SK Siltron begins liquidating US SiC unit amid Doosan sale talks

SK Siltron’s liquidation of its U.S. SiC wafer unit reflects deeper fractures in the global wide-bandgap semiconductor landscape. The move erodes North America’s domestic SiC substrate capacity, pushing Infineon and STMicroelectronics toward Wolfspeed or Taiwan-based suppliers, accelerating supply chain regionalization. Under U.S. CHIPS Act scrutiny, foreign-owned fabs face rising compliance costs and operational constraints—making exit a rational risk-mitigation play. Competitors like Coherent and ROHM will likely seize the vacuum to lock in automotive and IDM partnerships with expanded U.S./EU capacity. Over the next 12–24 months, expect ‘technology silos’: the U.S. enforcing closed-loop ecosystems, East Asia optimizing cost and yield, and Europe vying for automotive SiC standard-setting power. SK isn’t retreating—it’s reallocating capital to its Korean 8-inch SiC line, betting on next-gen power devices as the true battleground.