[News] 2025: China’s 8-Inch Silicon Carbide Production Lines Enter Fierce Competition

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Recently, two 8-inch silicon carbide (SiC) production lines, one from Silan Microelectronics and the other from SST Microelectronics, have made notable progress.

The year 2025 is being hailed as the “Year One of 8-Inch Silicon Carbide,” marking a pivotal period for global pilot production and ramp-up of 8-inch SiC chip manufacturing. With growing cost-reduction demands from end-use applications, the value of 8-inch SiC is steadily increasing.

Silan Microelectronics’ 8-Inch SiC Project: Topping Out in Q1 2025, Line Operational in Q4

According to recent reports, Silan Microelectronics’ 8-inch SiC power device chip production line is advancing steadily. The first phase of the project is currently under structural construction and is expected to top out in the first quarter of 2025, with initial operations by the end of the fourth quarter. Trial production is slated for the first quarter of 2026.

The project represents a total investment of RMB 12 billion and covers a construction area of 234,500 square meters, divided into two phases. The first phase involves an investment of RMB 7 billion and aims for an annual production capacity of 420,000 8-inch SiC power device chips. Once both phases are completed and fully operational, the annual production capacity will increase to 720,000 chips.

STMicroelectronics’ 8-Inch SiC Project: Full Line Production by February 2025

Meanwhile, STMicroelectronics’ 8-inch SiC epitaxy and chip production line, located in the Western (Chongqing) Science City Microelectronics Park, is in the final stages of equipment installation and testing.

The production line is expected to be operational and start producing wafers by late February 2025, with large-scale mass production anticipated by the end of the third quarter.

This facility, jointly established by Sanan Optoelectronics and STMicroelectronics, will produce 8-inch SiC substrates and wafers for applications in electric vehicles, power grids, and railway transportation. With a total investment of USD 3.2 billion (approximately RMB 23.36 billion), the project plans an annual output of 480,000 automotive-grade MOSFET SiC power chips by 2028, when full capacity is reached.

2025: A Strong Start for the 8-Inch SiC Era

According to TrendForce, transitioning from 6-inch to 8-inch SiC wafers increases substrate processing costs but significantly boosts chip output. An 8-inch wafer can yield approximately 1.8 times the number of chips as a 6-inch wafer. This shift offers a viable path to reduce SiC device costs. Additionally, the increased thickness of 8-inch substrates improves geometric stability during processing, reduces edge warping, and lowers defect density, thus enhancing yields and reducing per-unit costs.

In recent years, China’s SiC industry has grown rapidly, with a continuously expanding market and significant progress in upstream SiC substrate and epitaxy preparation technologies. While the gap with international leaders has been narrowing, there remains a notable disparity in midstream device and module manufacturing. Currently, China has four publicly disclosed 8-inch SiC production lines: Silan Microelectronics, UNT, Hunan Sanan, and FMIC.

As 2025 approaches, China’s SiC industry is poised for a new wave of growth and competition in the global market.

(Photo credit: Silan Microelectronics)