Started mass production of 6-inch SiC single crystal substrates.
🟦 Showa Denko begins mass production of SiC bulk wafers.
Showa Denko has started mass production of 6-inch SiC single crystal substrates (bulk wafers), which are used as materials for SiC epiwafers for SiC power semiconductors. Showa Denko is one of the world’s largest suppliers of SiC epiwafers, selling them externally since 2009. Until now, SiC single crystal substrates were purchased from other manufacturers. In response to the adoption of SiC epiwafers using Showa Denko’s SiC wafers by several customers, mass production of 6-inch SiC wafers has begun.
🟦 Stable supply of wafers under long-term contracts
Until now, Showa Denko had been considering in-house production of SiC wafers for the purpose of improving quality and building a stable supply system. By continuing to procure SiC wafers from partner companies, the company will establish a stable supply system for SiC epiwafers. The demand for SiC power devices is increasing, and long-term contracts with semiconductor manufacturers for SiC substrates are trending. Semiconductor manufacturers have signed wafer substrate supply contracts for a long period of 2~3 years, fixed quantities and prices, suppressed the risk of business performance decline, and dealt with supply shortages.
In May 2021, Showa Denko reached an agreement with Infineon, a power semiconductor leader, to supply SiC wafer substrates. ROHM also signed a long-term wafer supply agreement with STMicral in January 5.
- Long-term contract for external procurement of SiC substrates
- Infineon
- ←Showa Denko, Cree
- Onsemi
- ←GTAT
- STMicro
- ← Cree, Loam (Cycrystal)
- loam
- ← Showa Denko
- Toshiba
- ← Showa Denko
- Infineon
🟦Summary
Showa Denko begins mass production of 6-inch SiC single crystal substrates for long-term stable supply of wafers.
In 2018 Japan we took over SiC wafer-related assets from Steel and continued to develop mass production technology.
