Rohm announces production of 8-inch SiC substrates in Japan next year

【Lansheng Technology News】Rohm Semiconductor President Isao Matsumoto recently announced at the November 2023 earnings call that 8-inch SiC substrates will be produced at a second factory in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, mainly for the company's internal use, and is expected to be launched in 2024 Started production. This will be the first time that Rohm produces SiC substrates in Japan.

It is reported that the Miyazaki Second Factory planning project is part of Rohm's production capacity expansion plan in recent years. Rohm plans to invest 170 billion to 220 billion yen in the SiC business from 2021 to 2025.

For many SiC power semiconductor players, including Rohm, it is not too much to increase investment and increase SiC substrate production capacity. On the one hand, in recent years, the shortage of substrate materials has become one of the bottlenecks in the development of the SiC power semiconductor industry; on the other hand, with the wave of vehicle electrification, the demand for SiC power semiconductors will increase day by day.

In order to promote the development of the SiC power semiconductor industry and occupy a place in the huge trend, major companies must spend money to increase capital and expand production. At present, it seems that there are many ways to achieve the goal, either by signing a supply agreement with a supplier, or by completely building a production line by itself, or by acquiring related companies.

In its early years, ROHM acquired SiCrystal, a German SiC substrate manufacturer, and directly produced SiC substrates at its factory in Nuremberg, Germany. On this basis, it quickly established itself as a pioneer in the industry.

The Miyazaki Second Factory, which will be put into operation in 2024, was originally the former Kokutomi factory of Solar Frontier, a subsidiary of Idemitsu Kosan. In July this year, Rohm announced that it had reached a basic agreement with Solar Frontline on the acquisition of the company's former Guofu factory assets. The acquisition is scheduled to be completed in October this year. It is worth noting that the factory will become ROHM’s largest SiC power semiconductor production base in Japan.

At the same time as mergers and acquisitions, Rohm is also actively building its own production capacity. According to information on ROHM's official website, ROHM currently has four SiC power semiconductor production bases in Japan, located at the Kyoto headquarters, Fukuoka Prefecture's Chikugo Factory, Nagahama Factory and Miyazaki Daiichi Factory.

Both acquisitions and self-construction can achieve a stable product supply, but the forward-looking layout in the SiC industry makes giants keen to occupy more production capacity in advance. Cooperation with mature manufacturers is necessary, and Rohm is not far behind.

In June this year, ROHM signed a long-term supply cooperation agreement with Vitesco for SiC power components. According to the cooperation agreement, the transaction volume between the two parties will exceed 130 billion yen from 2024 to 2030.