Think of silicon carbide (SiC) as a super-material for power chips — it handles higher voltages, wastes less energy as heat, and lasts longer than regular silicon. The problem is that SiC chips have been made on small wafers, which keeps costs high and volumes low. REACTION built the world's first production line using 200mm (8-inch) wafers — roughly doubling the usable area compared to the 6-inch wafers everyone else uses. That means more chips per wafer, lower cost per chip, and Europe no longer depending on the US or Japan for this critical technology.
Power electronics companies are stuck with expensive, small-format silicon carbide chips because the industry has been manufacturing on 6-inch wafers — keeping costs too high for mass-market automotive and energy applications. Meanwhile, Europe depends on US and Japanese suppliers for these critical components, creating supply chain risk. Without a European 200mm SiC production capability, companies building EVs, solar inverters, and industrial drives face both cost and availability bottlenecks.
REACTION built the world's first 200mm silicon carbide pilot production line, including epitaxial reactors, high-thermal treatment equipment, microwave plasma equipment, and gate oxidation systems. The line produced SiC MOSFETs and power diodes at 150mm scale, along with 5 working application demonstrators: a hybrid PV-wind system, a microgrid, a battery management system, battery charging modules, and an automotive high-performance converter.
If you are an EV manufacturer struggling with bulky, inefficient power converters that limit range and increase cooling costs — this project developed SiC MOSFETs and power diodes on 150mm scale, plus battery management systems and charging modules, operating in the 600V to 2.2kV range. These deliver smaller, lighter converters that waste less energy as heat, directly extending vehicle range.
If you are a renewable energy equipment maker dealing with energy losses in power conversion — this project built a hybrid PV-wind demonstrator and a low-power microgrid demonstrator using SiC-based converters. SiC devices in the 600V to 2.2kV range reduce switching losses, meaning more of the energy generated actually reaches the grid.
If you are a power electronics company facing pressure to shrink converter size while boosting efficiency — this project established a full 200mm SiC pilot line with 36 partners across 14 countries, producing high-performance automotive converters and power devices. Access to cost-competitive 8-inch SiC components means you can design more compact, efficient products without relying on non-European supply chains.
The project's core aim was cost reduction through moving from 6-inch to 8-inch (200mm) wafers, which roughly doubles usable wafer area and lowers cost per chip. Specific pricing is not published in the project data, but the 200mm scale is the industry's proven path to price parity with silicon for high-power applications.
REACTION built Europe's first 200mm SiC pilot line — not a lab setup but an actual production facility at STMicroelectronics. With 29 deliverables including substrate production, epitaxial reactors, and MOSFET fabrication at 150mm scale, this is designed for volume ramp-up. The 200mm format is the standard step toward mass production.
STMicroelectronics (Italy) coordinated the project with 22 industry partners. IP generated in EU-funded projects typically stays with the partners who created it. Contact STMicroelectronics or specific consortium members for licensing discussions on SiC devices, substrates, or equipment.
The project developed SiC converters covering the 600V to 2.2kV range. This spans most automotive (battery packs, chargers), renewable energy (solar inverters, wind converters), and industrial drive applications. Both planar MOSFETs and power diodes were produced at 150mm scale.
Currently the US and Japan dominate SiC manufacturing, mostly on 6-inch wafers. REACTION leapfrogged to 200mm with a consortium of 36 partners across 14 countries, including 22 industry players. This creates a complete European supply chain from substrate production through device fabrication to end applications.
The project delivered working demonstrators including a hybrid PV-wind energy system, a low-power microgrid, an automotive battery management system, battery charging modules, and a high-performance automotive converter. These are functional systems, not just lab prototypes.
The project closed in April 2023, but STMicroelectronics has publicly committed to SiC production expansion. The pilot line infrastructure, equipment, and process knowledge remain with the consortium partners. Based on available project data, commercial production decisions would follow from the pilot line results.
This is a heavyweight industrial consortium — 36 partners from 14 countries with a 61% industry ratio (22 companies), meaning the project was built around real production needs, not just research papers. STMicroelectronics, one of Europe's largest semiconductor companies, leads the effort. The consortium covers the entire value chain: substrate growers, equipment developers, chip fabricators, and end-user application companies in automotive and energy. With 6 SMEs in the mix alongside major corporates, there are entry points for smaller companies too. The 10 university partners provided deep materials science expertise while 4 research organizations handled process development — but industry drove the agenda.
STMicroelectronics SRL (Italy) — contact their SiC power devices division or European R&D partnerships office
Want an introduction to the REACTION consortium for SiC component supply, licensing, or technology partnership? SciTransfer can connect you with the right partner — contact us for a tailored brief.
