Sanan Integrated Circuit Co., Ltd., a pure-play wafer foundry with its advanced compound semiconductor technology platform, announced that it has achieved full process qualification for commercial release of its 6-inch silicon carbide (SiC) technology to add to its foundry services portfolio.

Committed to providing advanced materials manufacturing capability for serving the global market, the company now offers SiC technology which has emerged as the most mature wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor intended for circuit designs in power electronics.

Sanan IC's SiC process technology offers device structures for 650V, 1200V and higher-rated Schottky Barrier Diodes (SBD), to soon be followed by a SiC MOSFET process for 900V, 1200V, and higher. SiC SBDs and SiC MOSFETs, due to higher performance, are emerging for power conversion applications starting from 650V. Given the superior properties of SiC over silicon in terms of higher efficiency, increased power density, higher switching frequency, higher temperature, higher breakdown strength, more compact and lighter system design, several applications have started to embrace this technology.

With the ability to ensure its supply chain, the company provides a dedicated capacity for its 6-inch SiC wafer processing services on top of its III-V compound manufacturing, namely for gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium nitride (GaN), and indium phosphide (InP).

"We are delighted to expand our wafer foundry services to now include SiC and make it commercially available to the wide bandgap semiconductor market world-wide", said Raymond Cai, Chief Executive Officer of Sanan IC. "We see tremendous business opportunities in serving the high growth power electronics market with SiC displacing silicon solutions due to its higher efficiency, higher switching frequency, and higher temperature characteristics.

"The enormous growth of the automotive, big data, renewable clean energy, and power utility industries has created opportunities for us to offer SiC foundry services to the global market. Leveraging our state-of-the-art manufacturing plants, robust supply chain, and worldwide team of industry veterans makes Sanan IC the ideal foundry partner," Cai added.