Renesas to scale SiC production with $2bn Wolfspeed wafer deal
Renesas Electronics has signed a ten year deal with Wolfspeed in the US for supply of silicon carbide bare and epitaxial 150mm wafers to scaleup move into the power device market.
The deal, worth up to $2bn, paves the way for Renesas to scale production of SiC power semiconductors for industrial and automotive applications starting in 2025. The company recently announced the restart of its Kofu Factory to produce IGBTs, and establishment of a silicon carbide production line at its Takasaki Factory.
The $2 billion deposit will help pay for Wolfspeed’s construction projects including the John Palmour (JP) Manufacturing Centre for Silicon Carbide in Chatham County, North Carolina.
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The signing ceremony of the agreement was held at Renesas’ headquarters in Tokyo between Hidetoshi Shibata, President and CEO of Renesas, and Gregg Lowe, President and CEO of Wolfspeed.
The decade-long supply agreement calls for Wolfspeed to provide Renesas with 150mm silicon carbide bare and epitaxial wafers scaling in CY2025, reinforcing the companies’ vision for an industry-wide transition from silicon to silicon carbide semiconductor power devices.
The agreement also anticipates supplying Renesas with 200mm silicon carbide bare and epitaxial wafers once the JP is fully operational.
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Wafer makers in Europe are also ramping up supply of SiC bare and epitaxial wfers, with major investments by STMicroelectronics in Catania set to open later this year, onsemi in the Czech FRepublic and Coherent in Sweden
“The wafer supply agreement with Wolfspeed will provide Renesas with a stable, long-term supply base of high-quality silicon carbide wafers. This empowers Renesas to scale our power semiconductor offerings to better serve customers’ vast array of applications,” said Hidetoshi Shibata, President and CEO of Renesas. “We are now poised to elevate ourselves as a key player in the accelerating silicon carbide market.”
“With the steepening demand for silicon carbide across the automotive, industrial and energy sectors, it’s critically important we have best-in-class power semiconductor customers like Renesas to help lead the global transition from silicon to silicon carbide,” said Gregg Lowe, President and CEO of Wolfspeed. “For more than 35 years, Wolfspeed has focused on producing silicon carbide wafers and high-quality power devices, and this relationship marks an important step in our mission to save the world energy.”
www.renesas.com; www.wolfspeed.com.
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- ST taps EU Chips Act for SiC wafer plant
- Coherent signs $100m SiC wafer deal
- Mitsubishi doubles down on silicon-carbide with wafer fab .
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