Wolfspeed tops out World’s largest SiC fab
$5 billion investment aims to help accelerate transition from silicon to SiC
Wolfspeed has celebrated the topping out of construction at the $5 billion John Palmour Manufacturing Center for SiC, hosted by Senator Thom Tillis and other local officials. Located in Chatham County, North Carolina, the JP will produce 200mm SiC wafers, significantly expanding Wolfspeed’s materials capacity, and meet the demand for next generation semiconductors critical to the energy transition and AI.
“We are excited to mark this critical milestone alongside our hard-working team, loyal customers, community partners, and ardent supporters like Senator Thom Tillis,” said Wolfspeed president and CEO, Gregg Lowe (pictured above left, with Tillis). “This facility is a testament to Wolfspeed’s commitment to our local community and domestic workforce, furthering our position as the global leader in SiC production. The JP will help maintain America’s lead in energy innovation, and unlock significant benefits for our local community by growing the state’s economy by more than $17.5 billion over the next two decades and creating 1,800 good-paying jobs by 2030.”
“Wolfspeed’s $5 billion investment in Chatham County is another example of why North Carolina is the best state in the country to do business,” said Senator Tillis. “I was proud to vote in favour of the CHIPS and Science Act, which provides critical support for domestic semiconductor manufacturing, and I applaud Wolfspeed’s commitment to developing technology here in North Carolina that supports our national security and economic interests.”
The JP represents a total investment of $5 billion, complemented by public and private support, to help accelerate the transition from silicon to SiC and ramp up supply of this material recently deemed as critical to the energy transition by the US Department of Energy. By the end of 2024, phase one of construction is expected to be completed on the 445-acre site.
The ramp of the JP will support recently signed customer agreements with Renesas, Infineon, and additional companies, while driving meaningful progress towards Wolfspeed’s long-term growth strategy. The JP will primarily produce 200mm SiC wafers, which are 1.7x larger than 150mm wafers, translating to more efficient wafers and ultimately, lower costs. The JP underpins Wolfspeed's vision of accelerating the adoption of SiC semiconductors across a wide array of end-markets and unlocking a new era of energy efficiency.
Wolfspeed currently produces more than 60 percent of the world’s SiC materials at its Durham, N.C. headquarters, and is engaged in a $6.5 billion capacity expansion effort to dramatically increase production.
