Global Wafer is expanding its compound semiconductor layout, and it has been reported that 6-inch silicon carbide (SiC) substrates have been supplied to major European automotive semiconductor manufacturers such as STMicroelectronics . With customer demand stronger than expected, next year The production capacity is expected to increase by 3 times.
Xu Xiulan, chairman of Global Wafer, revealed that the simultaneous expansion of GaN (gallium nitride) and SiC (silicon carbide) next year will double the production capacity, and will expand the SiC epitaxial production capacity in the United States. The newly expanded production capacity has been used by customers Order light.
At present, Global Wafer has a monthly production capacity of about 2,000 pieces of 6-inch SiC substrates, and some customers have begun to ship. It is reported that due to strong customer demand, the production capacity of 6-inch SiC substrates next year will not only "double", but will show "multiple growths.", It is expected to be expanded to 5,000 pieces, and there is also a chance to further increase to 8,000 pieces.
Xu Xiulan has previously revealed that the demand for SiC is stronger than expected, the development speed needs to be faster, and the scale must be larger. Therefore, it is continuing to accelerate the capacity expansion and sample delivery process and is optimistic about the demand for electric vehicles and the ban on sales of internal combustion engines in various countries. , Capacity expansion is fast, and the annual compound growth rate (CAGR) of annual output value will be very large.
At present, the world's leading supplier of SiC substrates is Wolfspeed, with a market share of 60%, followed by Rohm Semiconductor and II-VI, with a total market share of about 35%, which is equivalent to the top three manufacturers accounting for 95% of the world's SiC Substrate capacity.
With the outbreak of the electric vehicle market, there is a strong demand for third-generation semiconductor materials with high-frequency, high-power, high-voltage, and high-temperature characteristics. However, the current global annual production capacity of SiC wafers is only about 400,000 to 600,000 pieces, and the mainstream size is 6 inches. , The number of chips that can be manufactured per wafer is not large, and it is still far from meeting the needs of the terminal.
Regarding the development of the semiconductor industry, Xu Xiulan said that even if a large number of silicon wafer production capacity is opened in 2024, the demand will still exceed the supply, and the market supply and demand will still be very balanced and healthy. In addition, the current order visibility of global wafers will not be problematic until 2024, which is equal to Visibility being extended by one year.
Xu Xiulan pointed out that the overall semiconductor demand next year can be assured, and the growth rate next year is expected to be greater than this year, including third-generation compound semiconductors. At present, the visibility of global wafer orders at this stage will be no problem until 2024. As for compound semiconductors, Although the growth momentum in the future is faster than that of the first and second-generation semiconductors, it is still difficult to reach 10% of the overall semiconductor ratio because it is the initial stage of the new field and hopes to produce within 5 years.
It is reported that in 2018, the long-term contract of Global Wafer will fall in about 2-3 years, and the long-term contract of Global Wafer this year has been as long as 5-8 years, showing that the proportion of customers actively requesting to sign long-term contracts has continued to increase. .
Xu Xiulan emphasized that a small number of industry expansions will be launched in the second half of 2023, and the largest amount will be concentrated in early 2024. The demand for silicon wafers in semiconductor factories that have been announced currently under construction is greater than that of silicon wafers that are already under construction. Round production capacity, so even if the silicon wafer production capacity is fully opened in 2024, the market supply and demand will still be balanced and healthy.
Speaking of next year's prices, Xu Xiulan said that ASP will indeed improve, but cost pressures such as freight are also very high. Through price increases, costs and new capacity depreciation expenses can be compensated.
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