Bay City, Mich (WNEM) – SK Siltron CSS will be receiving a $544 million loan from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) for semiconductor material production.
The loan comes from the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Loan Program.
The program supports domestic production of silicon carbide (SiC) wafers, a material used for next-generation power semiconductors.
SiC wafers provide more advantages over traditional silicon wafers, Siltron said, adding they operate at up to 10 times higher voltage and three times higher temperatures. Due to that, SiC wafers are seen as a key material for power semiconductors used in electric vehicles (EVs), EV charging equipment and renewal energy systems.
When SiC-based semiconductors are used in EVs, they can increase driving range 7.5%, reduce charging time by 75%, and shrink the size and weight of inverter modules by over 40%, according to Siltron.
Subscribe to the TV5 newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email every day.
Copyright 2024 WNEM. All rights reserved.
