Wolfspeed, Inc. has recently held a ceremonial top out construction for its US$5 billion John Palmour Manufacturing Center (JP) for Silicon Carbide facility. Particularly, the JP will produce 200mm silicon carbide wafers, significantly expanding Wolfspeed’s materials capacity.

Most importantly, the new facility will meet the demand for next-generation semiconductors critical to the energy transition and AI.

Wolfspeed has hosted U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and other local officials, community partners, and employees at a ceremony that celebrated the topping out.

Wolfspeed President and CEO, Gregg Lowe said, “This facility is a testament to Wolfspeed’s commitment to our local community and domestic workforce. Furthering our position as the global leader in silicon carbide production. The JP will help maintain America’s lead in energy innovation and unlock significant benefits for our local community.”

Particularly, Low noted the facility will grow the state’s economy by more than US$17.5 billion over the next two decades and creating 1,800 good-paying jobs by 2030.

Meanwhile, Senator Tillis said, “Wolfspeed’s $5 billion investment in Chatham County is another example of why North Carolina is the best state in the country to do business.”

State-of-the-Art Facility

The JP represents a total investment of $5 billion, complemented by public and private support. Moreover, it will help accelerate the transition from silicon to silicon carbide and ramp up supply of this material. Recently,  the U.S. Department of Energy deemed the material as critical to the energy transition. By the end of 2024, the company expects completion of phase one of the construction, which lies on a 445-acre site.

The ramp of the JP will support recently signed customer agreements with Renesas, Infineon, and additional companies. Furthermore, the JP will primarily produce 200mm silicon carbide wafers, which are 1.7x larger than 150mm wafers. Thus, translating to more efficient wafers and ultimately, lower costs.

The JP underpins Wolfspeed’s vision of accelerating the adoption of silicon carbide semiconductors across a wide array of end-markets and unlocking a new era of energy efficiency.

Wolfspeed currently produces more than 60% of the world’s silicon carbide materials at its Durham, N.C. headquarters. Currently, the company has a $6.5 billion capacity expansion in the pipeline in an effort to dramatically increase production.

–2 April 2024-