China revolutionizes industry with new 12-inch substrate and challenges global chip market with innovations that promise to reduce costs
On November 13, at Semicon Europe 2024 in Munich, Germany, Chinese silicon carbide (SiC) substrate manufacturer SICC announced the launch of the industry’s first 300 mm (12 inch) silicon carbide substrate. This marks a significant step into the era of ultra-large silicon carbide substrates.
SICC stated that the 12-inch silicon carbide substrate material can significantly expand the usable area for chip manufacturing on a single wafer, substantially increasing the yield of qualified chips.
Under equivalent production conditions, this innovation boosts production, reduces unit costs and improves economic benefits, paving the way for wider application of silicon carbide materials.
Current Status of Silicon Carbide Substrates: 12-Inch Emerges, 8-Inch Accelerates Adoption
The global silicon carbide substrates market is highly competitive, with international companies such as Wolfspeed, Infineon, STMicroelectronics and ON Semiconductor leading the industry.
In China, SICC has developed the capacity to produce the industry’s largest 12-inch silicon carbide substrates and achieved stable mass production of 8-inch substrates.
In addition to SICC, companies such as Semisic, Synlight Crystal and TankeBlue also have 8-inch silicon carbide substrate production capabilities.
Other players are involved in research and development in the field of silicon carbide substrates, although they have not yet achieved mass production of 8-inch or larger substrates.
According to previous TrendForce research, the current market share of 8-inch silicon carbide substrates is less than 2%, but this number is expected to grow to around 15% by 2026.
Targeting Ultra-Large Substrates: The Next Step for Silicon Carbide
With the rapid development of industries such as electric vehicles, photovoltaic energy storage, 5G communications and high-voltage smart grids, the demand for silicon carbide-based devices capable of operating in high-power, high-voltage and high-frequency conditions has increased. Silicon carbide substrates, as a critical upstream material, are becoming increasingly vital.
Industry experts point out that larger silicon carbide substrates offer a larger surface area, allowing the production of more chips on a single substrate, improving production efficiency. Additionally, large substrate sizes reduce waste at the edges, helping to lower the cost per chip.
In terms of substrate size:
- 4-inch substrates are mainly used for Gallium Nitride RF devices.
- 6-inch substrates are the main product for conductive silicon carbide markets.
- 8-inch substrates are increasingly being adopted, with industry leaders such as Wolfspeed and Infineon developing and establishing 8-inch production lines. Compared to 6-inch substrates, 8-inch substrates offer greater efficiency and lower costs.
- 12-inch substrates, although not yet widely applied, are expected to become a key focus of development as technological advances and cost reductions continue into the future.
With information from News Agencies*
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2024/11/27/china-revoluciona-mercado-global-com-o-1o-substrato-de-carboneto-de-silicio-de-12-polegadas/
