Chip manufacturer Wolfspeed plans to build the world's largest silicon carbide wafer factory in Germany

Factory. According to the news, the factory is expected to spend 3 billion US dollars. It is expected that the construction of the factory can be started in the first half of 2023 after the approval of the European Commission.

The new plant is located in Salzburg, Germany. Its former site is a coal-fired power plant, covering an area of 35 acres (14 hectares). It is Wolfspeed's first plant in Europe. Wolfspeed said that the plant will also become the most advanced plant in Wolfspeed, and will build a breakthrough and innovative silicon carbide development and manufacturing center in the EU to support the growing demand from a wide range of applications such as automobile, industry, energy and so on.

As a part of the cooperation under the framework of microelectronics and communication technology of the "Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI)", the Wolfspeed German factory plan will be subject to the approval of the European Commission's national assistance rules.

At the same time, auto supplier ZF will also reach strategic cooperation with Wolfspeed. ZF will invest US $185 million in the chip factory and will hold a majority stake in the research center.

According to Wolfspeed, this European factory will be connected with the 200 mm Mohawk Valley device factory and the John Palmour Silicon Carbide Manufacturing Center (that is, the 445-acre (180 hectares) silicon carbide material factory in North Carolina, the United States, which is currently under construction. The material factory will increase the company's existing material capacity by more than 10 times, and its Phase I construction plan will be completed by the end of fiscal year 2024), which will become an important part of Wolfspeed's $6.5 billion capacity expansion plan. "

Gregg Lowe, President and CEO of Wolfspeed, said: "We continue to expand the ecosystem of semiconductor production and innovation. This new factory means an important step forward for Wolfspeed and our regional customers. Silicon carbide devices can bring higher energy efficiency and play a crucial role in the global transformation towards sustainable electrification. This new factory will play a key role in our capacity expansion, thus supporting the limited but rapid capacity Growing industries, especially the whole electric vehicle market. It is very important for us to build a factory in the heart of Europe. This can bring us closer to many of our customers and partners, thus promoting cooperation in the field of next-generation silicon carbide technology. "

It is reported that Wolfspeed's German factory will produce the next generation of silicon carbide devices through optimized design and innovative manufacturing process. The new plant will also adopt innovative sustainable development measures, including a high percentage of circulating water and a reduced emission footprint, which will become a model for more sustainable plants in the future. When the plant is fully operational, it will employ more than 600 employees.