Coherent Corp. and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation have recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on a program that aims to scale the manufacturing of SiC power electronics on a 200mm technology platform. This collaboration comes as the electric vehicle market continues to expand worldwide, driving exponential growth in SiC power devices that boast lower power losses, higher operating temperatures, and faster switching speeds than silicon-based power devices.
SiC-based power electronics have demonstrated their potential to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions, contributing significantly to global decarbonization and ecological transformation. To meet the growing demand for these devices, Mitsubishi Electric has announced an investment of approximately 260 billion yen in a five-year period ending March 2026. A significant part of this investment will be used to build a new SiC power plant based on a 200mm technology platform and improve related production facilities.
Under the MOU, Coherent will develop a supply of 200mm n-type SiC 4H substrates for Mitsubishi Electric’s future SiC power devices manufactured at the new facility. Coherent has decades of experience in developing SiC materials and demonstrated the world’s first 200mm conductive substrates in 2015. Equally, it began supplying 200mm SiC substrates under REACTION – a four-year Horizon 2020 program funded by the European Commission – in 2019.
Mitsubishi Electric, on the other hand, has led markets for SiC power modules for high-speed rail, high-voltage industrial applications, and home appliances over the years. The company made history by launching the world’s first SiC power modules for air conditioners in 2010 and became the first supplier of complete SiC power modules for Shinkansen high-speed trains in Japan in 2015.
According to Masayoshi Takemi, CEO Group President Semiconductors & Devices at Mitsubishi Electric Corporation: “For many years, Coherent has been a trusted supplier of high-quality 150mm SiC wafer substrates to Mitsubishi Electric. We are delighted to enter into this close partnership with Coherent to scale our respective SiC manufacturing platforms to 200mm.”
Sohail Khan, Executive Vice President of New Companies and Electronic Technologies of Wide Bandgap in Coherent, also expressed excitement over the collaboration: “We have a long history of supplying Mitsubishi Electric with SiC substrates and look forward to expanding our relationship with them to scale their new 200mm SiC platform.”
Through this collaboration, Coherent and Mitsubishi Electric aim to accelerate their contribution to sustainable energy consumption and decarbonization of society. As the demand for SiC power devices continues to grow, these two companies will play a significant role in driving efficient and eco-friendly technological advancements.
Source: einnews
