Tokyo, Aug 30, 2012 - (JCN Newswire) - Showa Denko K.K. (SDK) has increased its four-inch silicon carbide (SiC) epitaxial wafer production capacity by 2.5 times, to 1,500 units a month, through facility expansion and improvement in production technology. These wafers, with high surface smoothness and low crystal defect, are being produced at SDK's Chichibu Plant in Saitama Prefecture.
When compared with the mainstream silicon-based semiconductors, SiC power devices using SiC epitaxial wafers can operate under high-voltage heavy current and at high temperatures. These features enable reductions in the number of components and miniaturization of cooling devices, helping to make smaller and lighter power control modules. SiC power devices also reduce energy loss in the process of power control, resulting in a substantial energy saving.
Thus, SiC power devices will find a wide range of applications, including automobiles, railcars, and industrial/home electric appliances. In particular, SiC power devices are expected to be used increasingly in inverters (devices for converting direct current into alternating current) to control rotation of motors. Such inverters are already commercialized in some home electric appliances and distributed power supply systems, and used in subway railcars on a trial basis. Furthermore, an increasing number of electric vehicles and hybrid cars are expected to be equipped with inverters using SiC power devices.
These inverters contain Schottky barrier diode (SBD), and metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), based on SiC power devices. SiC-MOSFET requires high surface smoothness as it uses oxide film formed on the surface of epitaxial wafers in device operation. SDK's SiC epitaxial wafers, having high surface smoothness, are valued highly for use in high-quality SiC-MOSFET.
Following the capacity expansion, SDK will continue developing SiC epitaxial wafers with larger diameter, lower defect, and higher uniformity. Specifically, SDK will accelerate the development of six-inch SiC epitaxial wafers for heavy-current high-voltage applications.
About Showa Denko
Showa Denko K.K. ('SDK'; TSE: 4004, US: SHWDF) is a major manufacturer and marketer of chemical products serving a wide range of fields ranging from heavy industry to the electronic and computer industries. SDK makes petrochemicals (ethylene, propylene), aluminum products (ingots, rods), electronic equipment (hard disks for computers) and inorganic materials (ceramics, carbons). The company has overseas operations and a joint venture with Netherlands-based Montell and Nippon Petrochemicals to make and market polypropylenes. In March 2001, SDK merged with Showa Denko Aluminum Corporation to strengthen the high-value-added fabricated aluminum products operations, and is today developing next-generation optical communications-use wafers. For more information, please visit www.sdk.co.jp .
Contact:
Showa Denko K.K. (SDK)
IR & PR Office
Tel: +81-3-5470-3235
Aug 30, 2012
Source: Showa Denko
Showa Denko (TSE: 4004) (U.S: SHWDF)
From the Japan Corporate News Network
http://www.japancorp.net
Topic: Increase Production
View more news from these Sectors: Chemicals
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