain Hong Kong’s innovation and technology ecosystem and promote new industrialisation. The MoU was witnessed by Professor Sun Dong, Secretary of Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, Mr Philip Yung, Director-General of OASES, Ms Lillian Cheong, Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Dr Sunny Chai, Chairman of HKSTP and Dr Robert Tsu, Chairman of J2 Semiconductor. While Mr Albert Wong, CEO of HKSTP and Mr TY Chu, Co-CEO of J2 Semiconductor formally signed the MoU.
Dr Sunny Chai, Chairman of HKSTP said, “The plan of establishing J2 Semiconductor’s R&D Centre in the Science Park will promote Hong Kong’s R&D and advanced manufacturing capabilities of third-generation semiconductor devices. J2 Semiconductor brings the core technology and expertise to Hong Kong in advanced chip design, fabrication process and semiconductor product development, which is an important milestone in the development of microelectronics industry in Hong Kong. As one of Hong Kong’s flagship innovation and technology platforms, we provide high-quality infrastructure and facilities as well as a vast network of partners, which will continue to promote Hong Kong’s microelectronics R&D capabilities and strengthen Hong Kong’s position as an international I&T hub.”
Dr Robert Tsu, Chairman of J2 Semiconductor said, “I am very grateful for the level of attention and support from both the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau and HKSTP to this project. The MoU signing officially launches our third-generation semiconductor ‘SiC 8-inch advanced wafer fab’ project. J2 Semiconductor will invest an estimated HK$6.9 billion into the project, with plans to start volume production in the next couple of years, and reach annual production capacity of 240,000 SiC wafers in 2028, generating an annual production value of more than HK$11 billion and creating more than 700 job positions in Hong Kong. The project will assist in the early completion of the localisation of the new energy vehicle supply chain and drive the long-term development and prosperity of the semiconductor industry in Hong Kong.”
As a semiconductor chip design enterprise, J2 Semiconductor is committed to meeting the strong demand for domestically produced automotive chips from the China automotive industry. It mainly provides high-performance silicon carbide (SiC) devices with a focus on automotive, power conversion and communications. J2 Semiconductor’s superior SiC technology can be applied to relevant applications such as electric vehicles, as well as the related infrastructure such as charging stations, smart grids and energy storage.
HKSTP is committed to promoting Hong Kong’s new industrialisation mission and building a world-leading microelectronics ecosystem. HKSTP has established an extensive network of microelectronics hardware infrastructure, including Sensor Packaging and Integration Laboratory (Sensor Lab), Heterogenous Integration Lab (HI Lab) and the Hardware Lab, which can support the end-to-end process of design, prototyping and pilot production of chip-related equipment and systems as well as products. The Microelectronics Centre in Yuen Long Innovation Park is set to begin operation in 2024, supporting HKSTP’s infrastructure to accelerate microelectronics R&D pilot production, creating opportunities for upstream and downstream enterprises in the industry chain.
The microelectronics ecosystem of HKSTP is flourishing, with more than 200 microelectronics related companies. The establishment of the J2 Semiconductor facilities in Hong Kong will create greater level of synergy and knowledge exchange. Currently, five universities in Hong Kong are ranked among the top 100 universities in the world, with more than 100 university researchers engaged in microelectronics research, and promote the R&D of third-generation semiconductors. In this year’s Budget Speech, the HKSAR Government announced its plan to establish a Microelectronics Research and Development Institute to strengthen collaboration with universities, R&D centres and companies in the industry, and further accelerate the “1 to N” translation of R&D outcomes and bolster industry development.
Original – HKSTP
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Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has agreed with Coherent Corp. to invest USD 500 million in a new silicon carbide (SiC) business to be carved out from Coherent, aiming to expand its SiC power device business by strengthening vertical collaboration with Coherent, who has been a supplier of SiC substrates to Mitsubishi Electric.
The electric vehicle market is expanding worldwide and is one of several emerging applications driving the exponential growth of SiC power devices, which offer lower energy loss, higher operating temperatures and faster switching speeds than conventional silicon power devices. The high efficiency of SiC power devices is expected to contribute significantly to global decarbonization and green transformation.
Mitsubishi Electric has been a leader in SiC power modules for high-speed trains, high-voltage industrial applications, and home appliances for many years. The company made history by launching the world’s first SiC power modules for air conditioners in 2010, and became the first supplier of a full SiC power module for Shinkansen high-speed trains in 2015. Mitsubishi Electric has also accumulated extensive expertise by meeting market needs for advanced performance and high reliability by deploying superior processing, screening, etc. for the development and manufacture of SiC power modules.
Mitsubishi Electric has been procuring high-quality 150mm SiC substrates from Coherent for the production of SiC power modules for many years. In addition to developing high-quality 200mm SiC substrates with Coherent, Mitsubishi Electric plans to invest approximately 100 billion yen to construct a new 200mm SiC wafer plant in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan beginning in 2026.
