Chip manufacturer Infineon buys Start-up

Invest of 124 million euros

The chip company Infineon has acquired the start-up Siltectra from Dresden. According to a press release of the company, both parties agreed on a purchase price of 124 million euros.

Dr. Reinhard Ploss, CEO of Infineon, justified the acquisition with an expansion of the portfolio: “This acquisition will help us to expand our excellent portfolio also for the new material silicon carbide. Our understanding of the system and our unique know-how in thin-wafer technology are ideally complemented by Siltectra’s cold split technology and innovative strength.”

Infineon expects higher demand for chips

The start-up company Siltectra has developed an innovative process for processing crystals. The so-called cold split process is primarily intended to save material and thus be particularly efficient. Infineon intends to use this technology to split silicon carbide (SiC) wafers. The aim is to double the number of chips in a wafer.

In this way, the chip manufacturer hopes to meet the growing demand for chips through the expansion of renewable energies and electromobility.

Infineon sees the company as the world’s leading provider of semiconductor solutions. The company employs more than 40,000 people worldwide and achieved sales of 7.6 billion euros in fiscal year 2018.

Picture: Infineon.