Soitec kickstarts expansion of its Singapore wafer fab

Soitec has officially started the expansion of its wafer fab extension at Singapore’s Pasir Ris Wafer Fab Park. The fab extension will be dedicated to the production of 300mm SOI wafers, which are used to produce chips for smartphones, particularly in 5G communications, as well as vehicles and smart devices. 

Once the extension is completed, currently scheduled for 2024, the expansion will have added 45,000 square meters of clean room and office space to the company's operations in Singapore. This will enable Soitec to double its annual production capacity at the location to around two million 300mm SOI wafers.

At the same time, Soitec says that it aims to double its workforce in Pasir Ris to more than 600 by 2026. In parallel to this extension, the company is also expanding its technology presence in Singapore with the operational start of its characterisation Lab within its Singapore Technology Center.

“This ground-breaking in Singapore is another important milestone in our global development,” says Pierre Barnabé, CEO of Soitec, in the press release. “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. Our fab extension in Singapore perfectly complements our investments at our main hub in France, with the new Bernin 4 plant well underway.”

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