By further deepening its collaboration with Coherent through this investment, Mitsubishi Electric aims to stabilize its procurement of SiC substrates for SiC power modules, for which demand is forecasted to grow rapidly, and thereby expand its supply of reliable high-performance SiC power devices to meet rising global demand.
Dr. Masayoshi Takemi, Executive Officer, Group President, Semiconductor & Device of Mitsubishi Electric, said: “Demand for SiC power semiconductors is expected to grow exponentially as the global market for electric vehicles increases in line with the transition to a decarbonized world. To capitalize on this trend, we have decided to expand our SiC power semiconductor production capacity, including by constructing a 200mm wafer plant in the Shisui area of Kumamoto Prefecture. We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with Coherent by investing in this new SiC company, which will provide us with a stable supply of high-quality SiC substrates essential for our increased supply capacity.”
Original – Mitsubishi Electric
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DENSO CORPORATION announced a minority investment of US$500 million in Silicon Carbide LLC, Coherent Corp.’s silicon carbide (SiC) business, which will be separated into an independent subsidiary. Silicon Carbide LLC, which was originally established by Coherent in April 2023, manufactures SiC wafers. This investment will ensure a long-term stable procurement of SiC wafers to enhance the competitiveness of our electrification components. With this equity investment, DENSO will hold 12.5% equity stake in Silicon Carbide LLC.
As vehicle electrification accelerates as part of the global effort to reduce CO2 emissions, semiconductor demand has also grown rapidly. SiC is a key material for devices that significantly contribute to reducing power loss, downsizing, and lightweighting of Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) systems, owing to its superior performance in high-temperature, high-frequency and high-voltage environments compared to that of conventional silicon.
Through this investment in Silicon Carbide LLC, which has an excellent track record in SiC wafer quality and mass production capabilities, DENSO will secure a stable procurement of quality 150mm and 200mm SiC wafers. This will further strengthen the competitiveness of DENSO’s inverters, which drive and control motors of electric vehicles.
“We are very pleased to establish a strategic relationship with Coherent, which has a world-class track record in SiC wafer manufacturing. Through this investment, we will secure a stable procurement of SiC wafers, which are critical for BEVs, and contribute to the realization of a carbon-neutral society by promoting the widespread adoption of BEVs,” said Shinnosuke Hayashi, President & COO, Representative Member of the Board at DENSO.
Dr. Vincent D. Mattera, Jr., Chair and CEO at Coherent, said, “We are excited to expand our strategic relationships with DENSO to capitalize on the significant demand for silicon carbide. After a thorough review of strategic alternatives for our Silicon Carbide business, we determined that the creation of a separate subsidiary and the strategic investments from DENSO, a leader in SiC power devices and modules, is the best path forward to maximize shareholder value and position the Business for long-term growth.
The investments from our strategic partners will be used to accelerate our capacity expansion plans and help sustain our leadership position, while ensuring the development of a robust and scalable supply for the rapidly growing market for SiC-based power electronics, largely driven by the explosive growth of the global electric vehicle market.”
DENSO will continue to contribute to the realization of a carbon-neutral society by promoting the widespread adoption of electrified products in all regions around the world.
Original – DENSO
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Supplier of semiconductor epiwafers, SweGaN, recently began the transformation from start-up to scale-up. AFRY is assisting SweGaN’s scale-up journey with a wide variety of services to build a new state-of-the-art production facility in Linköping. A rapidly growing global sector, semiconductors – are key component within electric vehicles, solar inverters, power supplies and more – all contributing towards a more sustainable society.
AFRY’s cyber security experts are guiding SweGan in securing its IP (Immaterial Properties) and trade secrets and ensuring customer integrity. Additionally, AFRY is providing a bouquet of expert professional services including IT, OT, ERP, CE marking, construction of the new production facility, server room construction, electrical, security, work environment, quality assurance, risk management and project management.
“Initially, we asked AFRY to support and secure our cyber security operations. After understanding AFRY’s wide range of competencies and services, we determined it would be highly favourable to bring all professional services for the new facility under one roof. Partnering with AFRY, we can now focus SweGaN resources on our growth and expansion goals,” says Henrik Tölander, COO SweGaN.
“I am very proud that SweGaN chose us for this project. The client saw the value of one supplier for all their professional service needs. As SweGaN’s full service provider, we can gain a comprehensive, holistic overview of their needs and offer a customer-tailored solution,” says Michael Blom, Section Manager at AFRY.
The opening of the semiconductor production facility will enable Sweden, and in extension Europe, to strengthen the European supply chain and compete against Taiwan, China, the U.S, South Korea and Japan – currently the main providers of semiconductors. Increased access to robust semiconductor offerings in Europe will make it easier to develop and produce electric vehicles, solar inverters, and power supplies in Europe, while also reducing dependency on competing countries.
Original – AFRY
