International Electronics Business News, August 8 — Infineon Technologies AG announced on the 8th that it will significantly expand its Külin wafer plant. Building on the initial investment announced in February 2022, it aims to build the world's largest 200mm silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductor fab. This marks another decisive step toward building a new market landscape.
Reportedly, this expansion plan has received customer support, including about 5 billion euros in new design orders for automotive and industrial applications, as well as about 1 billion euros in advance payments.
Over the next five years, Infineon will invest up to 5 billion euros in the second phase of Module Three at Gülin. By the end of this century, this investment, along with the planned 200 mm SiC retrofit at the Villach and Gülin plants, is expected to bring SiC annual revenue to approximately 7 billion euros. This highly competitive manufacturing facility will help Infineon achieve its goal of capturing 30% of the global SiC market share by 2030. Infineon firmly believes that the company's silicon carbide revenue for fiscal year 2025 will exceed 1 billion euros, achieving its goal.
Jochen Hanebeck, CEO of Infineon Technology, stated: "The silicon carbide market is accelerating its growth, not only in the automotive sector but also in a wide range of industrial applications such as solar energy, energy storage, and high-power electric vehicle charging. The expansion of the Kulin plant will ensure our leadership in this market. With industry-leading scale and unique cost advantages, we are fully leveraging our competitive edges, including leading SiC trench technology, a comprehensive packaging product portfolio, and deep understanding of applications. These advantages enable us to stand out and succeed in the industry. â€
Infineon has secured approximately 5 billion euros in new design orders and around 1 billion euros in advance payments from existing and new customers, including six automakers in the automotive sector, three from China. Customers include Ford, SAIC, and Chery. Customers in the renewable energy sector include SolarEdge and China's three leading photovoltaic and energy storage system companies. Additionally, Infineon and Schneider Electric have agreed on capacity bookings, including prepaid costs for silicon and silicon carbide products. Infineon and related customers will soon issue announcements to disclose more details. These advances will make a positive contribution to Infineon's cash flow in the coming years and should be fully repaid by 2030 at the latest based on the agreed sales volume.
According to reports, sustainability is one of the key elements in planning, constructing, and operating this fab. The plant was designed to enable Infineon to use resources such as water and electricity responsibly.