II-VI Incorporated to Acquire Ascatron and Outstanding Interests in INNOViON for Vertically Integrated Silicon Carbide Power Electronics Technology Platform

• Ascatron AB - Kista, Sweden: Silicon carbide (SiC) epitaxial wafers and devices for power electronics
  
  
• INNOViON Corporation - Colorado Springs, CO, U.S.: Ion implantation technology and services for semiconductor devices
• Transactions expected to close by the end of calendar year 2020
• Acquisitions complement the technology licensed from General Electric (NYSE: GE) to manufacture SiC devices and modules for power electronics

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- II-VI Incorporated (Nasdaq: IIVI), a leader in compound semiconductors, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all the outstanding shares of Ascatron AB, a leader in silicon carbide (SiC) epitaxial wafers and devices for power electronics. II-VI also announced that it will acquire all the outstanding interests of the owners of the parent of INNOViON Corporation, a leader in ion implantation technology for silicon and compound semiconductor devices. Both transactions are scheduled to close by the end of calendar year 2020. 

Ascatron produces state-of-the-art SiC epitaxial wafers and devices that enable a wide range of high-voltage power electronics applications. Ascatron is led by a team of experts in wide-bandgap materials with more than 200 person-years in the SiC and semiconductor industry, bringing world-class competence to SiC development and production processes.

INNOViON is the largest provider of ion implantation services in the world, with 30 implanters across a global footprint that support unique capabilities in semiconductor materials processing for up to 300 mm wafers. INNOViON’s processes enable doping in a wide range of semiconductors, including silicon carbide, gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, and silicon, to produce advanced devices.

“The technology platforms of Ascatron and INNOViON are best in class and a perfect complement to our market-leading SiC substrates, our global large-scale wafer fabrication footprint, and the SiC device technology we recently licensed from GE,” said Dr. Vincent D. Mattera, Jr., Chief Executive Officer, II-VI Incorporated. “While we continue to serve our existing customers with our advanced materials and components, we will combine these capabilities to achieve one of the world’s most advanced, in-house, vertically integrated 150 mm SiC technology platforms. This builds upon our deep expertise in SiC substrates and adds advanced SiC epitaxy, device fabrication, and module design to meet the rapidly growing demand for SiC power electronics.”

SiC represents a disruptive technology in power electronics with its differentiated advantages that are pivotal to electric vehicles, renewable energy, microgrids, and power supplies for data storage and communications. SiC achieves superior efficiency, higher energy density, and lower total system-level cost of ownership compared with state-of-the-art silicon-based devices. Power electronics based on SiC have demonstrated their potential to have a highly beneficial impact on the environment via significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption.

As a part of its vertical integration strategy, II-VI is leveraging its broad engineered materials and optoelectronic device technology platforms, as well as its manufacturing capabilities around the globe, to drive scale and innovation through the development of high-performance compound semiconductor devices. 

About II-VI Incorporated

II-VI Incorporated, a global leader in engineered materials and optoelectronic components, is a vertically integrated manufacturing company that develops innovative products for diversified applications in communications, materials processing, aerospace & defense, semiconductor capital equipment, life sciences, consumer electronics, and automotive markets. Headquartered in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, the Company has research and development, manufacturing, sales, service, and distribution facilities worldwide. The Company produces a wide variety of application-specific photonic and electronic materials and components, and deploys them in various forms, including integrated with advanced software to support our customers. For more information, please visit us at .

CONTACT:  Mark Lourie

                    Vice President, Corporate Communications