Recently, two new projects have been added to the upstream single-crystal silicon carbide (SiC) substrate material growth sector, landing in Taiwan, China, and Saarland, Germany, respectively focusing on SiC substrate crystal growth and a new process for high-purity powder preparation.
01. Taiwan's Cinext: 8-inch SiC Substrate Project with an Investment of Approximately CNY 100 Million
On October 1, the 35th Science Park Review Meeting of the National Science and Technology Council in Taiwan, China, approved the proposal for Cinext Technologies to enter the Hsinchu Science Park. The investment amount is approximately TWD 520.525 million (approximately CNY 108 million), and the main products are silicon carbide ingots and substrate materials.
The announcement mentioned that Cinext Technologies focuses on SiC single-crystal growth, adopting the Physical Vapor Transport (PVT) method. It will develop large-size, low-defect 4H-SiC materials, initially focusing on 8-inch as the main axis, while simultaneously advancing 12-inch technology verification.
The company's SiC product planning covers four major material types: conductive, thermal management, high-resistance, and optical, which can be applied in fields such as power devices, AI data center cooling, high-frequency communications, and optical components.
According to "ASiC", Cinext Technologies was established on June 23, 2026, and the person in charge is Wu Yizhang. Wu Yizhang previously worked at the Taiwan SiC substrate enterprise Geqi Compound Semiconductor, rising from Business Department Manager to Business Department Director.
During his time at Geqi Semiconductor, Wu Yizhang was deeply involved in the company's technological advancement from 6-inch and 8-inch to 12-inch silicon carbide. Wu Yizhang also led Geqi's strategic layout for application markets such as AI chip cooling carrier boards and advanced packaging, pointing out the emerging application potential of silicon carbide in AR smart glasses lenses and high-end 3D IC packaging cooling. In 2025, Wu Yizhang was selected for the SEMI "20 Under 40" Semiconductor Rising Stars Award, recognizing his technical deep dive and market implementation performance in promoting the third-generation semiconductor materials industry.
02. Europe's Y-SiC: New Path for High-Purity SiC Powder Project
The European silicon carbide powder field has ushered in a strategic breakthrough.
On September 28, the Saarland steel group Stahl-Holding-Saar (SHS) in Germany officially showcased the latest construction progress of the "Power4Steel Decarbonization Project" at its Dillingen plant, and simultaneously released the "Y-SiC High-Purity Silicon Carbide Project" in cooperation with the German government.
On the same day, German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Saarland Minister-President Anke Rehlinger attended the event in person, highlighting the strategic significance of the Y-SiC high-purity silicon carbide project for Germany's industrial transformation.
According to the introduction, Power4Steel is the largest industrial decarbonization project in Europe, with a total investment of EUR 4.6 billion by SHS. The project has received a total of EUR 2.6 billion in financial support from the German federal government and the Saarland state government.
The Y-SiC high-purity silicon carbide project is the strategic direction for SHS to cross over from the steel field to the semiconductor materials field. The project is constructed by Yellow SiC, with SHS participating in the investment as an industrial partner for the Y-SiC project and funding the construction of commercial silicon carbide production facilities, located in the Dillingen plant area.
Yellow SiC was established in 2021 and completed a seed round of financing in January 2023. The company has The Yellow-SiC Development GmbH under it, focusing on the development of 3C-SiC substrate photocatalytic hydrogen production technology.
According to "ASiC", Yellow SiC has developed a brand-new industrial production process for high-purity silicon carbide (3C-SiC) with an impurity content of less than 1 ppm, enabling continuous industrial-scale production of SiC powder with a more energy-saving and environmentally friendly production process. The typical particle size of its powder products is about 10 μm (agglomerates can reach about 150 μm). This fine particle characteristic makes it show excellent applicability when growing 4H-SiC crystals by the PVT method.
This article is published by [ASiC], focusing on industry observation of third-generation semiconductors (silicon carbide and gallium nitride).