Page 56 - EE Times Europe Magazine – November 2023

56 EE|Times EUROPE

THE INDUSTRY
Soitec’s SmartSiC to Hit the Road in 2024

By Anne-Françoise Pelé

nly four years will have passed between Soitec’s decision to develop Even if Soitec achieves its goal of a 30%
its SmartSiC technology and the launch of SmartSiC wafer production market share by 2030, SmartSiC would still be
at its new fab in Bernin, France—and Soitec is promising that in less a long way from becoming a market standard
in EVs. However, longer mileage capability
Othan a year, the first electric vehicles featuring power components and fast-charging demand are driving the
with SmartSiC technology inside will be on the road. development of 800-V battery systems, and
Sabonnadière is convinced that SmartSiC will
“To reinforce our position in the market for worldwide. Silicon carbide devices have been be the technology that enables EVs to travel
innovative semiconductor materials, we have a technology accelerator for EVs, increasing 500 km after recharging the battery for just
diversified our activities around three divi- the power density of the electronics system 10 minutes or so. “That is what will trigger
sions: mobile communications, smart devices, while reducing the overall size, weight and mass adoption of EVs that truly meet users’
and automotive and industrial,” said Pierre cost of the vehicle. needs,” he said.
Barnabé, CEO of Soitec, at the Bernin 4 fab Soitec anticipates the penetration of SiC
inauguration ceremony in September. “This in EVs to be about 70% and aims to make its FROM LAB TO FAB
new dedicated SmartSiC fab is part of this SmartSiC technology a market standard for Having emerged from a pilot line at Soitec’s
dynamic. With a surface area of 2,500 square 150- and 200-mm SiC wafers. Substrate Innovation Center within CEA-Leti
meters, it will eventually produce 500,000 “There can be no innovation without a in Grenoble, France, SmartSiC is an adapta-
SmartSiC wafers per year, leading to the cre- dynamic market,” Emmanuel Sabonnadière, tion of Soitec’s proprietary SmartCut process
ation of 400 direct jobs. SmartSiC embodies vice president of the SiC program at Soitec, to SiC. “It only took four years to go from lab
our sustainable growth strategy.” said at the press conference. “Today’s EV to fab,” said Sandrine Chabanet, director for
Bernin 4 represents a total investment of market is growing by around 30% a year, to innovation at Soitec. “In 2019, we decided on
approximately €400 million, including approximately 20 million EVs in 2025 and a SmartSiC solution. In 2020, we brought out
€80 million for the building and cleanroom 45 million EVs in 2030, which means that our first 150-mm wafers, thanks to CEA-Leti.
and more than €300 million for equipment. around half of all new registrations in 2030 In 2021, we were able to build our pilot line at
Soitec received 30% of this amount in subsi- will be EVs. An automotive revolution hap- CEA-Leti. In 2022, we qualified our 200-mm
dies, Cyril Menon, Soitec’s operations senior pens once every 100 years, and Soitec didn’t wafers. And today, we are inaugurating the
executive vice president, said during a press want to miss out.” Bernin 4 fab.”
conference before the ceremony. Soitec derived its first revenue from its SiC SmartSiC is made of a very thin layer from
“In less than 18 months, we have gone business in the fourth quarter of fiscal year a monocrystalline SiC donor wafer, trans-
from a wasteland to an equipped fab ready to 2023 and expects rapid growth in the years ferred and bonded onto a highly conductive
produce and send samples around the world,” ahead. “In fiscal year 2026, SiC will account carrier wafer made of polycrystalline SiC.
Menon said. for 10% of our US$2.1 billion revenue, and Soitec claims SmartSiC substrates enable new
by 2030, we expect our SmartSiC [products] levels of performance and energy efficiency
THE ROAD TO 800-V EVs to account for a 30% share of the SiC market, compared with traditional bulk SiC through
In line with carbon-emission–reduction which will then represent 70% of the EV mar- higher donor-wafer reusability, improved
trajectories, EV adoption has been surging ket,” Barnabé said. yields and lower die sizes.

Aerial view of Soitec’s Bernin 4 extension (Source: Soitec)

NOVEMBER 2023 | www.eetimes.eu