X-Fab Silicon Foundries SE, an analog/mixed-signal and specialty foundry group, has announced plans to double their six-inch silicon carbide (SiC) process capacity at its fab in Lubbock, Texas, in response to increased customer demand for high-efficiency power semiconductor devices.
In preparation for doubling capacity, X-Fab Texas has purchased a second heated-ion implanter for use in manufacturing six-inch SiC wafers. Delivery of this heated ion implanter is expected by the end of 2018, and production release is planned during the first quarter of 2019, in time to meet projected near-term demand.
X-Fab was the first wafer foundry to offer SiC manufacturing on six-inch wafers. This doubling of X-Fab's SiC 
Source: X-Fab Silicon Foundries SEprocess capacity furthers its strategy to remain the premier six inch SiC wafer foundry, and demonstrates the company’s commitment to SiC technology and the SiC foundry business model.
Advantages of X-Fab's six-inch SiC process capabilities for power semiconductors include superior high-voltage operation, significantly lower transistor on-resistance, significantly lower transmission and switching losses, extended high-temperature operation (as high as 400° F), high thermal conductivity, high-frequency operation and low parasitic capacitance. X-Fab's SiC process capabilities allow customers to realize high-efficiency power semiconductor devices, including high-power MOSFETs, JFETs and Schottky diodes.
Systems with SiC power devices benefit from reduced system size and weight, and because they dissipate less heat are significantly more efficient compared to similar power semiconductor technologies. These features are important for switching power supplies and power converters found in electric vehicles (EVs), wind turbines and solar converters. High-temperature operation improves reliability, especially in hot industrial applications such as aircraft, EV racecars and train locomotives. Reduced system size and weight is important in portable medical equipment and hybrid EVs (PHEVs).
X-Fab's six-inch SiC process capabilities are available at its Lubbock manufacturing site, which is certified for automotive manufacturing according to the new IATF-16949:2016 International Automotive Quality Management System (QMS).
For more information on X-Fab's SiC process capabilities, contact your X-Fab representative or meet up with X-Fab’s silicon carbide experts at booth C8 at the European Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials (ECSCRM 2018) in Birmingham, U.K.
