ROHM plans new building for more SiC production capacity

ROHM has announced plans for a new production building at the Apollo plant in Chikugo, Japan. The expanded production capacity is intended to meet the growing demand for SiC power devices. The properties of the still relatively new material SiC promise comprehensive application possibilities in power electronics. SiC-based voltage converters have significantly less losses than conventional silicon-based converters. SiC also enables significantly smaller modules, components and systems than silicon. The increasing demand for the most energy-efficient devices possible will therefore increase the demand for SiC components in the coming years, the company states in a press release. Experts expect the global SiC market to exceed the 1 billion dollar mark by 2021. The largest share is accounted for by power supply applications, such as power conditioners, battery chargers for electric vehicles and the power grid. However, main inverter of electric vehicles also represent a significant part of the market potential for SiC components. ROHM is aiming for a top market share for SiC wafers and components. To achieve this goal, production capacity must be greatly increased more. To this end, production efficiency is to be improved by further increasing the wafer size and using the latest equipment. Secondly, building the new factory or building is also required. For example, the new three-storey building at Apollo will increase the production area by approximately 11,000m². Detailed planning has just begun, construction is scheduled to begin in February 2019 and be completed by the end of 2020.