Wolfspeed Achieves 300mm Silicon Carbide (SiC) Technology Breakthrough

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Key Terms

silicon carbide technical

Silicon carbide is a hard, durable material made from silicon and carbon, often used in industrial applications like cutting tools and electronics. Its ability to withstand high temperatures and conduct electricity efficiently makes it valuable in manufacturing advanced electronic devices. For investors, companies working with silicon carbide are seen as key players in the growing market for high-performance electronics and energy-efficient technologies.

ip technical

Intellectual property (IP) is the set of legal rights that protect a company’s ideas, inventions, brand names and secret methods—think of it as the recipes, blueprints and logos a business owns. For investors, IP matters because these rights can create exclusive advantages, produce licensing income, and increase a company’s value by preventing competitors from copying key products or brands. Strong, enforceable IP often signals a more defensible and potentially profitable business.

ar/vr technical

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are technologies that add digital content to your view of the real world (AR) or place you inside a fully computer-created environment (VR), like wearing smart glasses or stepping into a simulated room. They matter to investors because they create new ways to sell hardware, software, services, and advertising, and can change how people shop, learn, and work—driving potential revenue growth but also requiring heavy investment and adoption to pay off.

rf technical

rf (commonly written r_f) denotes the risk-free rate — the theoretical return on an investment with no chance of loss, often used as a baseline for valuing other assets. Investors use it like a yardstick: returns above this number compensate for extra risk, so it helps price stocks, bonds and option valuations and guides decisions about whether higher-return opportunities justify their added risk. Think of it as the safe deposit box interest rate against which riskier bets are measured.

wafer-scale integration technical

Wafer-scale integration is a manufacturing approach that builds an entire large electronic system directly on a single, full-size silicon wafer instead of cutting the wafer into many separate chips; think of baking one giant sheet rather than many small cookies. For investors, it promises higher performance and lower communication delays between components but also concentrates manufacturing risk, upfront capital costs, and yield challenges that can greatly affect profitability and product timelines.

thermal conductivity technical

Thermal conductivity is a physical property that measures how quickly heat passes through a material; think of it as how fast a metal spoon becomes hot when left in hot soup versus a wooden spoon that stays cool. Investors care because it affects product performance, energy efficiency, manufacturing costs and safety—factors that influence operating expenses, market competitiveness and long-term durability of materials used in industries like electronics, construction, automotive and energy.

optical refractive control technical

Optical refractive control is the deliberate shaping or adjustment of how light bends through a lens, implant or optical device so images come into sharp focus where they’re needed, much like fine-tuning a camera lens. For investors, it matters because improved control can make vision-correcting products and precision optics more effective and attractive to doctors and consumers, driving adoption, pricing power and ongoing sales in medical and technology markets.

ai workloads technical

AI workloads are the computing tasks and data processing needed to build, train, and run artificial intelligence systems—examples include teaching a model from data, running real‑time predictions, or sorting large datasets. They matter to investors because the size and complexity of these tasks drive demand for specialized chips, cloud services, and software: firms that handle AI workloads more efficiently can scale faster, cut costs, and improve profit potential.

01/13/2026 - 08:00 AM

300mm SiC Technology, Enabling Scalable Platforms for AI Infrastructure, AR/VR, and Advanced Power Devices

Announcement highlights:

Strategic Technology Milestone – Wolfspeed has produced a single crystal 300mm (12-inch) silicon carbide wafer, representing a major advancement in the evolution of silicon carbide technology and a critical enabler for emerging applications.
Technology leadership for Next-Gen Applications – Backed by one of the industry’s largest and most foundational silicon carbide IP portfolios, with over 2,300 issued and pending patents worldwide, Wolfspeed is accelerating the commercialization of 300mm technology to power next-generation platforms including AI infrastructure, augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) and advanced power devices.
Strengthening U.S. Semiconductor Leadership & Supply Chain Resilience – The company’s vertically integrated supply chain, from crystal growth to advanced packaging, supports national goals around compound semiconductor independence, AI competitiveness, and secure domestic access to critical technologies.

