onsemi completes expansion of SiC production facility in South Korea

At full capacity, this fab will be able to manufacture more than one million 200mm SiC wafers per year. To support the ramp in SiC manufacturing capacity, onsemi plans to hire up to 1,000 local employees over the next three years to fill the mostly highly technical positions – a more than 40% increase over the present workforce of about 2,300.

Why it matters: Silicon carbide devices are a critical component for power conversion in electric vehicles (EVs), energy infrastructure, and high-power EV chargers. The rapidly growing demand for these products has created a surge in demand for SiC chips, with demand outpacing supply for the foreseeable future. The expansion of the Bucheon fab addresses the pressing need for additional production capacity, allowing onsemi to continue to provide supply assurance for its customers and strengthen its leadership in intelligent power solutions.

Construction of the new advanced 150mm/200mm SiC fab line along with the high-tech utility building and adjacent parking garage began in the middle of 2022 and was completed in September 2023. The expansion of the 150mm/200mm SiC Epi and wafer fab emphasises onsemi’s focus on building out its vertically integrated silicon carbide manufacturing supply chain at brownfield locations. The Bucheon SiC line is starting with the production of 150mm wafers and will be converted to 200mm in 2025 upon qualification of the 200mm SiC process.

onsemi’s leadership was joined by a delegation of dignitaries led by Vice Governor for Economy of the Gyeonggi-Do Taeyoung Yeom; followed by Bucheon City Mayor YongEek Cho; National Assembly delegates; and Bucheon Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman JongHuem Kim. Also in attendance were representatives from local communities, customers, suppliers, and the semiconductor industry.

Supporting quotes: onsemi CEO Hassane El-Khoury opened the event, noting: “The 150mm/200mm SiC wafer fab in Bucheon is critical to the continued success of our fully integrated SiC supply chain, enabling us to support the acceleration of electrification globally. The last five years have shown what extraordinary performance our Bucheon team is capable of, and what we can achieve when we work together with governmental agencies toward the common goal of a more sustainable future.”

“I am truly impressed by onsemi’s diligent and yet fast execution of its strategic plan to expand the Bucheon SiC wafer fab,” said Bucheon City Mayor YongEek Cho. “Not only will the city of Bucheon benefit from the creation of new employment opportunities in technology, but it will also be a part of laying the foundation for a sustainable ecosystem through electrification.”