ST and Sanan advance SiC ecosystem in China
Companies to create a joint venture for high-volume 200mm SiC device manufacturing
European semiconductor giant STMicroelectronics and Sanan Optoelectronics, a Chinese compound semiconductor company, have signed an agreement to create a new 200mm SiC device manufacturing joint venture in Chongqing, China.
The new SiC fab is targeting to start production in Q4 2025 and full buildout is anticipated in 2028, supporting the rising demand in China for car electrification as well as for industrial power and energy applications. In parallel, Sanan Optoelectronics will build and operate separately a new 200mm SiC substrate manufacturing facility to fulfil the joint venture's needs, using its own SiC substrate process.
The joint venture will make SiC devices exclusively for STMicroelectronics, using ST proprietary SiC manufacturing process technology, and serve as a dedicated foundry to ST to support the demand of its Chinese customers.
The total amount for the full buildout of the joint venture is expected to be about $3.2 billion, including capital expenditures of about $2.4 billion over the next 5 years, which will be financed by contributions from STMicroelectronics and Sanan Optoelectronics, local government support, and loans to the joint venture.
“China is moving fast towards electrification in Automotive and Industrial and this is a market where ST is already well-established with many engaged customer programs. Creating a dedicated foundry with a key local partner is the most efficient way to serve the rising demand of our Chinese customers. The combination of Sanan Optoelectronics’ future 200mm substrate manufacturing facility with the front-end joint venture and ST’s existing back-end facility in Shenzhen, China will enable ST to offer our Chinese customers a fully vertically integrated SiC value chain,” said Jean-Marc Chery, president and CEO of STMicroelectronics.
“It is an important step to further scale up our global SiC manufacturing operations, coming in addition to our continuing significant investments in Italy and Singapore. This joint venture is expected to be one of the enablers of the opportunity we see to reach $5B+ SiC revenues by 2030. This initiative is consistent with ST 2025-27 $20B+ revenue ambition and the associated financial model, previously communicated to the financial markets.”
“The establishment of this joint venture will be a major driving force for the wide adoption of SiC devices on the Chinese market,” said Simon Lin, CEO of Sanan Optoelectronics. “Being an international, well-known, high quality SiC foundry service company, Sanan will also supply its SiC substrate to this new joint venture, by building a dedicated new SiC substrate factory. This is an important step for Sanan Optoelectronics’ ambitions as a SiC foundry. With this new Joint Venture and the new SiC substrate capacity expansion, we are confident that we will continue to take the lead in the SiC foundry market.”
The completion of the project is subject to regulatory approvals.
