Soitec and Tokai Carbon enter into a strategic partnership to develop polycrystalline silicon carbide substrates for Soitec SmartSiC™ wafers
● Under this partnership, Tokai Carbon will supply 150mm and 200mm poly-SiC substrates specifically designed for Soitec SmartSiC™ wafers.
● Tokai Carbon’s technology and manufacturing capacity is set to make a strategic contribution to the global ramp-up of SmartSiC™ wafer production benefiting also from the right to use Soitec’s polySiC product specification for manufacturing polySiC coarse wafers compliant with Soitec SmartSiC™ Wafers technology
● SmartSiC™ engineered substrates accelerate the adoption of silicon carbide for electric mobility, industrial and smart grid applications.
Bernin (France) and Tokyo (Japan), 22 May 2024 - Soitec (Euronext Paris), a world leader in the design and manufacture of innovative semiconductor materials, and Tokai Carbon (TSE, Tokyo), a comprehensive manufacturer of carbon and graphite products, have entered into a strategic partnership for the development and supply of polycrystalline silicon carbide substrates specifically designed for Soitec SmartSiC™ wafers.
Silicon carbide is a disruptive compound semiconductor and SmartSiC™ engineered substrates accelerate the adoption of silicon carbide for electric mobility, industrial and smart grid applications by delivering superior manufacturing and cost efficiencies with an improved environmental footprint.
Under this partnership, which will see Tokai Carbon supply 150mm and 200mm poly-SiC wafers to Soitec, the two companies are harnessing their advanced R&D capabilities to enhance the SmartSiC™ ecosystem. Tokai Carbon’s advanced technology and manufacturing capacity in polycrystalline silicon carbide (polySiC) combined with the right to use Soitec specifications for polySiC coarse wafers compliant with Soitec SmartSiC™ is expected to make a strategic contribution to the global ramp-up of SmartSiC™ wafer production.
Cyril Menon, Chief Operations Officer of Soitec, stated: “This partnership with Tokai marks yet another key step in the ramp-up of Soitec’s SmartSiC™ technology to address fast-growing markets such as electric mobility and industrial electrification. Tokai’s top quality SiC products and R&D capabilities, combined with Soitec’s innovative SmartSiC™ technology, can help to accelerate global adoption of electric mobility and other SiC technologies. This is an important milestone in terms of perception and value creation for the SmartSiC™ ecosystem.”
Hajime Nagasaka, CEO of Tokai Carbon, commented. “The polycrystalline SiC substrate to be supplied to Soitec is a strategic product in our solid SiC product series. We are pleased to see our long years of research and development come to fruition in this way, and we have high expectations for this product in the SiC semiconductor market, which is expected to expand significantly in the future. The partnership with Soitec is also very meaningful in terms of contributing to the realization of a sustainable society.”
About Tokai Carbon
Tokai Carbon has led the industry in Japan and has globally expanded its business to offer that quality for more than 100 years. Tokai Carbon has six business segments, including its mainstay Carbon Black used in automobile tires, and manufacturing and sales sites based in Europe, North America, and Asia (11 countries). The strength of the Fine Carbon business company is in the high-quality carbon, graphite and SiC products to serve the semi-conductor value chain. With its world top class SiC production capacity and technology, Tokai Carbon succeeded in developing Polycrystalline SiC substrates that are optimized to SmartSiC™.
About Soitec
Soitec (Euronext- Tech Leaders), a world leader in innovative semiconductor materials, has been developing cutting-edge products delivering both technological performance and energy efficiency for over 30 years. From its global headquarters in France, Soitec is expanding internationally with its unique solutions, and generated sales of 1.1 billion Euros in fiscal year 2022-2023. Soitec occupies a key position in the semiconductor value chain, serving three main strategic markets: mobile communications, automotive and industrial, and smart devices. The company relies on the talent and diversity of its 2,100 employees, representing 50 different nationalities, working at its sites in Europe, the United States and Asia. Soitec has registered over 4,000 patents.
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