US Onsemi Completes 1.4 Trillion KRW Investment in Bucheon Power Semiconductor Expansion... World's Largest Scale

1.4 Trillion Investment... Hiring 1,000 Domestic Employees

Onsemi, the world's second-largest power semiconductor company based in the United States, has invested 1.4 trillion KRW to expand its silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductor business by increasing production facilities in South Korea. The world's largest SiC power semiconductor production facility has been established domestically, and Onsemi announced plans to hire about 1,000 employees in South Korea to expand production.

On the morning of the 24th, Onsemi held a completion ceremony for the state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, the 'S5 Line,' at its Bucheon plant in Gyeonggi Province. The ceremony was attended by Onsemi officials including CEO Hasan El Kououry, local community members, key customers, and partners. Also present were Yeom Tae-young, Deputy Governor of Gyeonggi Province for Economic Affairs, Cho Yong-ik, Mayor of Bucheon, Yang Hyang-ja, CEO of Korea Hope, and Ahn Ki-hyun, Executive Director of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association.

Hassan El Kouri, CEO of Onsemi, is speaking at the completion ceremony of the S5 line at the Bucheon plant in Gyeonggi-do on the 24th. /
Photo by Kim Pyeonghwa

The Bucheon plant serves as Onsemi's domestic production hub. The company invested 1.4 trillion KRW last year to build the S5 production line to expand SiC power semiconductor production, and it has now completed preparations for operation. The S5 line consists of two buildings: one factory building and one utility building, and it is connected to the existing lines (S1, S2, S3, S4) to enhance production efficiency. When fully operational, it can manufacture over 1 million 200mm (8-inch) SiC wafers annually.

Onsemi plans to increase SiC power semiconductor production based on the expanded facilities. The company has set a goal to increase SiC power semiconductor production tenfold by 2025 through the Bucheon plant. The Bucheon SiC production line will start with 150mm (6-inch) wafer production and will switch to a 200mm SiC production line once the 200mm SiC process is certified in 2025.

Onsemi plans to hire up to 1,000 employees domestically over the next three years during this process. This represents a 40% increase over the current workforce of approximately 2,300 employees. CEO Kououry stated, "The Bucheon wafer fab is a critical site for building a fully integrated SiC supply chain and for ongoing success," adding, "We hope this expansion of production facilities will accelerate global electrification."

Power semiconductors are system semiconductors that perform power conversion, current distribution, and control functions in electronic devices. They are used in various applications including home appliances, mobile devices, communication infrastructure, electric vehicles, and servers. Recently, power semiconductors made of new compounds such as SiC have attracted attention. The semiconductor industry expects that demand for SiC power semiconductors will exceed supply for the foreseeable future.

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