Renesas to Invest and Restart Operation of Kofu Factory as 300mm Wafer Fab Dedicated for Power Semiconductors

By Tiera Oliver

Associate Editor

Embedded Computing Design

May 19, 2022

News

Renesas to Invest and Restart Operation of Kofu Factory as 300mm Wafer Fab Dedicated for Power Semiconductors

Renesas announced that it will conduct a 90-billion-yen worth investment in its Kofu Factory, located in Kai City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. While the Factory was closed in October 2014, Renesas intends to reopen the fab in 2024 as a 300-mm wafer fab capable of manufacturing power semiconductors.

Renesas anticipates rapid growth in demand for electric vehicles (EVs), and therefore plans to enhance its production capacity for power semiconductors such as IGBTs, in order to contribute toward decarbonization. Per the company, once the Kofu Factory reaches its mass production, the total production capacity of Renesas’ power semiconductors will double.

The Kofu Factory of Renesas Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Renesas, previously operated both 150mm and 200mm wafer fabrication lines. To boost its production capacity, Renesas decided to utilize a remaining building of the factory and revive it as a 300mm wafer fab dedicated to power semiconductors.

With the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s Strategy for Semiconductors in consideration, Renesas plans to conduct its investment within the year of 2022, while closely coordinating with the Ministry. While this investment will not have a material impact on Renesas’ performance for the year of 2022, an announcement will be promptly issued if, following this investment, any material impact is made.

Outline of the Kofu Factory

  • Official Name: Kofu Factory, Renesas Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
  • Address: 4617 Nishiyahata, Kai City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan
  • Size of Clean Room: 18,000 square meters
  • Prospective Products: IGBT, Power MOSFET

For more information, visit: www.renesas.com/us/en

Tiera Oliver, Associate Editor for Embedded Computing Design, is responsible for web content edits, product news, and constructing stories. She also assists with newsletter updates as well as contributing and editing content for ECD podcasts and the ECD YouTube channel. Before working at ECD, Tiera graduated from Northern Arizona University where she received her B.S. in journalism and political science and worked as a news reporter for the university’s student led newspaper, The Lumberjack.

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