SK Siltron to invest $300 million in Michigan expansion

With the investment the company is looking to provide manufacturing and R&D capabilities of advanced materials for electric vehicles. The expansion will more than double the company's Michigan employee base and add a new site in Bay City, to join its existing site in nearby Auburn, Mich. SK Siltron CSS manufactures a specialty wafer made of silicon carbide (SiC) that can be used in the semiconductor power components of electric vehicles. As SiC wafers are more efficient at handling high powers and conducting heat than normal silicon, up to 5-10% increased driving range of an EV can be achieved – as the usage of SiC will allow for a more efficient transfer of electricity from the battery to the motor. "The rise in popularity of electric vehicles has the auto industry searching for new innovative technologies to meet customer demand," says Jianwei Dong, Chief Executive Officer at SK Siltron CSS in a press release. "Our Michigan expansion will allow us to manufacture advanced materials that can enhance the performance of an EV and support the growth of a more sustainable automotive future." The SK Siltron CSS expansion, pending state and local approvals, is part of a new domestic supply chain forming to provide the components required to support these new electric vehicles. Of the new employees, 70 percent will be skilled workers while 30 percent will be professional engineers.