意法半导体获10亿欧元融资，加码SiC产能布局

Core Insights - STMicroelectronics has signed a €1 billion credit facility agreement with the European Investment Bank, with the first tranche of €500 million already disbursed [1][3] - This marks the 9th collaboration between the two parties since 1994, with a total financing amount of €4.2 billion, aimed at supporting semiconductor R&D and large-scale manufacturing projects in Italy and France [1][3] - 60% of the funds will enhance manufacturing capabilities at key production sites in Catania and Agrate, while 40% will be allocated for technology R&D, aligning with the EU's green transition and technological sovereignty goals [1][3] Company-Specific Developments - A key beneficiary of the agreement is the Catania facility, which is planned to be a full supply chain wafer plant for silicon carbide (SiC), integrating 8-inch SiC power device manufacturing, packaging, and testing [1][3] - The total investment for the Catania plant is €5 billion, with prior support of €2 billion from the Italian government; the new €1 billion credit will further support construction and capacity ramp-up [1][3] - Once fully operational, the Catania facility is expected to achieve an annual production capacity of 720,000 wafers (15,000 wafers per week), significantly enhancing global SiC supply capabilities [1][3] R&D Focus and Market Outlook - The R&D portion of the funding will focus on overcoming challenges related to the migration and process optimization of the 8-inch SiC production line [2][4] - Compared to the current mainstream 6-inch wafers, 8-inch wafers have an area increase of 1.78 times, which can significantly reduce the cost of SiC chips after substrate price optimization, making it a key strategy for STMicroelectronics to address market price fluctuations and strengthen competitiveness [2][4] - The company anticipates that its SiC business will enter a high-growth phase by 2026, driven by electrification projects in Europe and China, as well as high-power solutions for AI data centers [2][4] - SiC devices have already achieved large-scale applications in new scenarios such as electric vehicle main drive inverters, onboard chargers, and fully active suspension inverters, with the capacity expansion aimed at meeting the upcoming market demand [2][4]