39.2 billion: STMicroelectronics will build a new SiC wafer fab

【Lansheng Technology News】On November 26,STMicroelectronicsfollowed the 7.5 billion euro wafer fab plan with American company GlobalFoundries in Crolles, southeastern France. In order to balance the group’s deployment in Italy and France, it will also invest 50 million in Catane, Sicily, Italy. billion to build a new silicon carbide (SiC) super semiconductor wafer fab. The wafer fab will specialize in the production of SiC chips, which are key technologies for electric vehicles and have strong growth potential.

According to reports, in order to maintain its competitiveness, STMicroelectronics plans to transform and upgrade to 8-inch wafers starting in 2024, and combine it with Soitec’s SmartSiC technology to improve efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. At the same time, the company is actively increasing production capacity, mastering in-house manufacturing, and cooperating with Chinese manufacturer Sanan Optoelectronics, aiming to increase SiC chip-related revenue from the expected US$1.2 billion this year to US$5 billion by 2030.

Among them, the strong cooperation between STMicroelectronics and Sanan Optoelectronics has attracted widespread attention in the industry. On June 7 this year, STMicroelectronics and Sanan Optoelectronics jointly announced that the two parties had signed an agreement to establish a new 8-inch SiC device joint venture manufacturing plant in Chongqing, with a total investment expected to reach US$3.2 billion.

In order to ensure the smooth implementation of this large-scale investment plan, Sanan Optoelectronics stated that it will use self-developed SiC substrate technology to separately build and operate a new 8-inch SiC substrate manufacturing plant to meet the substrate needs of the above-mentioned joint venture plant. This will help partner STMicroelectronics accelerate its march to 8 inches.

According to TrendForce’s analysis, the SiC industry is currently dominated by 6-inch substrates, accounting for up to 80% of the market share, while 8-inch substrates account for only 1%. The transition to larger 8-inch substrates will further reduce the cost of SiC devices. cost-critical strategies.

The 8-inch SiC substrate has obvious cost advantages over similar 6-inch substrates. Upgrading from 6 inches to 8 inches is a major trend in the industry. Domestic leading companies such as Shuoke Crystal, Jingsheng Electromechanical, Nansha Wafer, Tongguang Co., Ltd., Keyou Semiconductor, and Dry Crystal Semiconductor are promoting the development of 8-inch SiC substrates. After the cost of the substrate, which accounts for about 45% of the total production cost, is reduced, SiC devices are expected to be further popularized and fed back to major manufacturers, forming a virtuous cycle.

Not only Chinese manufacturers, but also international semiconductor giantsInfineonand ON Semiconductor are also actively grabbing market share. Among them, Infineon has prepared the first batch of 8-inch wafer mechanical samples in the factory, will soon convert them into electronic samples, and plans to mass-produce applications before 2030. International device majors such as ON Semiconductor and Rohm The factory has formulated a development plan for 8-inch SiC wafers.

At present, leading manufacturers occupy more than 90% of the market share, and competition is fierce. Once the pace slows down, there may be opportunities for pursuers. According to TrendForce consulting data, the top five market shares of major SiC power semiconductor manufacturers in 2022 are STMicroelectronics (36.5%), Infineon (17.9%), Wolfspeed (16.3%), andON Semiconductor(11.6%) ), ROHM (8.1%), and the remaining manufacturers accounted for only 9.6%.

STMicroelectronics' investment and construction of a factory in Italy this time will not only balance the group's deployment in Italy and France, but also help consolidate its advantages in the field of SiC power devices.