The European Commission has approved financing for a new silicon carbide manufacturing plant in Catania, Italy. This facility will be the world’s first fully integrated silicon carbide plant and will receive support from the Italian state under the EU Chips Act amounting to two billion euros. The investment program, totaling 5 billion euros over multiple years, is set to significantly support ST’s leadership in SiC technology for automotive and industrial clients in the future.
The Silicon Carbide Campus in Catania represents a crucial element in ST’s global SiC ecosystem. This project will combine all aspects of manufacturing within its processes, including SiC substrate development, epitaxial growth processes, frontend fabrication of 200 mm wafers, and backend assembly of modules. Moreover, research and development, product design, advanced R&D labs for power dies, systems, modules, and comprehensive packaging capabilities will all be integrated into the Catania center.
The main focus of this facility will be the production of 200mm silicon carbide (SIC) for devices, power modules, testing, and packaging activities. This integration aims to facilitate customers in the automotive and industrial sectors in transitioning to electrification and achieving greater energy efficiency. ST claims that this initiative represents the realization of its vision for a comprehensive vertical integration of SiC capabilities.
Overall, this project is expected to significantly support ST’s leadership in SiC technology for automotive and industrial clients in Europe. With its advanced technologies and superior yields and performance achieved through large-volume production of 200mm SIC wafers using advanced technologies.
