260 billion yen! Coherent and Mitsubishi Motors heavy-duty work together with sword finger SiC substrate

Coherent, an American supplier of laser technology and processing systems, and Mitsubishi Electric, a leading Japanese manufacturer, announced on May 26 that they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on the project, They will jointly expand the scale production of SiC power electronics products on the 200mm technology platform.

In the future, Mitsubishi Electric will mass-produce Coherent 200mm silicon carbide chips in the Japanese market.

Today, the global electric vehicle market is expanding and is one of several emerging applications driving exponential growth in SiC power devices. SiC power devices have lower energy consumption, higher operating temperatures, and higher switching speeds than silicon-based power devices. With its high efficiency, SiC power devices are expected to become one of the key drivers of global decarbonization and environmental transformation.

Specific investment content

To meet the rapidly growing demand, Mitsubishi Electric announced an investment of about 260 billion yen over the five-year period ending March 2026, of which about 100 billion yen will be used to build a new plant for SiC power devices based on the 200mm technology platform and enhance the construction of related production facilities. Under the MOU, Coherent will develop 200mm N-type 4H SiC substrates for future SiC power devices manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric at the new facility.

"We are pleased to enter into this partnership with Mitsubishi Electric, a pioneer in SiC power devices and a global market leader in SiC power modules for high-speed trains," "We have a long history of supplying SiC substrates to Mitsubishi Electric and look forward to expanding our partnership with them to extend their new 200mm SiC platform," said Sohail Khan, Coherent's executive vice President of New Ventures and Bandgap Electronics Technologies.

"Coherent has been a reliable supplier of high quality 150mm SiC wafer substrates to Mitsubishi Electric for many years," "We are pleased to enter into a close partnership with Coherent to expand their respective SiC manufacturing platforms to 200 mm," said Masayoshi Takemi, president and Executive Officer of Mitsubishi Electric's Semiconductor and Devices Group.

Respective advantages of both sides

Coherent has decades of experience in the development of SiC materials. The company (II-VI before the merger) demonstrated the world's first 200mm conductive substrate in 2015 and licensed SiC technology from General Electric (GE). Coherent began supplying 200mm SiC substrate in 2019 based on the "REACTION" project, the Horizon 20204 initiative funded by the European Commission. The goal of the "REACTION" program is to build the world's first SIC-based 200mm power electronics pilot production facility in Europe.

For many years, Mitsubishi Electric has led the SiC power module market for high-speed trains, high-voltage industrial applications and home appliances. Mitsubishi Electric made history in 2010 when it introduced the world's first SiC power module for air conditioning, and in 2015 became the first supplier of all-SIC power modules for Shinkansen high-speed trains. Mitsubishi Electric has also built extensive expertise through its superior processing and screening technologies, as well as the many other aspects of developing and manufacturing SiC power modules to deliver high performance and high reliability to customers' needs.

Sic-based power electronics have demonstrated their potential to have a highly beneficial impact on the environment by significantly reducing CO2 emissions. Coherent and Mitsubishi Motors will accelerate their contribution to sustainable energy, low carbon and environmental protection through the rapidly growing demand for SiC power devices.

About Mitsubishi Electric

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503), with more than 100 years of experience in providing reliable, high-quality products, is a recognized global leader in manufacturing, marketing electrical and electronic equipment used in the fields of information processing and communications, space development and satellite communications, consumer electronics, industrial technology, energy, transportation and construction. In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, the company's revenue reached 5,003.6 billion yen (about $37.3 billion).

About Coherent

Coherent, founded in California in 1966, is a global provider of lasers and laser technology for the industrial, communications, electronics and instrument application markets, with laser equipment, components and services available across a range of industry segments. Coherent was regrouped into three business units, lasers, materials and networking, following the II-VI merger last year. Its materials (mainly silicon carbide wafers and devices) business segment generated $324 million in sales, accounting for 26.13%, according to the latest financial data for Q3 FY2023.

Source: OFweek