GlobalWafers to build two new manufacturing sites with CHIPS Act funding – gasworld

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GlobalWafers is set to receive up to $400m in direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act to support the opening of two new US-based manufacturing sites for semiconductor wafer production.
The Taiwanese tech manufacturing company has signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) with the US Department of Commerce to receive the capital boost.
If approved, the investment will support the construction of a Sherman, Texas-based 300mm silicon wafer manufacturing facility for advanced chips. The wafers will be used by foundries and integrated device manufacturers.
A second site will be based in Peters, Missouri, and will manufacture 300-mm silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers. SOI wafers are commonly used in defence and aerospace applications.
GlobalWafers also plans to convert a portion of its existing silicon epitaxy wafer manufacturing facility in Sherman, Texas, to silicon carbide (SiC) epitaxy wafer manufacturing, producing 150mm and 200mm SiC epitaxy wafers.
Silicon wafers are critical components in the semiconductor ecosystem and are a foundational input used in all chips. There are five leading companies, including GlobalWafers, that currently hold over 80% of the global 300mm silicon wafer manufacturing market. Around 90% of silicon wafers are sourced from East Asia today.
US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said that the proposed investment could see GlobalWafer play a crucial role in bolstering America’s semiconductor supply chain by providing a domestic source of silicon wafers.

She continued, “As a result of this proposed investment, the Biden-Harris Administration is helping to secure our supply chains, which will create over 2,000 jobs across Texas and Missouri, ultimately lowering costs and improving economic and national security.”
President Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act, part of his Investing in America agenda, into law in August 2022, with the goal of strengthening US supply chains, creating good-paying jobs, protecting national security, and advancing US competitiveness.
Funding under the Act includes a $39bn grant programme for semiconductor manufacturers, as well as equipment and materials suppliers. It also includes $2bn for legacy chips, $13.2bn for R&D and workforce development, and $500m for international information and communication technology security and supply chain activities.
Read more: President Biden signs $52bn CHIPS Act into law

Arati Prabhakar, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said that President Biden is taking historic action to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the US.
She continued, “The semiconductor wafers that will come from today’s announcement will be the foundation for the complex chips we need to compete in the global economy. We’re bolstering our national security, advancing our clean energy transition, and creating good jobs.”
The role of specialty gases in semiconductor manufacturing
Specialty gases are often thought of as the lifeblood of the electronics industry and the beating heart of semiconductor manufacturing. These gases, including those used in creating silicon for chips, are directly linked to the advancement of current technology. Remarkably, a single wafer – a thin slice of semiconductor material crucial for integrated circuits – can comprise up to one thousand chips.
Semiconductor manufacture may use up to 30 different gases in all the various processes, including gases such as helium, nitrogen, and argon, which are used to create an inert atmosphere, flush chambers at the end of a process, or before cleaning.
Other specialty gases such as hydrogen, ammonia, and chlorine, in addition to less common examples like hexafluoroethane, octafluorocyclobutane and germane, are used in the etching and deposition processes.

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Molly Burgess is the US Features Editor at gasworld. Having joined the company in November 2018, Molly is primarily responsible for North American news, exclusives and features across the website and the US magazine.

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