SK Siltron CSS Announces $300 Million Michigan Expansion to Support Electric Vehicle Growth

AUBURN, Mich., July 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SK Siltron CSS, a semiconductor wafer manufacturer, today announced plans to invest $300 million and create up to 150 high-paying, skilled jobs in Bay County, Mich., over the next three years to provide manufacturing and R&D capabilities of advanced materials for electric vehicles. The expansion will more than double the company's Michigan employee base and add a new site in Bay City, Mich., to join its existing site in nearby Auburn, Mich.

SK Siltron CSS manufactures a specialty wafer made of silicon carbide (SiC) that can be used in the semiconductor power components of electric vehicles. SiC wafers are more efficient at handling high powers and conducting heat than normal silicon. When used in EV system components, this characteristic can allow a more efficient transfer of electricity from the battery to the motor, increasing the driving range of an EV by 5% to 10%. 

"The rise in popularity of electric vehicles has the auto industry searching for new innovative technologies to meet customer demand," said Jianwei Dong, Chief Executive Officer at SK Siltron CSS. "Our Michigan expansion will allow us to manufacture advanced materials that can enhance the performance of an EV and support the growth of a more sustainable automotive future."

The SK Siltron CSS expansion, pending state and local approvals, is part of a new domestic supply chain forming to provide the components required to support new environmentally friendly vehicles.

"As we build toward a more sustainable future, it is important that we create new, robust supply chains in the U.S. to support our corporations and the end consumer. The automotive industry has a tremendous opportunity with the rise of the electric vehicle, and we're excited to see companies like SK Siltron CSS expanding to help support the transition to a green future," said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo.

The company will work closely with state and local partners to recruit and train potential employees. Of the new employees, 70 percent will be skilled workers while 30 percent will be professional engineers.

SK Siltron, a global maker of semiconductor wafers based in South Korea, acquired the Michigan silicon carbide wafer business in 2019 and established SK Siltron CSS as a U.S. subsidiary. Since then, SK Siltron CSS has doubled its employee base in Michigan, currently employing approximately 130 skilled workers and professional engineers.

SK Siltron CSS's silicon carbide wafer technology has benefited from its close collaboration and direct access to SK Siltron's high-volume manufacturing (HVM) expertise in scaling up production of semiconductor wafers. These silicon carbide wafers can be used in EV system components including power converters, chargers and inverters. In addition to helping increase driving ranges for EVs, the electrical and thermal properties of silicon carbide can help reduce charging times, relax system cooling requirements and shrink the power module size and weight.

SK Siltron is part of SK Group, one of South Korea's leading conglomerates. SK Group companies have been expanding their presence in the U.S. with multi-billion dollar investments in their own businesses and partnerships in renewable energy and sustainable technologies.

About SK 
Based in Seoul, South Korea, SK Group is a collection of diverse multi-national manufacturing and service companies united under a holding company structure that share a common SK Brand and Corporate Culture. Ranked by Fortune among the world's 100 largest businesses, SK Group companies are global leaders in semiconductors, telecommunications, energy and life sciences. SK hynix is the world's second-largest maker of memory chips, SK Innovation is Korea's largest energy firm and a global leader in EV battery technology, and SK Telecom is Korea's largest mobile communications provider and the first provider in the world to have 5G subscribers. SK is committed to building environmentally sustainable businesses that help reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and increase the use of renewable energy. SK companies combined have $119 billion in annual global revenue and more than 100,000 employees worldwide. SK is investing more than $10 billion in expanding its U.S. businesses with operations or partnerships in hydrogen energy and fuel cells, EV battery manufacturing and technology, energy storage solutions, pharmaceutical manufacturing and development, advanced semiconductor materials, and new mobility solutions. For more information on SK, visit http://www.sk.com/.

SOURCE SK Siltron CSS