DB HiTek has completed reliability qualification for its 1,200 V silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET process on 8-inch (200 mm) wafers, and the South Korean foundry is preparing for volume production in 2027. It says it has established the world's first complete 1,200 V 8-inch SiC foundry process flow, giving it a service platform that can support customers across design, manufacturing, electrical characterization and reliability qualification.
Process Design Kits (PDKs) for the first- and second-generation 1,200 V SiC MOSFET processes are available to customers, and a third-generation PDK is scheduled for release in November 2026. DB HiTek expects the kits to cut product development time by more than a year by reducing the resources customers need in the early stages of development and speeding up prototype fabrication.
The second-generation process, which has completed reliability qualification, achieves a specific on-resistance of 2.5 mΩ·cm² or less and a threshold voltage of 3 V or higher at an on-state gate voltage of 18 V. The third-generation process is being qualified against a specific on-resistance of 2.3 mΩ·cm² or less at the same 18 V gate voltage and a short-circuit withstand time of at least 2.5 μs in the short-circuit safe operating area.
SiC handles higher voltages and temperatures than silicon, which is what makes it useful in electric vehicles, renewable energy systems and industrial power equipment.
Six-inch wafers dominate the SiC market, according to DB HiTek, and major semiconductor manufacturers are moving to 8-inch to improve production efficiency and cost competitiveness. A larger wafer yields more die per process run, which spreads the fixed cost of each run further.
Fellow South Korean chipmaker Magnachip licensed Navitas's GeneSiC technology for 1,200 V and above.
DB HiTek plans to finish its process preparations and open access to longstanding foundry customers in the third quarter of 2026, and to make the service available to all customers from the second quarter of 2027.
"The completion of reliability qualification for our 1,200 V SiC MOSFET process is significant because it demonstrates that we have secured the core process technology and manufacturing foundation required to provide the world's first 8-inch SiC foundry service," said a DB HiTek representative.
Source: DB HiTek
