Soitec (Euronext), which generates and manufactures semiconductor materials for the electronics and energy industries, and Shanghai Simgui Technology Co., Ltd. (Simgui), a Chinese silicon-based semiconductor materials company, jointly announced today that the first 200-mm silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers have been produced at Simgui’s manufacturing facility in Shanghai using Soitec’s proprietary Smart Cut (TM) technology, and will be shipped within the next weeks for customers’ qualification. This major milestone in the companies’ licensing and technology transfer agreement, signed in May 2014, demonstrates that the process has been successfully implemented at Simgui and that the technology transfer is proceeding as planned to produce Soitec’s SOI products in order to increase SOI wafer capacity to serve the growing RF and power markets.
“We are very pleased to have reached this major milestone with Simgui, which now has the capability to manufacture Soitec’s SOI products using our Smart Cut technology. This represents a key step in our commitment to increase capacity in response to the needs of our customers who serve the fast-growing RF and power markets, both in China and worldwide,” said Paul Boudre, CEO and chairman of the board of Soitec.
“China is a hot spot for the IC industry today. The fast growth of China’s mobile devices demands a large number of SOI wafers. Through the collaboration with Soitec, Simgui has successfully demonstrated a strong technical ability and expanded capacity to meet our customers’ needs. In addition to the planned high-volume manufacturing of SOI wafers, we will continue to promote the SOI ecosystem in China and build a globally influential Chinese silicon industry,” said Dr. Xi Wang, chairman of the board of directors of Simgui.
The two companies formed their international partnership last year to address both China’s growing demand and to increase worldwide production capacity for 200-mm SOI wafers used in fabricating semiconductors for RF and power applications. When completed, the partners’ first wafer production line in China will boost the industrial manufacturing capacity of SOI wafers to meet increasing worldwide usage and will also be a key element in establishing an SOI ecosystem in China.
Simgui is a high-technology company in Shanghai focused on supplying SOI wafers and providing foundry services for epitaxial (epi) wafers used in key sectors of the semiconductor industry. Soitec designs and manufactures high-performance semiconductor materials.