News

8 August 2006

 

Cree's new SiC and GaN microelectronics fab starts operation

Cree Inc of Durham, NC, USA has started operation of its newly opened 230,000ft2 engineering and production facility in Research Triangle Park, NC, which is producing electronic devices based on silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN).

"The advanced power components being developed and produced here are important elements of our business strategy," said CEO Chuck Swoboda at the opening.

Picture: A batch of 3-inch diameter SiC wafers being loaded into a high=temperature oxidation furnace at the new facility.

The new site houses one of the first commercial SiC and GaN production facilities devoted to serving the power and wireless infrastructure markets, claims John Palmour, executive vice president for Advanced Devices. "SiC-
and GaN-based technologies enhance the performance of traditional power-supply, motor-drive and wireless-communications systems by enabling the design of devices that provide significantly higher efficiencies than are available with similar silicon devices," he adds.

Devices produced at the site include high-efficiency SiC power components for power supplies and motor drives. Cree is also developing SiC and GaN wide-bandgap radio-frequency devices for Department of Defense and WiMAX applications, and provides SiC and GaN MMIC foundry services for defense and general-purpose applications.

Visit: http://www.cree.com