Soitec and Mersen announce strategic partnership to develop new silicon carbide (SiC) substrates for the electric vehicle market

Bernin (Grenoble), Paris, November 30, 2021 - Soitec (Euronext Paris), a world leader in the design and production of innovative semiconductor materials, and Mersen (Euronext Paris), a global expert in electrical specialties and advanced materials, announced today that they have entered into a strategic technical partnership to develop a new family of polycrystalline silicon carbide (poly-SiC) substrates for the electric vehicle market.

Thanks to their respective experience in substrates and materials, the joint development by Soitec and Mersen of very low electrical resistivity poly-SiC substrates will optimize SiC power electronics components devised based on Soitec's SmartSiC™ technology. The collaboration between the Mersen teams in Gennevilliers and the Soitec teams in Bernin and Grenoble will strengthen this development project. The teams will also be able to benefit from the expertise of the Soitec Substrate Innovation Center within CEA-Leti to validate the progress made in the industrialization process.

Christophe Maleville, Soitec's Chief Technology Officer, said: "By further pooling our materials and semiconductor expertise, we are able to produce substrates with very advanced performance. The results are compatible with our SmartSiC™ technology, and also exceed the specifications of our customers, which are the SiC power electronic circuit foundries. With its very low electrical resistivity, the poly-SiC substrate becomes a key element of our technology, and can vastly improve energy efficiency, thus making electric vehicles more efficient."

Luc Themelin, CEO of Mersen, said: "This partnership demonstrates Mersen's polycrystalline SiC expertise and our ability to develop a custom-design product compatible with Soitec’s technology. Thanks to this strengthened partnership, we will be able to offer the electronics industry a high-performance, cost-effective substrate for the production of power semiconductors, especially for the electric vehicle market."

# # #

About Soitec

Soitec (Euronext, Tech 40 Paris) is a world leader in designing and manufacturing innovative semiconductor materials. The company uses its unique technologies and semiconductor expertise to serve the electronics markets. With more than 3,500 patents worldwide, Soitec’s strategy is based on disruptive innovation to answer its customers’ needs for high performance, energy efficiency and cost competitiveness. Soitec has manufacturing facilities, R&D centers and offices in Europe, the U.S. and Asia.

Soitec, SmartSiC™ and SmartCut™ are registered trademarks of Soitec.

For more information, please visit www.soitec.com and follow us on Twitter: @Soitec_EN.

About Mersen

Mersen is a global expert in electrical specialties and advanced materials for high-tech industries. With more than 50 industrial sites and 16 R&D centers in 35 countries around the world, Mersen develops custom-built solutions and delivers key products for clients in order to meet the new technological challenges shaping tomorrow’s world. For over 130 years, Mersen has focused tirelessly on innovation to accompany its clients and meet their needs. Be it in wind power, solar power, electronics, electric vehicles, aeronautics, space or countless other sectors, wherever technology is progressing, you will always find a bit of Mersen.

For more information, please consult Mersen’s website: www.mersen.com.

Next virtual event on December 7, 2021 at 3:30 pm: “Chip-chat: An Hour With Mersen On Its Semiconductor Strategy”