Swedish deep-tech firm TekSiC AB has announced significant technological progress in manufacturing semi-insulating silicon carbide (SI-SiC) wafers, marking an important step toward establishing a self-reliant European supply chain for critical electronic materials.
At present, European industries lack a domestic commercial source for semi-insulating silicon carbide substrates. Unlike conductive n-type silicon carbide, which is widely deployed in automotive power electronics, SI-SiC is a specialized high-resistivity material. It serves as an essential foundation for Gallium Nitride (GaN) high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs), high-frequency radio frequency (RF) amplifiers, radar systems, satellite communications, electronic warfare, and 5G/6G cellular base stations. In addition, the material is increasingly recognized as vital for next-generation artificial intelligence hardware, AI data centers, and augmented reality (AR) smart glasses.
TekSiC’s development work is supported by the Swedish government under the collaborative project “Semiconductor, A Swedish Value Chain,” launched in March 2025 and coordinated by the Innovative Materials Arena. The consortium aims to build an end-to-end domestic supply chain ranging from raw powder to finished semiconductor devices.
Under this initiative, TekSiC produces the high-resistivity SI-SiC substrates. Linköping-based foundry SweGaN AB then deposits GaN epitaxial thin films on the wafers, allowing researchers at Chalmers University of Technology to fabricate and evaluate functioning RF and power HEMT devices. In addition, Polar Light Technologies will validate the composite wafers for use in advanced micro-LED displays.
In its latest technical breakthrough, TekSiC successfully verified the high-resistivity properties of its initial 100-millimeter substrates. Following this, project partners successfully grew uniform GaN epilayers directly onto the Swedish-made wafers, clearing the path for Chalmers University to begin active device processing. TekSiC confirmed that its growth process is already designed to transition to larger 150-millimeter wafer formats as demand grows.
Founded in 2021, TekSiC has focused on maintaining strict in-house control across its entire manufacturing value chain. The company initially developed and commercialized its proprietary Xforge physical vapor transport (PVT) growth reactors. It has since established an internal pilot facility covering wafer slicing, surface polishing, and characterization. This integrated setup allows engineers to accelerate development cycles and optimize crystal quality using the firm’s proprietary AHM technology, which helps lower production costs and reduce carbon emissions per wafer.
To support its growth, TekSiC recently closed an investment funding round led by Turbine Capital. The company plans to provide validation-ready sample wafers to prospective customers by mid-2027, followed by a second funding round to initiate commercial-scale manufacturing by late 2027.
Commenting on the milestone, Joachim Tollstoy, Chief Executive Officer of TekSiC, stated that controlling the complete manufacturing process from raw consumables to proprietary reactors enables the company to secure critical semiconductor supplies for European space, defense, and telecommunications sectors while supporting broader global market demand.
