GENEVA (dpa-AFX) - Semiconductor major STMicroelectronics N.V. announced Friday its plan to build a new manufacturing facility in Catania, Italy for the mass production of 200mm silicon carbide or SiC wafers.
The plant, which is expected to be the world's first fully integrated silicon carbide facility, will be built under the company's projected 5 billion euros multi-year investment program, including 2 billion euros support provided by the State of Italy in the framework of the EU Chips Act.
Earlier in the day, the European Commission approved Italian state aid measures worth 2 billion euros as direct grant for STMicroelectronics to support the construction and operation of the semiconductor manufacturing facility for SiC power devices.
In its statement, STMicroelectronics said the new high-volume 200mm SiC plant is for power devices and modules, as well as test and packaging. These new facilities will form ST's Silicon Carbide Campus, along with the SiC substrate manufacturing facility being readied on the same site.
The new facility is targeted to start production in 2026 and to ramp to full capacity by 2033, with up to 15,000 wafers per week at full build-out.
According to the company, the creation of the new Catania Silicon Carbide Campus is a key milestone as part of its vision of a fully vertically integrated manufacturing facility for the mass production of SiC on one site.
The company plans fully vertically integrated SiC capabilities from R&D to manufacturing, from substrate to module, on the same site. This would enable automotive and industrial customers in their shift to electrification and higher energy efficiency.
ST currently manufactures its flagship high-volume SiC products on two 150-millimeter wafer lines in Catania and Ang Mo Kio in Singapore. The company is also constructing a third 200-millimeter facility in China as a joint venture with Sanan Optoelectronics.
Jean-Marc Chery, President and Chief Executive Officer of STMicroelectronics, said, 'The fully integrated capabilities unlocked by the Silicon Carbide Campus in Catania will contribute significantly to ST's SiC technology leadership for automotive and industrial customers through the next decades. The scale and synergies offered by this project will enable us to better innovate with high-volume manufacturing capacity, to the benefit of our European and global customers as they transition to electrification and seek more energy efficient solutions to meet their decarbonization goals.'
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