“With the acquisition of TSI Semiconductors, we are establishing manufacturing capacity for SiC chips in an important sales market while also increasing our semiconductor manufacturing, globally,” said Dr. Stefan Hartung, Chairman of Stuttgart-based Bosch, in announcing the company's $1.5 billion acquisition of Roseville, CA-based TSI Semiconductors. “The existing clean-room facilities and expert personnel in Roseville will allow us to manufacture SiC chips for electromobility on an even larger scale.”

The facility currently produces large volumes of chips on 200-millimeter silicon wafers for applications in the mobility, telecommunications, energy, and life sciences industries, according to Bosch. The company plans to product instead on silicon carbide in 2026.

Bosch says the Biden Administration's Chips and Science Act is a factor in its investment, along with “economic development opportunities” in the state of California. The company also cited strong demand for chips in the automotive industry, which is expected to require an average of 25 chips per vehicle by 2025, as a positive factor.

Back in Germany, Bosch says it has invested more than 2.5 billion euros its Reutlingen and Dresden facilities since 200-millimeter technology was introduced in 2010.

Photo from Bosch.