GlobalWafers signs preliminary memorandum with the U.S. Department of Commerce, plans to invest $4 billion to build a wafer factory in the United States

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced on July 17 that it had signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of understanding with GlobalWafers, the world's third largest semiconductor wafer supplier. GlobalWafers has pledged to invest approximately US$4 billion (approximately RMB 29 billion) in the United States to build two 12-inch wafer manufacturing plants. Among them, GlobalWafers will build an advanced 300mm silicon wafer manufacturing plant in Sherman, Texas, and a new 300mm silicon-on-insulator ("SOI") wafer plant in St. Peters, Missouri. GlobalWafers also plans to convert part of its existing silicon epitaxial wafer manufacturing plant in Sherman, Texas to silicon carbide ("SiC") epitaxial wafer manufacturing, producing 150mm and 200mm SiC epitaxial wafers.