India, June 3 -- Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) has announced the launch of the world's first 200mm (8-inch) industrial-grade open R&D silicon carbide (SiC) production line.

Operated by A*STAR's Institute of Microelectronics (IME), this line integrates the entire process from material growth and defect analysis to device fabrication and testing, aiming to address key challenges in SiC technology development, including high cost and fragmented expertise, and accelerate commercialization for high-power applications such as electric vehicles, power grids, and data centers.

Singapore's Second Minister for Trade and Industry, Dr. Tan See Leng, revealed that the production line will be accessible to local com...