Coherent Expands Silicon Carbide Platform with 300mm Capability to Support Growing Demand of AI and Datacenters

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Coherent Corp., a global leader in photonics, announced a major milestone in its next-generation 300mm silicon carbide (SiC) platform to address increasing thermal efficiency demands in AI datacenter infrastructure.

Coherent, a pioneer in large-diameter SiC substrates, has leveraged its proven 200mm platform expertise to develop a next-generation 300mm solution, engineered to manage rising thermal loads, that meets the accelerating performance and scalability needs of modern datacenters. As these systems demand higher power density, faster switching, and superior thermal management, the transition to larger diameter SiC wafers unlock major gains in energy efficiency and thermal performance.

While datacenter thermal management applications are the primary focus of the platform, Coherent is also advancing its SiC technology for AR/VR devices and power electronics through continued materials innovation and expanded manufacturing capacity.

“AI is transforming the thermal-management landscape in datacenters, and silicon carbide is emerging as one of the foundational materials enabling this scalability,” said Gary Ruland, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Coherent. “Our 300mm platform, which we plan to ramp in high volumes, delivers new levels of thermal efficiency that translate directly into faster, more power-efficient AI datacenters.”

The platform’s conductive SiC substrates provide low resistivity, low defect density, and high homogeneity, enabling low-dissipation, high-frequency, and good thermal stability. In AI and data infrastructure, their superior properties boost energy efficiency and thermal performance in next-generation datacenter systems. The same technology enables thinner and more efficient waveguides for AR smart glasses and VR headsets, improving reliability in compact immersive display modules. In power electronics, the transition to 300mm allows more devices per wafer and reduces cost per chip, supporting applications such as electric vehicles, renewable energy systems and industrial automation.

The 300mm platform reinforces Coherent’s leadership in wide-bandgap semiconductor materials, enabling innovation across datacenters, optics and power applications.