IQE announces strategic collaboration agreement with SK siltron

LONDON, UK: IQE plc, the leading supplier of compound semiconductor wafer products and advanced material solutions to the global semiconductor industry, has entered into a strategic collaboration agreement with SK siltron for the development and commercialisation of compound semiconductor products.

SK siltron pioneers next-generation semiconductor device innovation based on world-class technology. This agreement formalises a strategic agreement to develop business in the Asia market, leveraging SK siltron’s significant substrate expertise with IQE’s market-leading epitaxy capabilities.

IQE and SK siltron will focus on developing and delivering innovative epiwafers based upon Gallium Nitride (GaN) on Silicon Carbide (SiC) for radio frequency applications in the wireless communications market and GaN on Silicon (Si) for power electronics applications across a range of markets. Combined, these markets represent a multi-billion dollar opportunity for GaN devices and are forecast for strong growth in consumer, telecom and automotive applications.

Americo Lemos, Chief Executive Officer of IQE, commented: “There are tremendous synergies between IQE’s GaN pedigree and SK siltron’s substrate offerings, and we will leverage these to bring innovative solutions to market. Expansion in Asia is a key focus for IQE and we are excited to be partnering with a globally-recognised leader in advanced materials.”

Yongho Jang, Chief Executive Officer of SK siltron, commented: “We are delighted that two world leaders in advanced materials are joining forces to jointly develop products for exciting growth markets related to GaN materials. I am looking forward to building considerable success with IQE and developing the relationship to cover a broad range of semiconductor materials.”

GaN is a wide bandgap semiconductor material that is growing in importance because of its ability to offer significantly improved performance across a wide range of applications while reducing energy consumption, compared to conventional silicon technologies. Applications for GaN include high performance 5G networks, including Massive MiMo base stations and power devices in automotive, consumer and industrial markets.

SK siltron is an SK Group affiliate company based in Gumi, South Korea, that develops and manufactures high-quality wafers for the semiconductor industry. Established in 1983, SK siltron has grown to become a global leader providing wafers to some of the world’s top technology companies for semiconductor applications, including NAND and DRAM memory chips, logic drivers, sensors and processors. SK siltron is Korea’s only manufacturer of silicon wafers and is one of the top-five global wafer manufacturers.