As it prepares to double capacity, the company has purchased a second heated ion implanter for use in manufacturing 6-inch SiC wafers. Delivery is expected by the end of 2018, and production release is planned during the first quarter of 2019 in time to meet projected near-term demand.
This doubling of X-FAB's SiC process capacity furthers its strategy to remain the premier 6-inch SiC wafer foundry and, according to the company, demonstrates its commitment to both the SiC technology and the SiC foundry business model.
Advantages of the 6-inch SiC process capabilities for power semiconductors include superior high voltage operation, significantly lower transistor On-resistance, significantly lower transmission and switching losses, extended high temperature operation as high as 400°F/204°C, higher thermal conductivity, very high frequency operation, and lower parasitic capacitance..
Systems with SiC power devices benefit from reduced system size and weight, and because they dissipate less heat are significantly more efficient compared to similar power semiconductor technologies. These features are important for switching power supplies and power converters found in electric vehicles (EVs), wind turbines, and solar converters. High temperature operation improves reliability, especially in hot industrial applications such as aircraft, EV race cars, and train locomotives. Reduced system size and weight is important in portable medical equipment and Hybrid EVs (PHEVs).
According to Lloyd Whetzel, CEO of X-FAB Texas, “With the rising popularity of SiC we understood, early on, that increasing our ion implant capability would be critical to our continued manufacturing success in the SiC marketplace. This is just the first step in our overall capital plan for SiC-specific manufacturing process improvements.”
