Soitec formally broke ground on the construction of its wafer fab extension at Singapore’s Pasir Ris Wafer Fab Park. Furthermore, the company held the ceremony in the presence of

Low Yen Ling, Singapore’s Minister of State for Trade and Industry, and Her Excellency, Minh-di Tang, Ambassador of France to Singapore.

The fab extension will be dedicated to the production of 300mm SOI wafers used to produce chips for smartphones, particularly in 5G communications. In addition, 300mm SOI wafers are critical as well in vehicles and smart devices.

Upon its completion in 2024, the extension will add 45,000 square meters of clean room and office space and enable Soitec to double its annual production capacity in Singapore to around two million 300mm SOI wafers.

Ramps up Production

The extension has been designed to support Soitec’s commitments to an energy-efficient use of resources and make the new facility a sustainable, state-of-the-art working environment. Soitec aims to double its workforce in Pasir Ris to more than 600 by 2026. Moreover, Soitec is also expanding its technology presence in Singapore with the operational start of its characterization Lab within Soitec’s Singapore Technology Center.

Soitec’s addressable market for engineered wafers will expand to more than twofold by 2026, from around 3.5 million to over 7 million wafers. Particularly, fueled by increasing 5G adoption, vehicle electrification and automation as well as burgeoning demand for connected, intelligent devices.

The extension of Pasir Ris in Singapore complements Soitec’s investments in France and is part of its strategy to meet the increasing demand by ramping up its global annual production capacity to around 4.5 million wafers by fiscal year 2026. In addition, it includes a wide range of specialized energy-efficient wafers, using different materials (silicon-on-insulator, gallium nitride, piezoelectric-on-insulator and silicon carbide) and to serve different markets.

Most importantly, Soitec’s investments in Singapore and France are part of a five-year €1.1 billion capital expenditure program announced in June 2021.

“This ground-breaking in Singapore is another important milestone in our global development,” said Pierre Barnabé, CEO of Soitec. “As we celebrate our 30th anniversary this year, the expansion of our production sites both in France and Singapore will bolster our global presence, attract talents, drive value, and expand our contribution to energy savings through greater energy efficiency in electronics.”

In addition, Barnabé said the fab extension in Singapore perfectly complements Soitec’s investments at its main hub in France, with the new Bernin 4 plant well underway.