DURHAM, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Wolfspeed, Inc. (NYSE: WOLF), a global leader in silicon carbide technology, today announced a significant industry milestone with the successful production of a single crystal 300mm (12-inch) silicon carbide wafer. Backed by one of the industry’s largest and foundational silicon carbide IP portfolios, comprising more than 2,300 issued and pending patents worldwide, Wolfspeed is pioneering the transition to 300mm technology, establishing a clear path to future volume commercialization.

Wolfspeed produces 300mm silicon carbide wafer.

This technology advancement represents a major step forward for next-generation computing platforms, immersive AR/VR systems, and high-efficiency, advanced power devices. By expanding silicon carbide to 300mm, Wolfspeed is unlocking new performance thresholds and manufacturing scalability for some of the world’s most demanding semiconductor applications.

“Producing a 300mm single crystal silicon carbide wafer is a significant technology achievement and the result of years of focused innovation in crystal growth, boule and wafer processing,” said Wolfspeed Chief Technology Officer Elif Balkas. “It positions Wolfspeed to support the industry’s most transformative technologies, especially critical elements of the AI ecosystem, immersive augmented and virtual reality systems, and other advanced power device applications.”

Wolfspeed’s 300mm platform will unify high-volume silicon carbide manufacturing for power electronics with advanced capabilities in high-purity semi-insulating substrates used in optical and RF systems. This convergence will support a new class of wafer-scale integration across optical, photonic, thermal, and power domains.

Wolfspeed powered AI – Unlocking More than Moore^TM

As AI workloads push data centers to their power limits, the demand for improved power density, thermal performance, and energy efficiency will continue to accelerate. Wolfspeed’s 300mm silicon carbide technology will enable integration of high-voltage power delivery systems, advanced thermal solutions, and active interconnects at wafer scale, extending system performance beyond traditional transistor scaling.

AR/VR – Powering Optical and Thermal Integration

Next-generation AR/VR systems require compact, lightweight configurations that integrate high-brightness displays with expansive fields of view and effective thermal management. Silicon carbide’s unique material properties, including mechanical strength, thermal conductivity, and optical refractive control, make it ideal for multifunctional optical architectures.

Beyond AI infrastructure and AR/VR, transitioning silicon carbide to a 300mm platform represents a major step forward in scaling the production of advanced power devices. The larger wafer diameter enhances the ability to cost-effectively meet growing demand for applications including high-voltage grid transmission and next-generation industrial systems.

Poshun Chiu, Principal Analyst, Compound Semiconductor, Yole Group said:

“This 300 mm breakthrough is more than a technical milestone — it unlocks new opportunities for silicon carbide as a strategic material. It clearly demonstrates that silicon carbide is advancing to the next level of manufacturing maturity required for the coming decade of electrification, digitalization, and AI. It provides the market with a credible roadmap toward higher-volume production, improved economics and long-term supply assurance⁽¹⁾.”

About Wolfspeed, Inc.

Wolfspeed (NYSE: WOLF) leads the market in the worldwide adoption of silicon carbide technologies that power the world’s most disruptive innovations. As the pioneers of silicon carbide, and creators of the most advanced semiconductor technology on earth, we are committed to powering a better world for everyone. Through silicon carbide material, Power Modules, Discrete Power Devices, and Power Die Products targeted for various applications, we will bring you The Power to Make It Real.™ Learn more at www.wolfspeed.com.

Wolfspeed^® is a registered trademark and Wolfspeed powered AI – Unlocking More than Moore™ and The Power to Make it Real™ are registered trademarks of Wolfspeed, Inc.

Sources: Power SiC 2025 – Front-End Manufacturing Equipment report and Power SiC 2025 – Markets and Applications report, Yole Group

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that may cause Wolfspeed’s actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain, such as statements about Wolfspeed’s strategic plans, priorities, growth opportunities, and ability to achieve profitability. Actual results could differ materially due to factors detailed in Wolfspeed’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent SEC filings. These forward-looking statements represent Wolfspeed’s judgment as of the date of this release. Except as required under U.S. federal securities laws, Wolfspeed disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date of this release.