[ad_1]
//php echo do_shortcode(‘[responsivevoice_button voice=”US English Male” buttontext=”Listen to Post”]’) ?>
STMicroelectronics and Sanan Optoelectronics have announced they have signed an agreement to create a new 200-mm silicon carbide device manufacturing joint venture (JV) in Chongqing, China. The new SiC fab is slated to begin production in the fourth quarter of 2025, with full buildout anticipated in 2028, to support the increased demand in China for automobile electrification and industrial power and energy applications. In parallel, Sanan Optoelectronics will construct and operate a new 200-mm SiC substrate manufacturing facility using its own SiC substrate process to meet the JV’s requirements.
Silicon carbide is a wide-bandgap semiconductor material that offers advantages over traditional silicon-based semiconductors. In addition to delivering greater power density, it can operate at higher temperatures, handle higher voltages and provide higher switching speeds, making it ideal for various applications, including power electronics, electric vehicles, renewable-energy systems and industrial power.
The collaboration between ST and Sanan Optoelectronics to create a joint venture for high-volume 200-mm SiC device manufacturing reflects the growing demand for SiC devices in China, particularly for car electrification and industrial power and energy applications. This joint venture aims to support this rising demand by establishing a local manufacturing facility specifically for SiC devices.
200-mm transition
The adoption of larger-diameter wafers is a crucial cost-reduction strategy in semiconductor manufacturing. Silicon CMOS manufacturing experienced a transition from 150-mm to 200-mm wafers in the 1990s, followed by a shift to 300-mm wafers roughly a decade later.
The overwhelming majority of the current SiC production of power FETs is on wafers measuring 150 mm in diameter. By increasing the diameter of wafers from 150 mm to 200 mm, for instance, the number of comparable-sized dice per wafer would increase by roughly 85%.
To create a successful infrastructure for volume SiC production at 200 mm, manufacturers must surmount several obstacles. The typical formation of the wafer substrate through one of the many modifications of physical vapor transport (PVT) is a key issue with SiC. The low growth rates and temperatures close to 2,400˚°C make the procedure significantly more expensive than the liquid melt process used to produce silicon wafers. Defects and flaws in the more difficult PVT procedure impact the die yield. In addition, the nonuniformity of the growth process necessitates that the 200-mm wafer substrate is bulkier than its 150-mm counterpart.
SiC for electrification
Collaborations like this joint venture can help accelerate the development and adoption of SiC technology in China. By combining ST’s expertise in SiC device manufacturing and Sanan Optoelectronics’ capabilities in substrate manufacturing, the joint venture can leverage their respective strengths to enhance the availability and affordability of SiC devices in the Chinese market.
“This JV establishes a dedicated foundry in China through a partnership with a local company,” Edoardo Merli, executive VP of the power transistor sub-group, part of the automotive and discrete group at STMicroelectronics, said in an interview with EE Times. “We see it as the fastest and most efficient way to serve the fast-rising demand of our Chinese customers and an important step to further scale up our global SiC manufacturing capabilities. These efforts complement our ongoing substantial investments in Italy and Singapore, further strengthening our position in the market and enabling us to better serve our customers’ needs.”
Merli notes the importance of a vertically integrated supply chain in ensuring customers of quality and supply, as well as with speed, efficiency and ability to meet demand through mastery and control of the technology and manufacturing process at every step.
The transition to 200-mm SiC wafers represents a significant milestone in the capacity buildup for ST’s customer programs in the automotive and industrial sectors. “The challenges to establishing a 200-mm SiC fab require developing the necessary manufacturing equipment and achieving the quality levels required for performance and cost targets,” Merli said. “We are well on our way to achieving these goals and anticipate Sanan’s significant contributions.”
ST achieved low defectivity by building on the know-how and expertise in SiC ingot growth technology developed by STMicroelectronics Silicon Carbide A.B. (formerly Norstel A.B., which ST acquired in 2019). In addition to overcoming the quality obstacle, the transition to 200-mm SiC substrates necessitates an improvement in manufacturing equipment and the overall performance of the support ecosystem. ST is developing its own 200-mm SiC manufacturing apparatus and procedures in collaboration with technology partners representing the entire supply chain.
Considering that China is rapidly electrifying its automotive and industrial markets, ST believes establishing a dedicated SiC foundry with a key local partner is the most effective method to meet the rising demand of its Chinese clients.
“Sanan is already a large-scale SiC substrate and product manufacturer with a proven track record,” Merli said. “In creating the JV, we’re bringing Sanan expertise to build a 200-mm SiC substrate manufacturing facility through the front-end JV and ST’s existing back-end facility in Shenzhen. This will enable ST to offer our Chinese customers a localized fully vertically integrated SiC value chain.
“The JV is an important step to further scale ST’s global SiC manufacturing operations, coming in addition to our continuing significant investments in Italy and Singapore,” he added. “In fact, ST’s president and CEO said of the announcement, ‘This JV is expected to be one of the enablers of ST’s efforts to reach $5B+ SiC revenues by 2030.’ He added it is ‘consistent with ST 2025–27 $20B+ revenue ambition and the associated financial model, previously communicated to the financial markets.’ We are targeting the JV’s new SiC fab to start production in Q4 2025 and anticipate a full buildout in 2028.”
[ad_2]
Source link
