German newspaper Handelsblatt originally cited sources familiar with the matter as saying that US chipmaker Wolfspeed plans to spend more than 2 billion euros (currently about 14.7 billion yuan) on a factory in Saarland, Germany, in partnership with German auto parts supplier ZF.
The plant is reportedly expected to be operational within four years and is expected to be the world’s largest silicon carbide semiconductor plant. It is worth noting that German supplier ZF will take a minority stake in the plant.
A spokesman for the Saarland Ministry of Economic Affairs declined to comment at this time, and Wolfspeed did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside of normal working hours. ZF declined to comment.
According to publicly available information, Wolfspeed, founded in 1987 and formerly known as Cree Technologies (Cree), changed its name in October 2021 and is a major US LED manufacturer based in Durham, North Carolina. The company’s silicon carbide chips have a clear advantage in the electric and hybrid vehicle market and may gradually replace conventional chips in the coming years.
Wolfspeed is already a global leader in silicon carbide and gallium nitride technology and is now the world’s largest manufacturer of silicon carbide substrates, with a product portfolio that includes silicon carbide materials, power-switching devices and RF devices for a variety of applications such as electric vehicles, fast charging, 5G, renewable energy and storage, as well as aerospace and defense.
