SINGAPORE /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Soitec (Euronext Paris), a leading supplier of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers and other engineered substrates used in the microelectronics industry, held an inauguration ceremony for its new wafer fab in Singapore. Located in the new Pasir Ris Wafer Fab Park, the fully automated, state-of-the art facility is dedicated to the manufacture of 300 mm SOI wafers. These wafers are used for the production of high-performance, cutting-edge microprocessors for a growing number of advanced electronic devices, especially leading-edge consumer products that are increasingly manufactured in Asia. In addition to supplying SOI wafers for the game console chips produced in the region, the factory will support the region's use of SOI wafers in other high-volume consumer products.
Soitec is headquartered in Bernin (Grenoble), France, where it has two high-volume fabs on-site (Bernin I and Bernin II), as well as advanced R&D facilities. The new Singapore fab, known as Pasir Ris 1, is Soitec's first manufacturing facility in Asia. It represents a strategic part of the group's investment plan to expand worldwide production capacity and forge closer relationships with customers worldwide.
In parallel, Soitec's strategic investments in the Pasir Ris fab have accelerated the implementation of a complementary wafer recycling process. This key refresh step is now integrated in the manufacturing lines, contributing to the key objective of the group to reduce costs.
Attending the ceremony were Singapore's Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr. Lim Hng Kiang, the Soitec Group's President and Chief Executive Officer, Andre-Jacques Auberton-Herve, and all of Soitec's board members. Commenting on the announcement, Dr. Auberton-Herve noted, "With its strategic location, this new state-of-the-art fab reinforces our position at the leading edge of one of the world's most exciting markets. We believe that our technology leadership, industrial maturity, and new capacity in Singapore provide a very strong foundation for our longer-term progress. We are very pleased to be here."
"This new 300 mm wafer fabrication plant benefits from the strong support of Singapore's Economic Development Board, access to a world-class business environment, and a talented workforce," says Emmanuel Arene, Executive Vice President, Soitec Group Industrial Operations and CEO of Soitec Singapore Pte. Ltd. "The construction has taken advantage of the newest manufacturing technologies, as well as Soitec' s extensive engineered substrate production knowledge, gained from years of manufacturing experience."
"We are pleased that Soitec, the world's leading SOI substrate manufacturer, has chosen Singapore as its first overseas manufacturing location. Its presence creates strong synergies with Singapore's semiconductor ecosystem and further increases the competitiveness of Singapore in the global semiconductor industry. This is a win-win partnership between Soitec and Singapore," says Mr Lim Hng Kiang.
Built on a 2.7-hectare site, Pasir Ris 1 has more than 4000 sq. m of clean-room space. Total investment is expected to be approximately €350 million at full capacity. The new fab currently employs more than 100 people. Upon the market's upturn, the fab is designed to facilitate a swift ramp up, to a final capacity of 1 million wafers per year and a workforce of 500 people.
About the Soitec
The Soitec Group is a leading innovator and provider of the engineered substrate solutions that serve as the foundation for today's most advanced microelectronic products. The group leverages its proprietary Smart Cut technology to engineer new substrate solutions, such as SOI wafers, which became the first high-volume application for this proprietary technology. Since then, SOI has emerged as the material platform of the future, enabling the production of higher performing, faster chips that consume less power.
Today, Soitec produces more than 80% of the world's SOI wafers. Headquartered in Bernin, France, with two high-volume fabs on-site, Soitec has offices throughout the U.S., Japan, and Taiwan, and a new production site in the process of customers' qualification in Singapore.
Two other divisions, Picogiga International (Les Ulis) and Tracit Technologies (Bernin), complete the Soitec Group. Picogiga focuses on delivering advanced substrates solutions, including III-Vs epiwafers and gallium nitride–based wafers to the compound material world for the manufacture of high-frequency electronics and other optoelectronic devices. Tracit, on the other hand, focuses on thin-film layer transfer technologies used to manufacture advanced substrates for power ICs and microsystems, as well as generic circuit-transfer technology for applications such as image sensors and 3D-integration.
Soitec, Smart Cut, and UNIBOND are trademarks of S.O.I.TEC.