Thailand to start produce SiC with technology from Korea

Thailand will mass produce its first semiconductors based on Korean technology in 2027. It will be a form of contract production of power semiconductors by domestic companies that support plant design and operation.

According to industry sources on the 14th, Thailand’s ‘FT (First Thailand semiconductor company) 1’ will invest 11.5 billion baht (approximately 465.8 billion won) in the Saha Industrial Complex in Lamphun Province, Thailand, and will produce 6-inch and 8-inch silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors starting in the first quarter of 2027.

FT1 is a joint venture between Thailand Hana Microelectronics, the parent company of domestic power semiconductor company Power Master Semiconductor, and NewVersal, a subsidiary of Thailand Petroleum ( PTT ). The company’s name implies Thailand’s first semiconductor manufacturer.

The FT1 Lamphun plant is currently in the design and construction preparation stage, and Power Master Semiconductor is sending some of its employees to support it. Power Master Semiconductor will transfer the know-how it has gained from building its own production line in the Ochang Science Industrial Complex in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do.

When the FT1 Lamphun plant begins operation in 2027, collaboration among three companies, PowerMaster Semiconductor and Hana Microelectronics, is expected. Previously, Hana Microelectronics packaged power semiconductors designed and mass-produced by PowerMaster Semiconductor, but future mass production is expected to be centered around FT1. There is a Hana Microelectronics packaging plant in Lamphun Province, so synergy with FT1 is expected.

The reason the Thai government is encouraging domestic power semiconductor production is to foster the electric vehicle industry. In order to become an electric vehicle production hub, it is actively attracting investments related to semiconductors, electric/electronics, and batteries.

PowerMaster Semiconductor was founded in 2018 by people from the power semiconductor division that Samsung Electronics sold to Fairchild (now On Semi) in 1999. It is considered to have the most advanced technology among domestic power semiconductor companies. This year, its self-developed 1200V SiC MOSFET power semiconductor received certification for electric fields (AEC-Q101). Based on this, the company plans to target key electric vehicle components such as electric compressors and traction inverters.