The European Commission has approved funding for a new silicon carbide manufacturing plant in Catania that will be located on the site of STMicroelectronics. This plant will be the first fully integrated silicon carbide plant in the world, with an investment program amounting to 5 billion euros, including a 2 billion euro contribution from the Italian state under the EU Chips Act.
The primary goal of this new plant is to produce 200 mm silicon carbide (SIC) in large volumes for various devices, power modules, and testing and packaging activities. The Silicon Carbide Campus of Catania will become a central hub for ST’s global SiC ecosystem, integrating all phases of the manufacturing process, from substrate development to epitaxial growth, fabrication, assembly, research and development, product design, and packaging.
Known as a strategic move towards vertical integration in SiC capabilities, this plant covers research and development, production, substrate-to-module operations, and more. The plant is expected to support the automotive and industrial sectors in moving towards electrification and higher energy efficiency.
The announcement by the European Commission coincides with a visit by European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager and Business Minister Adolfo Urso to the ST site in Catania. This milestone marks a significant step forward in ST’s leadership in SiC technology for customers in automotive and industrial sectors, enabling innovation and large-volume production with a focus on energy efficiency and decarbonization.
With all process steps carried out using 200mm technologies to achieve superior yields and performance, the Catania center will be the first in Europe for large-scale production of 200mm SiC wafers. By offering complete manufacturing capabilities under one roof
