GlobalWafers' Business in the United States is Growing.
Recently, the major silicon wafer manufacturer GlobalWafers announced that its subsidiaries, GlobalWafers America (GWA) and MEMC LLC, have signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) with the U.S. Department of Commerce. Based on the CHIPS and Science Act, the company will receive a direct subsidy of up to $400 million.
GlobalWafers pointed out that the subsidy will be used for the construction of advanced silicon wafer factories in Sherman, Texas, and St. Peters, Missouri, and will produce the world's most advanced 12-inch silicon wafers in the United States.
GlobalWafers is committed to developing a variety of next-generation wafer technologies in the United States to support its economy and resilience. This includes establishing a research and development center in Sherman and building the only 12-inch advanced SOI wafer production base in the United States in St. Peters. Upon completion, it is expected to bring 500 construction-related job opportunities and 130 high-paying manufacturing jobs.
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GlobalWafers expects that after the full completion of the production base in Sherman, Texas, it will become the first advanced silicon wafer factory in the United States with a consistent process in more than 20 years. GWA General Manager Mark England said he is honored to bring the world's most advanced 12-inch silicon wafer technology to the United States to fill the "critical gap" in the U.S. semiconductor supply chain. In the future, GlobalWafers will fully commit to the U.S. market and is very pleased to play a decisive role in the recovery of the U.S. semiconductor industry.
Xu Xiulan: The $400 million subsidy from the U.S. government relies on two key factors.GlobalWafers Chairman Hsu Hsiu-lan said that the United States has the world's top IC design, IDM, brand, and system companies, but lacks a silicon wafer factory. The last 12-inch silicon wafer factory was built 21 years ago. Therefore, GlobalWafers has received support from the U.S. government this time, mainly due to its uniqueness and indispensability.
Hsu Hsiu-lan said that there were many outstanding companies applying for U.S. subsidies this time, but not every company that applied would receive subsidies. GlobalWafers was able to receive affirmation and support from the U.S. government this time, mainly because the White House had previously mentioned that the United States has a good industrial chain, but it lacks the silicon wafer link. GlobalWafers announced the construction of a factory in the United States this time, which will be the first 12-inch advanced process wafer factory in the United States in 21 years.
In addition, GlobalWafers also announced the expansion of the 12-inch SOI silicon wafer production capacity in Missouri, which is also the only 12-inch SOI factory in the United States. Hsu Hsiu-lan added that GlobalWafers acquired MEMC in 2016, which was headquartered in Missouri at the time, and had an 8-inch SOI silicon wafer production line and technical team. The factory site is also quite spacious, so when discussing expansion, it was decided to build another 12-inch SOI production line next to it.
Hsu Hsiu-lan said that although not every component needs SOI silicon wafers, many key application components, such as silicon photonics, FDSOI, etc., need to use SOI silicon wafers. Also, because GlobalWafers is produced in the United States, it allows the overall supply chain to be well-constructed.
The U.S. government focuses on industrial resilience. If GlobalWafers did not build a factory in the United States, U.S. silicon wafers would still have to rely on overseas imports. Therefore, GlobalWafers' factory construction plan in the United States helps to complete the U.S. semiconductor supply chain, with uniqueness and indispensability, which is the key to obtaining subsidies this time.
It is not ruled out that SiC crystal growth will be extended to Texas.
GlobalWafers has entered the U.S. third-generation semiconductor supply chain, providing customers with 6-inch and 8-inch products, and has passed the certification of first-line manufacturers. At present, the main Epi manufacturing plant area in Texas, USA, is also because Texas has the advantages of electricity and land costs, and it is not ruled out that the Wafer crystal growth process will be extended to Texas in the future.
Hsu Hsiu-lan said that GlobalWafers has laid out both silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride. Among them, silicon carbide is currently made in Taiwan, China, and Texas, USA, produces Epi, including 6-inch and 8-inch, which has been produced for two years and has been certified by first-line manufacturers in the United States and Europe. Therefore, if customers purchase the company's silicon carbide Epi, the company will ship from the United States, and it is expected that the epitaxial wafer capacity will be increased.
Regarding silicon carbide wafers, Hsu Hsiu-lan added that the current manufacturing capacity is still in Taiwan, China. After the space in Taiwan, China is fully loaded, it is not ruled out to expand production to Texas, and it is optimistic that Texas has two major advantages of electricity and land costs. First, the temperature of silicon carbide crystal growth needs to exceed 2000 degrees Celsius, and the quality and cost of electricity are important considerations.Secondly, the growth of silicon carbide crystals takes a very long time. In mainland China, peers often have 1000, or even 1500 crystal growth furnaces, which is an industry that requires space. From these two perspectives, Texas indeed has lower electricity costs and cheaper land space. Therefore, if the silicon carbide market matures and the company's control is higher, it is not ruled out to directly grow crystals in Texas.
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