Cree to invest $1B for a new silicon carbide wafer facility near Utica

Semiconductors are used widely across many fields from automobile industry to network markets. Growing development and adoption of semiconductors is enabling the use of cutting-edge technologies and devices today. To meet today’s growing technological demands, semiconductor companies are expanding their market reach across various regions of the world. Cree Inc., a producer and marketer of lighting products, lighting class LEDs as well as products for radio and power applications based in the U.S., reportedly announced its plans to construct a $1 billion silicon carbide wafer factory in Marcy near Utica, New York. The company stated that Utica’s wafer factory would be the world’s biggest silicon carbide fabrication factory. Headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, Cree claimed that its highly automated Marcy plant would make silicon carbide wafers which will be used in automotive-qualified 200mm power as well as radio frequency semiconductors. CEO of Cree, Gregg Lowe stated that silicon carbide is among the most pivotal technologies of today’s generation and is at the core of innovation across a broad range of the most revolutionary and groundbreaking markets today, which includes the transition ranging from internal combustion engine to presently trending electric vehicles as well as the deployment of ultra-fast 5G networks. New York state would approve $500 million grant for Cree through the economic development office, Empire State Development. Moreover, the company would be eligible for tax abatements and additional local incentives as well as tooling and equipment from State University of New York. The company stated that this facility would be 480,000 sq. feet when fully completed in 2022, of which about one-fourth would be clean room space. It would also include space for future extension. Empire State Development CEO and President, Howard Zemsky stated that the investment would include $4.2 million granted by Mohawk Valley EDGE for off-site and on-site job training. Zemsky added that average salary of the jobs would be $75,000. The American firm did not officially unveil any information regarding the number of employees it would recruit at the wafer plant yet. However, it is expected that this project would create over 600 job opportunities over a span of eight years. Source credit: https://www.syracuse.com/business/2019/09/cree-to-build-1-billion-silicon-carbide-wafer-plant-near-utica.html