SK group unit will acquire DuPont's silicon carbide wafer business

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SEOUL -- SK Siltron, the semiconductor wafer unit of South Korea’s SK Group, will acquire DuPont's silicon carbide (SiC) wafer business as the group bolsters its electric vehicle business by expanding production facilities and acquiring foreign companies.

SK Siltron said Tuesday that its board endorsed the proposed acquisition of DuPont's SiC wafer section for $450 million. SK Siltron offers polished wafers, solar substrates, and crystal ingots to electronics manufacturers.

SiC is a semiconductor containing silicon and carbon. SiC grains can be bonded together by sintering to form very hard ceramics that are widely used in applications requiring high endurance. SiC has emerged as the leading semiconductor material to replace silicon in power electronics as it is used in semiconductor electronics devices that operate at high temperatures or high voltages.

The SK Group has invested heavily in batteries for electric vehicles. In June, SKC, a polyester film and chemical material manufacturer, signed a deal to acquire KCF Technologies, a leading producer of copper foil for lithium-ion batteries, from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, a U.S-based private equity fund, for $1.01 billion.

Lim Chang-won cwlim34@ajunews.com

SK group unit will acquire DuPont's silicon carbide wafer business

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