Singapore launches world's first 200mm silicon carbide open R&D production line

The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A-STAR) of Singapore recently announced the launch of the world's first 200mm (8-inch) industrial-grade open R&D production line for silicon carbide (SiC). The production line, operated by the A-STAR Institute of Microelectronics (IME), integrates the complete process from material growth, defect analysis to device manufacturing and testing, aiming to address the challenges of high cost and technology dispersion in SiC technology development, and accelerate its commercialization process in high-power applications such as electric vehicles, power grids and data centers.