US semiconductor manufacturing firm onsemi has unveiled plans to develop a silicon carbide (SiC) manufacturing facility in the Czech Republic as part of a multi-year investment of up to $2bn.
The investment builds on the company’s existing operations in the country and will produce intelligent power semiconductors that are used for improving the energy efficiency of applications in electric vehicles, renewable energy, and AI data centres.
Hassane El-Khoury, President and CEO of onsemi, said the site will also create a central European supply chain to better service demand for technologies that improve energy efficiency.
He continued, “Through a close collaboration with the Czech government, the expansion will enhance our production of intelligent power semiconductors that are essential to helping ensure the European Union is able to achieve its ambitions to significantly reduce carbon emissions and environmental impact.”
onsemi is cooperating with the government of the Czech Republic to prepare an incentive package that would support the investment.
With its current operations in the Czech Republic, onsemi proces more than three million wafers annually, including more than one billion power devices. Pending all final regulatory and incentive approvals, the investment would be one of the largest private sector investments in the Czech Republic’s history.
Jozef Síkela, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, described the news as clear confirmation of the country’s attractiveness for foreign investment.
He continued, “This investment not only strengthens our position in the semiconductor field but can also contribute to the development of the automotive industry and help us with its adaptation to the rise of electromobility.”
Silicon carbide is a critical material for high-power, high-temperature applications, and is extremely difficult to produce. onsemi is one of the only companies in the world with the ability to manufacture SiC-based semiconductors from crystal growth to advanced packaging solutions.
The manufacturing and processing of silicon carbide semiconductors involves several industrial gases, each of which play a critical role.
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