II-VI KISTA AB

Their core work

II-VI KISTA AB (formerly operating as Ascatron, a specialist silicon carbide materials company based in Kista, Sweden's tech corridor) develops and supplies silicon carbide (SiC) substrates and epitaxial wafers for power electronics and microwave applications. Their core work involves growing high-quality SiC crystal layers — both conventional 4H-SiC and the more experimental 3C-SiC polytype — on silicon and SiC substrates, targeting the performance and reliability demands of next-generation power devices such as MOSFETs. They operate at the materials-to-device interface: not manufacturing finished chips, but producing the engineered semiconductor substrates that determine whether power devices can operate efficiently at high voltages and temperatures. As a small specialist in a field dominated by a handful of global suppliers, they bring deep process know-how in SiC heteroepitaxy and bulk crystal growth to European research consortia.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 project (OSIRIS, 2015–2018), the focus was on optimizing established SiC substrate quality for microwave and power circuit integration — essentially improving what already existed commercially. By their second project (CHALLENGE, 2017–2021), the emphasis had shifted decisively toward a more experimental crystal growth challenge: depositing 3C-SiC — a polytype not commercially dominant — on silicon substrates, with explicit attention to bulk growth, heteroepitaxy, and device reliability. This signals a move from substrate supply optimization toward frontier materials research, positioning the organization in the emerging segment of SiC-on-silicon that could eventually unlock lower-cost wide bandgap power devices. The trajectory points toward deeper R&D engagement rather than purely commercial substrate production.

They are moving toward more experimental SiC crystal growth techniques (3C-SiC on silicon) that could reduce the cost barrier for SiC power devices — making them a relevant partner for any consortium targeting affordable wide bandgap power electronics.

How they like to work

II-VI KISTA AB consistently joins consortia as a specialist participant rather than taking coordination roles, contributing materials expertise within larger project teams. With 22 unique partners across just 2 projects, they engage in mid-to-large consortia typical of ECSEL and RIA programs where material suppliers, device makers, and integrators collaborate along the full value chain. This pattern suggests they function as a sought-after niche supplier within European semiconductor research networks rather than as a project driver — which means working with them requires fitting their substrate/epitaxy contribution into a broader device or system-level project structure.

Despite only two projects, II-VI KISTA AB has built connections with 22 distinct partners spanning 9 countries, reflecting the broad multinational consortia typical of ECSEL Joint Undertaking and EU RIA projects in semiconductor materials. Their network likely includes SiC device manufacturers, power electronics integrators, and university research groups across Northern and Western Europe.

What sets them apart

II-VI KISTA AB occupies an extremely narrow and strategically valuable niche: SiC substrate and epitaxy expertise within a continent that has very few independent SiC materials specialists. Their focus on 3C-SiC on silicon — a polytype that most commercial suppliers have not scaled — gives them a differentiated position relative to the dominant 4H-SiC incumbent suppliers. For consortium builders in European power electronics or wide bandgap semiconductor projects, they offer rare in-house crystal growth competence that is otherwise difficult to source within the EU industrial base.

Highlights from their portfolio

• CHALLENGE
  The largest grant received (EUR 500,000) and technically the more ambitious project — targeting 3C-SiC heteroepitaxy on silicon, which remains an unsolved commercial challenge and a potential disruptor in cost-competitive SiC power device manufacturing.
• OSIRIS
  Their entry into EU collaborative research, establishing SiC substrate credentials across both microwave and power circuit domains under the ECSEL Joint Undertaking framework.