Infineon Technologies opens world's largest silicon carbide wafer fab in Malaysia
2024-08-09
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On the morning of August 8, German chip giant Infineon Technologies opened the first phase of the world's largest 200mm silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductor wafer plant (Factory 3) in Kulim, Malaysia. It will produce wide bandgap semiconductors represented by silicon carbide and gallium nitride, and is expected to start mass production in 2025. This is also the world's largest 200mm silicon carbide wafer plant so far.
Infineon is the world's largest power semiconductor company, and the completion of the new wafer fab will consolidate its leadership.
According to Infineon, the first phase of the wafer plant project has an investment of 2 billion euros and will focus on the production of silicon carbide power semiconductors and gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductor products. Semiconductors using silicon carbide materials can switch electricity more efficiently and achieve smaller designs. They are currently widely used in electric vehicles, fast charging stations, renewable energy systems, AI data centers and other fields.
Infineon also said that the investment in the second phase will be as high as 5 billion euros. "We are investing in Malaysia's largest and most efficient high-tech silicon carbide production facility. The new generation of power semiconductors based on innovative technologies such as silicon carbide is a disruptive technology," said Jochen Hanebeck, global CEO of Infineon.
Infineon has secured design orders with a total value of approximately EUR 5 billion and received advance payments of approximately EUR 1 billion for the continued expansion of Plant 3 in Kulim. Notably, these design orders include six OEMs in the automotive industry as well as customers in the renewable energy and industrial sectors.
Sheng Linghai, an analyst at research firm Gartner, told the First Financial reporter: "Silicon carbide power semiconductors are also known as third-generation semiconductors in China. They are mainly used in electric vehicles and other fields. Silicon carbide semiconductor devices, such as diodes and triodes, have better performance than the silicon materials used in traditional IGBTs (insulated gate bipolar transistors). "
The high demand for new energy vehicles has driven the scale of third-generation semiconductors in the field of high-power power electronic devices. The market prospects for electronic devices based on new technologies such as silicon carbide and gallium nitride are optimistic.
Specifically, the advantages of silicon carbide are low energy loss, which helps reduce battery usage and increase driving range; smaller package size helps improve the power density of the system; high temperature resistance and strong heat dissipation capabilities are conducive to the miniaturization and lightweighting of the system.
Infineon Technologies will increase the production capacity of silicon carbide and gallium nitride power semiconductors at the Villach Power Semiconductor Center in Austria, Europe, in 2023. The two manufacturing bases in Kulin and Villach will share technology and processes.
It is worth mentioning that in addition to Infineon, other chip manufacturers have also flocked to Malaysia to expand their factories in recent years. At the beginning of this year, AT&S, a high-end semiconductor packaging substrate supplier, officially opened its first factory in Kulim Hi-Tech Park, Kedah, Malaysia. The total investment of the factory exceeds 1 billion euros and is expected to start providing high-end semiconductor packaging substrates for chip manufacturer AMD's data center chips by the end of 2024.
Ingolf Schroeder, AT&S board member and executive vice president of the microelectronics business unit, told China Business News that Malaysia, as the center of the international electronics and semiconductor industries, is the world's sixth largest semiconductor exporter. There are currently nearly 600,000 people working in Malaysia's semiconductor industry, with a rich reserve of high-tech talents.
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang visited Malaysia at the end of last year and cooperated with Malaysia's YTL Group to build AI infrastructure, with a total investment of 20 billion Malaysian ringgit (about US$4.3 billion).
The Malaysian Investment Development Authority said the country accounts for nearly 13% of the global chip packaging, assembly and testing services market.
In May this year, Malaysia announced its national strategy in the semiconductor field. This is a huge three-phase plan to build Malaysia into a world semiconductor power in the next decade. In the first phase, Malaysia intends to invest at least 500 billion ringgit (about 106 billion US dollars), mainly in integrated circuit design, construction of advanced assembly plants, and attracting foreign investment to build chip factories or purchase semiconductor equipment. Malaysia also intends to attract high-tech giants such as Apple, Huawei, Lenovo and some capital to promote their high-tech product business in Malaysia.
(This article comes from China Business Network)
