On September 12, news emerged indicating that TSMC is actively distributing collaboration invitations, urging equipment manufacturers and compound semiconductor companies to join a project. This project involves the adoption of 12-inch single-crystal silicon carbide (SiC) for thermal dissipation substrates, aiming to replace the conventional alumina, sapphire, or ceramic substrates.

With the escalating thermal loads generated by AI computing, traditional thermal dissipation materials are proving inadequate, resulting in a decline in chip performance. Silicon carbide, boasting a thermal conductivity range of 400-500W/mK, significantly surpasses the 200-230W/mK offered by ceramic substrates. This makes it a more suitable choice for meeting the thermal dissipation requirements of data centers and high-performance AI computing.

Presently, 6-inch SiC wafers dominate the market, with 8-inch wafers poised to become the future standard. However, the 12-inch SiC that TSMC requires has relatively lower structural defect requirements, though the cutting technology remains a critical factor. Additionally, NVIDIA has also expressed its intention to incorporate silicon carbide substrates as interposer materials in the packaging of its upcoming generation of GPU chips.