Capital Investment to Increase Production of SiC Power Semiconductors
🟦 Investment in Fuji Electric SiC Power Semiconductors
Fuji Electric has decided to make capital investment to increase production of SiC power semiconductors. Mass production is scheduled to begin in fiscal 2024, one year ahead of the previous plan. Until now, Fuji Electric had planned to invest a total of 120 billion yen in silicon 8-inch wafer power semiconductors over the five years until fiscal 2023. By investing in SiC power semiconductors this time, we have increased our investment to a total of 190 billion yen. Currently, power semiconductors using silicon materials are the mainstream, but SiC (silicon carbide) has the characteristic of being able to withstand high voltages compared to conventional silicon. As a result, power loss can be greatly reduced, and the on-board equipment can be energy-saving, downsized, and lightweight.
Mass production at a plant acquired from Renesas
Fuji Electric has been developing SiC technology at its Matsumoto Plant in Nagano Prefecture. For full-scale mass production of SiC, we will utilize the Tsugaru Plant, which has almost completed contract production for Renesas. The Tsugaru Plant was acquired in 2012 from Renesas North Japan Semiconductor, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Renesas Electronics. At the Tsugaru Plant, Renesas products were produced on contract before the acquisition.
🟦 Presentation of specific quantities from automotive customers
Until now, Fuji Electric has adopted SiC power semiconductors for inverters for railway vehicles and power conditioners used for power conversion at photovoltaic power plants. This investment in SiC is a strategy to expand the scope of application to electrified vehicles where the merits of SiC can be greatly utilized. Based on the specific quantity of materials presented by customers of electrified vehicles, we decided to invest in increasing production of SiC power semiconductors.
Japan’s share of power semiconductors
In power semiconductors, Japanese companies such as Toshiba, Mitsubishi Electric, and Fuji Electric hold a global market share of more than 20%. By fiscal 2024, the global power semiconductor market is expected to reach a scale of 2 trillion yen.
Among them, the market growth rate of the next generation SiC power semiconductor is expected to be more than 17%. The global market size of SiC power semiconductors in 2030 is expected to be 185.9 billion yen, a 3.8-fold increase compared to 2020.
🟦Summary
As a result of a specific quantity of materials presented by a customer of an electrified vehicle, Fuji Electric made a capital investment in SiC power semiconductors
Fuji Electric was more reluctant and free to invest in SiC than other power semiconductor companies. We stepped into investment by presenting specific quantities from automotive customers. The flow of carbon neutrality is accelerating.
