SK keyfoundry, a leading 8-inch pure-play foundry in Korea, announced plans to accelerate the development of its Silicon Carbide (SiC)-based compound power semiconductor technology, reinforcing its presence in the global power semiconductor market. Leveraging its advanced manufacturing capabilities and extensive intellectual property (IP) portfolio across the semiconductor value chain, the company recently acquired SK Powertech — a specialist in SiC technology. This strategic acquisition is expected to significantly enhance SK Keyfoundry’s technological competitiveness and strengthen its position in the rapidly growing SiC sector.
Drawing on decades of manufacturing expertise, SK Keyfoundry has developed extensive process optimization and yield enhancement technologies, covering everything from wafer fabrication to back-end operations. Through the acquisition, the company has gained access to SK Powertech’s proven SiC process and design technologies, creating strong synergy across both firms’ capabilities. As SK Powertech is among the few domestic companies with commercialized SiC power devices and core process technologies, the merger provides SK keyfoundry with a solid foundation for technological independence in SiC power semiconductors.
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Building on this foundation, SK keyfoundry aims to introduce a 1200V SiC MOSFET process technology by the end of 2025 and officially launch its SiC-based power semiconductor foundry services in the first half of 2026. The company plans to extend its process portfolio to support high-voltage and high-efficiency applications, including electric vehicle powertrains, industrial power converters, and renewable energy inverters. To meet these goals, SK Keyfoundry is strengthening its process optimization and reliability evaluation systems while forming a dedicated team to deliver tailored SiC solutions for global clients.
In recent years, global demand for compound power semiconductors, including SiC, has been rapidly growing. Adoption of SiC is accelerating across industries where energy efficiency has become a key competitive factor, such as electric vehicles, Energy Storage System (ESS), 5G infrastructure, and data centers. According to market research firm Omdia, the global SiC market is expected to grow at a robust annual rate of over 24% from 2025 to 2030. Amid these market shifts, SK keyfoundry aims to position the SiC-based power semiconductor sector as its next-generation growth engine and expand collaboration with domestic and international customers to increase its global market share.
“The acquisition of SK powertech, a specialist in SiC, marked a pivotal step for SK keyfoundry in securing its own distinctive technological edge in the compound semiconductor field,” said Derek D. Lee, CEO of SK keyfoundry. “By combining the core development capabilities of both companies and launching high-efficiency SiC power semiconductor process technologies and products, SK keyfoundry aims to establish differentiated technological leadership in the rapidly growing global market for high-voltage and high-efficiency compound semiconductor applications.”
