Soitec inaugurates new plant for SmartSiC wafer production

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In the presence of Thierry Breton (European Commissioner for the Internal Market) and Roland Lescure (French Minister Delegate for Industry), engineered substrate manufacturer Soitec of Bernin, near Grenoble, France has inaugurated its new plant, which will have a 2500m2 footprint and a final production capacity of 500,000 SmartSiC wafers per year.

www.semiconductor-today.com/index.shtml, Oct. 11, 2023 – 

Based on silicon carbide (SiC), Soitec says that it has developed its patented SmartSiC technology in response to the challenges of vehicle electrification. SmartSiC enables electric vehicles to achieve ranges above 500km, it is reckoned, compared with an average 350km using silicon insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) alternatives. Also, since each SiC substrate can be used 10 times, SmartCut reduces CO2 emissions during wafer manufacturing by 70% compared with producing monocrystalline SiC substrates, the firm adds.

Development of the technology began in 2020 in partnership with CEA-Leti and has received financial support from the French state, the region, local authorities and the European Union. The new plant will lead to the creation of 400 direct jobs, while also adding to the 'French Silicon Valley' ecosystem.

"More than ever we are ready to establish our SmartSiC technology as a new standard in semiconductor materials for coming generations of electric cars," says CEO Pierre Barnabé. "This plant will enable us to meet growing demand for silicon carbide and achieve a 30% market share by 2030, while helping to make electric mobility more efficient and affordable. Completed in record time, it is the embodiment of our industrial performance and our future-facing strategy, based on the expansion of our product and technology portfolio," he adds.

"This is also an important day for our region, which is once again showing its dynamic and exemplary approach to industrial innovation, with technologies designed, developed, and manufactured within our ecosystem," continues Barnabé. "We will create jobs and continue to showcase French and European knowhow in global semiconductor markets."

The new plant should contribute to Soitec's strategy of sustainable growth towards a threefold expansion of addressable markets by 2030.

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