Bosch, a German automotive parts and semiconductor company, said on July 13 it had begun sample production at its Roseville, California, chip plant, its first semiconductor production site in the US.

The company bought the former TSI Semiconductors facility in 2023 and is retooling it for about US$2 billion.

Bosch said it is finalizing an agreement with the US Commerce Department for support under the CHIPS and Science Act, after previously signing a non-binding preliminary memorandum for up to US$225 million in proposed direct funding and about US$350 million in proposed loans, subject to due diligence and milestones.

The Roseville facility is designed to manufacture and test silicon carbide power semiconductors on 200-millimeter wafers.

Initial chips this year will be samples for customer trials, with broader production planned later. Potential applications include electric vehicle inverters, charging systems, data centers, hybrid vehicles, and defense applications.

The project expands US silicon carbide manufacturing capacity rather than creating a new segment, as Wolfspeed already operates a domestic end-to-end supply chain.

🔗 Source: Reuters