EU Approves Nine-Figure Support for German Chip Projects

The European Commission gave its go-ahead on July 14. The funds will come from the national government of the Federal Republic of Germany and the respective governments of the regional states involved.

Germany will provide the following direct grants for the construction of microchip facilities:

• 353 million euros for the SME Element 3-5 GmbH for a facility in Baesweiler, North Rhine-Westphalia, to manufacture silicon carbide (“SiC”) epi-wafers
• 214 million euros for Vishay Siliconix Itzehoe GmbH (“Vishay”) for a facility in Itzehoe, Schleswig-Holstein, to manufacture N- and P-Channel Silicon Power MOSFETs
• 74.4 million euros for KLA-Tencor MIE GmbH (“KLA”) for a facility in Weilburg, Hesse, to manufacture advanced optical overlay and film metrology equipment
• 17.9 million euros for KETEK GmbH for a facility in Munich, Bavaria to manufacture two highly specialized chips: Silicon Drift Detectors (“SDDs”) and Graphene Radiation Entry Windows (“GREW”).

“Today’s approval of Germany’s support for four new projects in the semiconductor value chain shows Europe is turning the ambitions of the EU Chips Act into action,” said Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-Prident of the European Commission for a Clean, Just, and Competitive Transition in a statement.  “By backing innovations in semiconductors, we are strengthening our technological sovereignty and Europe's competitiveness.”

Source: European Commission