SDK Expands Capacity for Producing High-Grade SiC Epitaxial Wafers

TOKYO, Jun 9, 2016 - (JCN Newswire) - Showa Denko ("SDK"; TSE:4004) has expanded its capacity for producing high-quality-grade silicon carbide (SiC) epitaxial wafers for power devices, which have already been marketed under the trade name of "High-Grade Epi" (HGE), and started mass production of HGE wafers. The expanded HGE production facility has a capacity to produce 3,000 wafers per month*1.

HGE is a grade of SiC epitaxial wafer with very low crystal defect density, developed and commercialized by SDK in October 2015.*2 Since the launch of HGE, SDK has been working on sample shipment of it to device manufacturers at home and abroad, successfully getting good reputation among them. HGE contributes to an improvement in reliability of SiC-MOSFET*3 by controlling the number of basal plane dislocation*4, which is the typical crystal defect, within 0.1/cm2. Moreover, the establishment of technology to lower the number of defects enabled us to mass-produce thick-film epitaxial wafers*5 and p-type epitaxial wafers*6, both for potential use in bipolar power devices. These special epitaxial wafers were said to be difficult to produce with conventional technologies. We expect that thick-film HGE we market will significantly contribute to the development of SiC-IGBT*7, which can be used as ultra-high-voltage devices for power generation/transmission systems.

The size of the market for SiC epitaxial wafers for power devices is expected to reach 100 billion yen in 2025 as the early use of SiC power devices in vehicles is under consideration. SDK will continue meeting the need of the market for high-quality SiC epitaxial wafers, aiming to contribute to the improvement in energy efficiency of power devices.

Notes:*1 This number is based on a conversion into SiC epitaxial wafers for power devices having withstanding voltage of 1,200 V.*2 For detail, please see SDK's news release announced on October 2, 2015. "SDK to Offer SiC Epitaxial Wafers with Very Low Defect Density"*3 MOSFET: metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistorMOSFET is good to be used in logic circuits that require high-speed switching, because its rate of power loss is small.*4 Basal plane dislocation: Dislocation that occurs on a basal plane of a single crystal SiC.*5 These thick-film epitaxial wafers have thickness of about 100um or more. (1um=1/1,000mm)*6 P-type: A type of electrical conduction in semiconductorsIn p-type semiconductors, positively charged holes are the majority carriers of electric energy. In n-type semiconductors, negatively charged electrons are the majority carriers of electric energy.*7 IGBT: insulated gate bipolar transistorSiC-IGBT has both high-speed-switching capabilities equal to MOSFET and controls on high voltage and high current equal to bipolar transistor.

Press release: http://www.sdk.co.jp/english/news/15030/15917.html

About Showa Denko K.K.

Showa Denko K.K. ("SDK"; TSE:4004,US:SHWDF) is a major manufacturer and marketer of chemical products serving a wide range of fields ranging from heavy industry to the electronic and computer industries. The Petrochemicals Sector provides cracker products such as ethylene and propylene, the Chemicals Sector provides industrial and high-performance gasses and chemicals and high-purity gases and chemicals for the semiconductor industry, and the Inorganics Sector provides ceramics products such as alumina, abrasive, refractory and graphite electrodes and fine carbon products. Today, the Aluminum Sector provides aluminum materials and high-value-added fabricated aluminum, the Electronics Sector provides HD media, compound semiconductors such as ultra high-bright LEDs and rare earth magnetic alloys, and the Advanced Battery Materials Department (ABM) provides lithium-ion battery components. For more information, please visit www.sdk.co.jp/english/.

Contact:Public Relations Office
Phone: 81-3-5470-3235