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36 min ago 2 min read
US silicon carbide (SiC) firm Wolfspeed has secured a conditional loan commitment of up to $1.5bn from the US Department of War (DOW) to strengthen its wide bandgap semiconductor technology.
The potential 30-year loan would support Wolfspeed’s development of gallium nitride (GaN) and SiC products, which have applications across power and radio frequency technologies across defence, aerospace, AI, and critical infrastructure.
SiC and GaN wide bandgap semiconductor technologies have national security applications that could support DOW initiatives.
Industrial and specialty gases play a key role in the growth, deposition, etching, and cleaning stages of SiC and GaN manufacturing.
The semiconductors are becoming foundational in electric and next-generation mobility systems as they handle high voltages, high temperatures, and fast switching more efficiently.
Robert Feurle, CEO of Wolfspeed, said the financing would allow the firm to expand its capabilities to “benefit US national security as a whole.”
Wolfspeed plans to upgrade its GaN epitaxy capabilities for next-generation communications infrastructure and electronic warfare systems, in addition to building its radiation-hardening capabilities for its current SiC and future GaN products.
Companies across the US semiconductor supply chain have a combined $820.8bn in private investment since 2020, across more than 160 projects spanning 30 states, according to data from the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA).
These expansions have also been driving industrial gas investment. Most recently, Air Products announced it would build, own, and operate $250m of to support an unnamed semiconductor plant in Arizona.
