Renesas & Wolfspeed Sign 10 Year Supply Agreement For Silicon Carbide Wafers

- Advertisement -

Agreement Highlights:

– Fortifies Renesas’ commitment to boost its power semiconductor roadmap

– $2 Billion deposit to Wolfspeed secures supply agreement for both 150mm and 200mm silicon carbide wafers and supports Wolfspeed’s U.S. capacity expansion plans

- Advertisement -

– Agreement supports adoption of silicon carbide in automotive, industrial and energy markets

Renesas Electronics Corporation, a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, and Wolfspeed, Inc., the global leader in silicon carbide technology, today announced the execution of a wafer supply agreement and $2 billion (USD) deposit by Renesas to secure a 10 year supply commitment of silicon carbide bare and epitaxial wafers from Wolfspeed. The supply of high-quality silicon carbide wafers from Wolfspeed will pave the way for Renesas to scale production of silicon carbide power semiconductors starting in 2025. The signing ceremony of the agreement was held at Renesas’ headquarters in Tokyo between Hidetoshi Shibata, President and CEO of Renesas, and Gregg Lowe, President and CEO of Wolfspeed.

The decade-long supply agreement calls for Wolfspeed to provide Renesas with 150mm silicon carbide bare and epitaxial wafers scaling in CY2025, reinforcing the companies’ vision for an industry-wide transition from silicon to silicon carbide semiconductor power devices. The agreement also anticipates supplying Renesas with 200mm silicon carbide bare and epitaxial wafers after the recently announced John Palmour Manufacturing Center for Silicon Carbide is fully operational.

The need for more efficient power semiconductors, which supply and manage electricity, is dramatically increasing throughout automotive and industrial applications, spurred by the growth of electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy. Renesas is moving quickly to address the growing demand for power semiconductors by expanding its in-house manufacturing capacity. The company recently announced the restart of its Kofu Factory to produce IGBTs, and establishment of a silicon carbide production line at its Takasaki Factory.

Compared to conventional silicon power semiconductors, silicon carbide devices enable higher energy efficiency, greater power density and a lower system cost. In an increasingly energy-conscious world, the adoption of silicon carbide is becoming ever more pervasive across multiple high-volume applications spanning EVs, renewable energy and storage, charging infrastructure, industrial power supplies, traction and variable speed drives.

“The wafer supply agreement with Wolfspeed will provide Renesas with a stable, long-term supply base of high-quality silicon carbide wafers. This empowers Renesas to scale our power semiconductor offerings to better serve customers’ vast array of applications,” said Hidetoshi Shibata, President and CEO of Renesas. “We are now poised to elevate ourselves as a key player in the accelerating silicon carbide market.”

“With the steepening demand for silicon carbide across the automotive, industrial and energy sectors, it’s critically important we have best-in-class power semiconductor customers like Renesas to help lead the global transition from silicon to silicon carbide,” said Gregg Lowe, President and CEO of Wolfspeed. “For more than 35 years, Wolfspeed has focused on producing silicon carbide wafers and high-quality power devices, and this relationship marks an important step in our mission to save the world energy.”

The Renesas $2 billion deposit will help support Wolfspeed’s ongoing capacity construction projects including the JP, the world’s largest silicon carbide materials factory in Chatham County, North Carolina. The state-of-the-art, multi-billion-dollar facility is targeted to generate a more than 10-fold increase from Wolfspeed’s current silicon carbide production capacity on its Durham, North Carolina campus. The facility will produce primarily 200mm silicon carbide wafers, which are 1.7x larger than 150mm wafers, translating into more chips per wafer and ultimately, lower device costs.


 

- Advertisement -

Most Popular Articles

EKA Mobility Aims To Triple Its Capacity

0
As part of its expansion strategy, EKA Mobility is constructing a third plant in Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh, which will produce both electric buses and...
V-BAT Drones

JSW Defence Partners USA’s Shield AI To Produce V-BAT Drones In India

0
The partnerships will leverage India's engineering talent and transitioning towards more cost-effective unmanned systems JSW Defence Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of the $24 billion JSW...

VinFast Discusses JV With Adani Group, Megha Engg

0
An informed source mentioned that VinFast, currently establishing a factory in Tamil Nadu, has started discussions with two companies aiming to secure some of...

Tata Elxsi, DENSO, AAtek Open Robotics Lab In Frankfurt

0
The laboratory situated in Tata Elxsi's Frankfurt office will function as a centre for research and development. It will showcase demonstrations of modular automation...

Ravvi Dhyani Joins ADATA To Boost India Presence

0
Planning growth in India with exciting new products and a strong market push for 2025 expansion, ADATA names Ravvi Dhyani as Country Manager. Memory...
Abhishek Malik from Calcom Vision Limited

“India’s Electronics Sector Is Growing Rapidly, Making This The Decade For Investors To Engage”...

0
From the complexities of manufacturing and sourcing components to testing processes that drive innovation, know all the exciting dynamics shaping this ever-evolving industry in...
Sunit Kapur, CEO of Epsilon

“Epsilon Leads With Low-Carbon Graphite Manufacturing, Outpaces Chinese Competitors” – Sunit Kapur, CEO of...

0
Are LFP cathodes and silicon-graphite anodes the best for cost efficiency in EV batteries? Sunit Kapur, CEO of Epsilon Advanced Materials, discusses this with...
John W. Mitchell, President and CEO, IPC

“India’s Core Focus On 5G, IoT, AI Fosters Need For Advanced Electronics,Components, And Semiconductors”...

0
Will Industry 4.0 supercharge India’s progress in semiconductor and electronics manufacturing? IPC President and CEO John W. Mitchell shared more strategies on the country’s...
Raman M., Co-Founder and CEO, chargeMOD

“Our Goal Is To Achieve Complete Sustainability By 2025-2026” – Raman M. Of chargeMOD

0
In a conversation with Nitisha Dubey from EFY, Raman M. of chargeMOD, elaborated his goal of developing virtual power plants by decentralising power production. Q....

“Adoption Of IoT-Enabled SMT Machines Is Still In Early Phases” – Pradeep Tandon, Director...

0
While electronics are becoming smarter through the Internet of Things, is electronics manufacturing following suit? Pradeep Tandon, Director for India, Middle East, and SAARC...
Applied Materials Representational Image

Applied Materials Selects Six Startups For Deep-Tech Accelerator Programme

0
The selected deep-tech startups will be evaluated for investment by Applied Ventures and potential collaboration opportunities with Applied Materials. In collaboration with the company's India...

Space tech Startup Akash Secures $68M CHIPS Funding

0
Eyeing to power into AI, EVs, and more high-tech industries, Akash Systems lands $68 million CHIPS grant to boost its cooling tech facility, generating...

Wireless Light-Based Communication With Velmenni’s Technology

0
Velmenni is at the forefront of wireless communication innovation with its pioneering light-based technologies, Li-Fi and LC Link. Founded by Deepak Solanki in October 2014...

Harnessing AI Technology For Efficient Pest Management

0
AI-Genix, an agri-tech startup, is transforming pest management for farmers through advanced AI-enabled systems that precisely target harmful pests. In an industry where pesticides and...

One Charger To Charge All Your Devices

0
Now, there is no need to carry different chargers for different products. This Bhubaneswar startup has launched a universal 65W charger using GaN technology...

Industry's Buzz

Learn From Leaders

Startups