Infineon Unveils First 300mm SiC Wafer as Chip Stocks Regain Footing

Infineon has produced what it describes as the world's first functional 300-millimeter silicon carbide wafer for power semiconductors, a milestone achieved at its Villach site in Austria. The news landed as semiconductor stocks clawed back ground, with Infineon shares closing 6.2% higher.

The rally came as investors revisited the earlier selloff in chip equities, according to Saxo Bank, which traced that slump to worries over tighter AI regulation and slower data-center investment. Friday brought a reminder of how sensitive the sector remains to politics: media reports linked pressure on AI names after the US midterm elections to fears that Democratic majorities could slow the buildout of AI data centers. Even so, Infineon stock managed a 1.8% gain that day.

Bigger Wafers, More Chips

The larger wafer diameter yields 2.3 times as many chips per wafer as 200mm production, Infineon said. The announcement covers silicon carbide power semiconductors and dovetails with the company's recent investment plans for Villach.

On October 27, Infineon unveiled a commitment of roughly EUR 1.1 billion for a high-volume gallium nitride power semiconductor line, also built on 300mm wafers. Production there is slated to begin at the end of 2027.

Supply Deals and Auto Tie-Ups

Infineon broadened its reach into the power-supply market on Wednesday by signing a three-year strategic cooperation with Vertiv covering silicon and silicon carbide power semiconductors, including components for 800-VDC power supply systems.

The automotive business got a boost as well: about a week ago, Infineon and Qualcomm struck a technology agreement to develop a microcontroller-based subsystem for Qualcomm's Snapdragon Ride reference platforms for software-defined vehicles. On the product side, Infineon on Wednesday announced its OptiMOS-7 40V MOSFET family for AI servers, data centers and telecom infrastructure — parts the company says are already available and in series production, not merely in development.

JPMorgan Sticks With Overweight

JPMorgan reiterated its "Overweight" rating on Infineon on Wednesday and kept a EUR 96 price target. Analyst Sandeep Deshpande sees the company's 2027 targets potentially coming in slightly above consensus — an expectation about future guidance rather than any reported figures.

Investors will get the hard numbers soon. Infineon has scheduled the release of fourth-quarter and full fiscal 2026 results for November 10, 2026 at 7:30 a.m. CET, and plans to publish its outlook for 2026/27 at the same time.