News: Microelectronics
3 May 2023
China’s SICC and TanKeBlue to supply silicon carbide wafers and boules to Infineon
To diversify its silicon carbide (SiC) material supplier base and to secure additional SiC sources, Infineon Technologies AG of Munich, Germany has signed two separate agreements for Chinese SiC suppliers SICC Co Ltd and TanKeBlue Semiconductor Co Ltd to supply 150mm SiC wafers and boules, each covering a double-digit share of the forecasted demand in the long term.
The agreements will focus on supplying 150mm SiC material in the first phase, but both SICC and TanKeBlue will then also provide 200mm SiC material to support Infineon’s transition to 200mm wafer diameter. It is reckoned that the deals will contribute to general supply chain stability, particularly regarding the growing demand for SiC devices for automotive, solar and electric vehicle (EV) charging applications as well as energy storage systems in the Chinese market. The deals will also generally support the rapid growth in the SiC industry.
“Infineon is significantly expanding its manufacturing capacities at its production sites in Malaysia and Austria to meet the growing demand for SiC,” says Infineon’s chief procurement officer Angelique van der Burg. “To offer the most comprehensive product range possible to our customers, Infineon is currently doubling down on its investments in SiC technology and product portfolio. In this context, we are implementing a multi-supplier and multi-country sourcing strategy to increase resilience to the benefit of our broad customer base, and are securing new competitive top-quality sources globally, matching the highest standards in the market,” she adds.
“SICC’s substrates are widely used in the power SiC field. We are pleased to team up with Infineon as our customer, a global leader in power semiconductors,” says SICC’s CEO Zong Yanmin. “SICC will continuously expand capacity to add more value for its global customers,” he adds.
“We welcome the opportunity to team up with our customer Infineon, a global leader in power semiconductors,” comments TanKeBlue’s CEO Yang Jian. “TanKeBlue plans to continuously improve its SiC material and develop its next generation of 200mm wafer technology,” he adds.
Infineon is currently expanding its SiC manufacturing capacity in order to achieve its target of a 30% global market share by the end of the decade. Its SiC manufacturing capacity will increase tenfold by 2027. A new plant in Kulim, Malaysia is scheduled to start production in 2024, adding to existing manufacturing capacities in Villach, Austria. Infineon already provides SiC devices to more than 3600 automotive and industrial customers worldwide.
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