Mitsubishi Electric Corporation will double its investment plan to 260 billion yen in the five-year period to March 2026 mainly for constructing a new wafer plant to increase production of silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors.
Mitsubishi Electric aims to respond to demand for SiC power semiconductors for electric vehicles as well as expanding markets for new applications that require low energy loss, high temperature operation or high-speed switching.
Mitsubishi Electric will use approximately 100 billion yen to construct a new 8-inch SiC wafer plant and enhance related production facilities. The new factory, which will incorporate an owned facility in the Shisui area of Kumamoto Prefecture, will produce 8-inch SiC wafers.
Mitsubishi Electric will also enhance its production facilities for 6-inch SiC wafers to meet growing demand in this sector.
In addition, Mitsubishi Electric will invest 10 billion yen in a new factory that will consolidate existing operations, currently dispersed throughout the Fukuoka area, for the assembly and inspection of power semiconductors.
Mitsubishi Electric will use the remaining 20 billion yen for equipment enhancements, environmental arrangements and related operations.