Infineon Technologies and GT Advanced Technologies to expand silicon carbide supply

Infineon Technologies AG (FSE: IFX / OTCQX: IFNNY) and GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) have signed a five-year supply agreement for silicon carbide (SiC) ingots. With this supply contract, Infineon will further ensure that it meets its growing demand in this field. Silicon carbide is the basic material for power semiconductors and can be used to build efficient, durable and cost-effective systems. Infineon already has the industry's largest CoolSiC™ product portfolio for industrial applications and is rapidly expanding its product portfolio for consumer and automotive applications.

"We see a steady increase in demand for SiC, especially in industrial applications. However, it is clear that the automotive industry is quickly catching up. With the supply agreements we have now signed, we guarantee that we can meet the rapidly growing needs of our customers with a diverse supplier base," said Peter Wawer, President of Infineon's Industrial Power Control Division. "GTAT's high-quality SiC ingots will provide an additional source for competitive SiC wafers that meet best-in-class standards now and in the future. This strongly supports our ambitious SiC growth plans, leveraging our existing in-house technologies and core competencies in thin wafer manufacturing."

"We are very pleased to have signed a long-term supply agreement with Infineon Technologies to apply its proprietary thin wafer technology to GTAT's ingots, providing a secure supply of high-quality SiC wafers," said Greg Knight, President and CEO of GT Advanced Technologies. "The growth in SiC usage is largely dependent on significant reductions in substrate costs, and this agreement is an important step toward achieving that goal."

Silicon carbide is currently used mainly in photovoltaic inverters, industrial power supplies and charging piles. This is where silicon carbide shows system-level advantages compared to traditional silicon-based solutions. Other industrial applications such as uninterruptible power supplies and inverters are also increasingly using this new semiconductor technology. In addition, electric vehicles show great application potential, including main drives and on-board charging devices.