Siltronic will cease production this Fall at one of its two Portland fabs, because of the semiconductor industry’s increasing reliance on bigger, more efficient silicon wafers.
Siltronic will cease production this Fall at one of its two Portland fabs, because of the semiconductor industry’s increasing reliance on bigger, more efficient silicon wafers.
The plant remains the sole U.S. outpost for Munich-based Siltronic AG and will continue to produce 200-millimeter silicon wafers. But the work from its aging 150-mm line will shift to a German factory, leaving 350 Portland workers without jobs.
Demand for such wafers, used in electronic devices, has declined as large technologies turn to options twice as large.
Although a handful of chip companies rely on Siltronic’s smaller wafers, its potential market is shrinking as technology advances. And upgrading the Portland waterfront site could top $1 billion, the company has said.
Read more at OregonLive.com.
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