$406m to boost US 300mm wafer supply  

The US government has awarded GlobalWafers a grant of $406m to boost 300mm silicon and silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer production, adding silicon carbide (SiC) epitaxy to the deal.

The direct funding awards to GlobalWafers America (GWA) and MEMC come under the CHIPS Incentives Program’s Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities agreement in July. This will be used for a $4bn investment in wafer plants in Sherman, Texas, the first to produce 300mm wafers, and an MEMC plant in St Peters Missouri for 300mm silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers.

The plant in Texas is scheduled to open in March 2025. SOI wafers from the MEMC facility will be a key for the US domestic supply chain of devices used across the defence and aerospace sectors. 

As part of award terms, GlobalWafers has also agreed to convert a portion of its existing silicon epitaxy wafer manufacturing facility in Sherman, Texas, to silicon carbide epitaxy wafer manufacturing. Silicon carbide epitaxy wafers are a critical component for high-voltage applications, notably including electric vehicles and clean energy infrastructure.

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“The semiconductor wafers that will be produced here in the US because of this investment in GlobalWafers are the foundation of the advanced chips that will help us out-innovate and out-compete the rest of the world,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.

“Today’s announcement secures a nearly $4 billion investment to onshore a domestic source for silicon wafers – the foundation for all chips and an end-to-end semiconductor ecosystem here in the United States,” said National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard.

The awards will directly support the construction of wafer manufacturing facilities in Texas and Missouri and is expected to create approximately 1,700 construction jobs and 880 manufacturing jobs across both states.

“GlobalWafers is proud to be a CHIPS for America participant and the only global producer now building advanced wafer facilities in the United States,” said Doris Hsu, Chairperson and CEO of GlobalWafers. “I’d like to especially thank Secretary Raimondo and her CHIPS team for being committed partners throughout this important and exhilarating journey. Through our new investments announced today, we look forward to innovating with our U.S. based chip customers for decades to come.”