In Chatham County, North Carolina, Wolfspeed, a company that creates silicon carbide semiconductor technology, plans to construct a brand-new, cutting-edge, multibillion-dollar materials production plant.
“The market continues to be supply-restricted, and demand for our products is increasing quickly. By increasing our Materials production, we will maintain our market dominance and be better able to meet the expanding demands of our clients.
We are very pleased and happy to strengthen our partnership with North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University to develop our best-in-class talent pool, in addition to growing Wolfspeed’s presence in our home state of North Carolina.
The plant’s main output will be 200 mm Silicon Carbide wafers, which are 1.7 times bigger than 150 mm wafers and so can contain more chips per wafer, resulting in a decrease in device prices.
These wafers will be utilized to feed Wolfspeed’s Mohawk Valley Fab, the first, largest, and only fully automated 200mm Silicon Carbide production plant in the world, which launched earlier this year.
The first phase of development, which is expected to cost $1.3 billion, should be finished in 2024. The corporation will increase capacity as needed between 2024 and the end of the decade, eventually occupying more than one million square feet on the 445-acre property.
The first phase of the plant will be developed with the help of state and local funding, including a Job Development Investment Grant from the North Carolina Department of Commerce. This funding is part of an approximately $1 billion incentive package from the State, County, and local governments.
To accelerate the building and fit-out of the plant, the business also plans to apply for and get federal financing under the CHIPS and Science Act. The business plans to keep investing over the next eight years with a goal of adding about 1,800 new employees.
Wolfspeed’s choice, in the governor of North Carolina Roy Cooper’s words, “further validates North Carolina as the hub of sustainable energy.
This is a significant step in the direction of a clean energy economy since it will increase the production of electric vehicles and offshore wind while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and giving North Carolinians fantastic paying jobs a paycheck.
The company’s ongoing collaboration with North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University supports its people development plan (NC A&T).
The Wolfspeed Sponsored Scholars Program has established in 2020 thanks to a $4 million grant made by Wolfspeed over a five-year period to the HBCU. This was the single-largest gift in the school’s history.
The two organizations want to provide broad training and education courses as well as innovative research and innovation activities. Through this agreement, there will be more chances for undergraduate and graduate degrees in Silicon Carbide semiconductor production, as well as for existing semiconductor manufacturing employees to enroll in training and career-development programs.
