BAY CITY, Mich. (WNEM) – SK Siltron CSS will receive a $544 million loan from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) for semiconductor materials production.
This financing is provided through the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) financing program.
This program supports the domestic production of silicon carbide (SiC) wafers, a material for next-generation power semiconductors.
Siltron said SiC wafers have many advantages over traditional silicon wafers, adding that they operate at up to 10 times higher voltages and three times higher temperatures. Therefore, SiC wafers are considered a key material for power semiconductors used in electric vehicles (EVs), EV charging equipment, and renewable energy systems.
According to Siltron, using SiC-based semiconductors in EVs can increase range by 7.5%, reduce charging time by 75%, and reduce the size and weight of inverter modules by more than 40%.
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