Infineon Technologies AG agreed to acquire the Wolfspeed Power and RF division of Cree for US$850 million in cash (approximately Euro 740 million. The deal also includes the related SiC wafer substrate business for power and RF power.
Wolfspeed, which is based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, is a premier provider of SiC-based power and GaN-on-SiC-based RF power solutions. This also includes the related core competencies in wafer substrate manufacturing for SiC, as well as for SiC with a monocrystalline GaN layer for RF power applications. It has more than 550 highly skilled employees and a strong IP portfolio of approximately 2,000 patents and patent applications.
Infineon said it expects next-generation wireless standards such as 5G, which will use frequencies up to 80 gigahertz, will require advanced compound semiconductors. GaN-on-Si allows higher levels of integration and offers its advantages at operating frequencies of up to 10 gigahertz. GaN-on-SiC enables maximum efficiency at frequencies of up to 80 gigahertz.
“Wolfspeed’s and Infineon’s businesses and expertise are highly complementary, bringing together industry leading experts for compound semiconductors. This will enable us to create additional value for our customers with the broadest and deepest portfolio of innovative technologies and products in compound semiconductors available in the market. With Wolfspeed we will become number one in SiC-based power semiconductors. We also want to become number one in RF power,” stated Dr. Reinhard Ploss, CEO of Infineon Technologies AG.
