Cree has unveiled plans to build a silicon carbide plant in Marcy, New York.
The new automotive-qualified 200mm power and RF wafer fabrication plant would be the world’s largest silicon carbide fabrication facility.
The new fabrication plant, part of a previously announced project to increase capacity for its Wolfspeed silicon carbide and GaN business, will be a bigger, highly-automated factory with greater output capability, Cree said in a statement.
Ramping in 2022, the size of the new facility will be up to 480,000 sq.-ft. upon completion, approximately one fourth of which will be clean room space.
Cree is investing around $1 billion in construction, equipment and other related costs, while the New York state will provide a $500 million grant from Empire State Development. In addition, Cree will be eligible for additional local incentives and abatements as well as equipment and tooling.
Cree is working to make a transition from silicon to silicon carbide technology to meet the increasing demand for the company’s groundbreaking Wolfspeed technology that supports the growing electric vehicle (EV), 4G/5G mobile and industrial markets.
With a mega materials factory in Durham and a wafer fabrication facility near Utica, Cree will establish a silicon carbide corridor. The company also plans to partner with local community and four-year colleges in North Carolina and New York to develop training and internship programs to prepare its workforce for the high-tech employment.
