Wolfspeed, compared to other suppliers, has taken a clear, if tenuous, lead with its improved yield for silicon carbide (SiC) wafer manufacturing, an advantage that might well peg Wolfspeed as an acquisition target.
What’s at stake:
Silicon-based power electronics devices and silicon carbide (SiC) power devices have commonalities. Suppliers of both types tend to be more vertically integrated. Where they diverge is their yields. SiC yield – from wafers to devices – is dramatically lower than silicon-based power devices. With everyone racing to nail down base manufacturing technology, the stakes center on how long Wolfspeed can keep competitors at bay.
To be clear, Wolfspeed is not for sale.
However, considering all factors affecting today’s silicon carbide (SiC) business, the industry experts tend toward the conclusion that On Semiconductor Corp. (Onsemi) is the most logical suitor to buy Wolfspeed. Here’s why.