On December 1, 2022, STMicroelectronics and Soitec, a French semiconductor material manufacturer, announced that they would cooperate in the next phase of silicon carbide substrate.
STMicroelectronics plans to identify Soitec's silicon carbide substrate technology in the next 18 months.
The goal of this cooperation is to use Soitec's SmartSiCTM technology in its future 200mm substrate manufacturing, support its equipment and module manufacturing business, and achieve mass production in the medium term.
Marco Monti, president of STMicroelectronics Automotive and Discrete Group, said: "As our automotive and industrial customers accelerate the electrification transformation of systems and products, our transition to 200mm silicon carbide wafers will bring them huge advantages. In addition, the number of products has increased. Therefore, it is significant to promote economies of scale."
Bernard Aspar, chief operating officer of Soitec, said: "The emergence of electric vehicles has subverted the automotive industry. Our cutting-edge SmartSiCTM technology will enable the company's unique SmartCutTM process to be applied to silicon carbide semiconductors, which will help accelerate the adoption of these technologies.
The combination of the company's SmartSiCTM substrate and the leading silicon carbide technology and expertise in the STMicroelectronics industry will change the rules of the game in automobile chip manufacturing, and will develop new standards.