Bridgestone develops 5-inch semi-conductor wafer

ERJ staff report (DS)

Tokyo -- In a development unrelated to tyres, but showing Bridgestone's increasing interest in electronic systems, the company has developed a 5-inch diameter silicon carbide wafer. Silicon Carbide (SiC) can be used as a replacement for silicon in microelectronics.

Bridgestone is presently working on the development of six inch SiC wafers, which it says are currently in high demand, and plans to bring them to market during the latter half of 2012.

SiC wafers are more durable and more resistant to high temperatures than the silicon wafers traditionally used as substrates for semiconductors. In the future, it is anticipated that these wafers will be commonly used in fields such as the automobile and energy industries.

The superior quality of the new five-inch diameter SiC wafers meets the high standards required for large-scale production wafers, and Bridgestone sees these wafers as a powerful tool for use in the next-generation of power semiconductors.

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Press release from Bridgestone