On 12 January, Germany-based semiconductor manufacturer Infineon has signed a new multi-year-supply and cooperation agreement with Resonac Corporation (formerly Showa Denko K.K.), complementing and expanding a previous cooperation announced in 2021. The new set of contracts will deepen the long-term partnership on SiC material. According to the agreement, Resonac will supply Infineon with SiC materials for the production of SiC semiconductors, covering a double-digit share of the forecasted demand for the next decade.
While the initial phase focuses on 6-inch SiC material supply, Resonac will also support Infineon's transition to 8-inch wafer-diameter during the later years of the agreement. As part of the cooperation, Infineon will provide Resonac with intellectual property relating to SiC material technologies. The Infineon - Resonac partnership contributes to supply chain stability and will support the rapid growth of the emerging semiconductor material SiC.
"The demand for SiC is growing rapidly and we are preparing for this development with a significant expansion of our manufacturing capacities," said Angelique van der Burg, Chief Procurement Officer at Infineon. "We are pleased to deepen our collaboration with Resonac and strengthen the partnership between our two companies."
"The business opportunities in the area of renewable energy generation and storage, electromobility and infrastructure are enormous for the years to come. Infineon is doubling down on its investments into SiC technology and product portfolio, to proliferate the most comprehensive product offering to its customers. We are very happy that our partnership with Resonac will strongly support our market-leading position," said Peter Wawer, President of Infineon's Industrial Power Control division.
"We are pleased to team-up with Infineon as a global leader in power semiconductors in order to meet the growing demand for SiC in the years to come. We will continuously improve our Best-in-Class SiC material and develop the next generation of 8-inch
wafer technology. We value Infineon as an excellent partner in this regard," said Jiro Ishikawa, Executive Adviser of Device Solutions Business Unit at Resonac.
Infineon is currently expanding its SiC manufacturing capacity in order to reach a market share of 30 percent by the end of the decade. Infineon's SiC manufacturing capacity is about to increase tenfold by 2027. A new plant in Kulim is scheduled to start production in 2024. Today, Infineon already provides SiC semiconductors to more than 3,600 customers worldwide.
