Soitec
Soitec is a French multinational semiconductor-materials company specializing in engineered wafer substrates for advanced chips.
Last updated October 14, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Soitec is a France-based multinational company that develops and manufactures engineered substrates used in semiconductor production. Its best-known material is silicon-on-insulator, commonly abbreviated SOI, a wafer technology that places a thin layer of silicon over an insulating layer. Compared with conventional bulk silicon, SOI can reduce leakage, improve energy efficiency, support higher operating performance, and simplify the design of certain advanced integrated circuits. Soitec's products are supplied to semiconductor manufacturers and foundries rather than generally sold as finished consumer products. The company was created in 1992 near Grenoble by researchers associated with CEA-Leti, the French institute for microelectronics and nanotechnology research. Its early development centered on Smart Cut technology, a process for transferring an ultra-thin layer of crystalline material from one wafer to another by combining ion implantation and molecular bonding. This approach made it possible to industrialize the production of SOI wafers at scale. Soitec established its first production facilities in Bernin, in the Isère department, and expanded its industrial footprint as demand grew for substrates used in computing, communications, and other electronic applications. Soitec initially focused on electronics and progressively broadened its technical portfolio. It acquired Picogiga International in 2003, adding expertise in compound semiconductor materials, and purchased Tracit Technologies in 2006, strengthening its capabilities in molecular adhesion and wafer thinning. These moves supported development beyond conventional SOI into materials such as gallium arsenide and gallium nitride, as well as technologies for radio-frequency, power, optoelectronic, and other specialized applications. The company also developed Smart Stacking, a wafer-to-wafer transfer approach applicable to image sensors, radio-frequency components, and three-dimensional integration. During the late 2000s and early 2010s, Soitec entered solar energy and lighting. Its acquisition of Concentrix Solar in 2009 gave it a concentrator-photovoltaic business, while the acquisition of Altatech Semiconductor in 2011 expanded its semiconductor-equipment activities. Soitec opened or operated manufacturing capacity in Singapore and established concentrator-photovoltaic module production in San Diego. Its solar research produced highly efficient multi-junction cells, but the company later faced the cancellation or stoppage of important solar projects. In 2015, it announced a strategic refocusing on electronics and its exit from solar activities. This marked a major narrowing of the group's business scope around semiconductor materials. The electronics portfolio subsequently expanded around several forms of engineered substrates. RF-SOI wafers are used in radio-frequency circuits for smartphones, wireless infrastructure, and connected devices. Fully depleted SOI, or FD-SOI, supports low-power and high-performance integrated circuits for applications including consumer electronics, automotive systems, communications, and the Internet of Things. Compound-semiconductor substrates based on materials such as gallium arsenide and gallium nitride serve high-frequency, power-management, LED, optical, and other applications. Smart Stacking contributes to image sensors and advanced device integration. Soitec has worked with major semiconductor companies and technology institutions on the industrialization of these platforms. Relationships and agreements involving GlobalFoundries, STMicroelectronics, Samsung, CEA-Leti, and other industry participants helped support the adoption of FD-SOI and RF-SOI manufacturing ecosystems. The company has also pursued silicon-carbide substrate capacity, including construction of the Bernin 4 facility announced in 2022. Its manufacturing, research, and commercial network has included France, Singapore, the United States, China, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Soitec's materials ultimately contribute to chips used in smartphones, tablets, computers, servers, data centers, automobiles, connected objects, and industrial and medical equipment.
History
Soitec was founded in 1992 near Grenoble, France, by two researchers from CEA-Leti. The company was established to industrialize Smart Cut technology, a wafer-engineering process developed through research connected with CEA-Leti and associated with the transfer of thin crystalline layers between substrates. The technology became the basis for commercial silicon-on-insulator wafers, which were initially aimed at improving semiconductor performance in computing and electronics. The company moved toward industrial-scale production during the 1990s. A Smart Cut licensing agreement with Shin-Etsu Handotai in 1997 supported mass production, while Soitec built its first major manufacturing site at Bernin. The company carried out an initial public offering in 1999. Bernin 2, inaugurated in 2002, was dedicated to 300-millimeter wafers, reflecting the semiconductor industry's migration toward larger wafer formats and Soitec's ambition to supply high-volume chip manufacturing. Soitec broadened its technical base through acquisitions. Picogiga International was acquired in 2003 and added expertise in III-V compound materials. Tracit Technologies followed in 2006, bringing capabilities in molecular adhesion and mechanical and chemical thinning. These acquisitions helped the company apply its wafer-transfer and substrate expertise to materials and applications beyond standard SOI. In 2008, Soitec opened a production unit in Singapore and developed operations connected with wafer recycling and later FD-SOI preparation. At the end of the 2000s, Soitec entered solar energy and lighting. The 2009 acquisition of Concentrix Solar gave the company a concentrator-photovoltaic systems business. Soitec subsequently developed CPV manufacturing capacity in San Diego and pursued projects in several markets, including South Africa. The company also invested in multi-junction solar-cell research and reported a high-efficiency cell result in 2014. However, the solar business was affected by the stoppage of important projects, and in 2015 Soitec announced that it would leave solar and refocus on electronics. This decision returned the company to a more concentrated semiconductor-materials strategy. The electronics business developed around several related platforms. Soitec supplied SOI substrates for processors and other integrated circuits, while RF-SOI became important for radio-frequency components used in mobile communications and wireless connectivity. FD-SOI emerged from cooperation involving Soitec, STMicroelectronics, and CEA-Leti and was subsequently adopted in manufacturing ecosystems involving GlobalFoundries and Samsung. Soitec entered supply and technology relationships connected with 28-nanometer and later-generation FD-SOI platforms, and it expanded volume manufacturing of 300-millimeter RF-SOI wafers in 2016. The company continued to invest in compound-semiconductor and integration technologies. It signed agreements concerning gallium-nitride wafer development, acquired EpiGaN in 2019, and supported applications in high-frequency communications, power electronics, LEDs, optical systems, and infrastructure. Smart Stacking technology enabled the transfer of processed or partially processed wafers onto other substrates and was positioned for image sensors, radio-frequency devices, and three-dimensional integration. Soitec also participated in the development of substrates for automotive, Internet-of-Things, data-center, industrial, and medical electronics. In 2018, Soitec and MBDA acquired assets of Dolphin Integration, an engineering and semiconductor-design business. In 2022, Soitec began building Bernin 4, a facility intended to support silicon-carbide wafer production. Across its history, the company has maintained an international manufacturing, research, and commercial presence while remaining headquartered in France. Its central role is upstream in the semiconductor value chain: it supplies engineered wafers and related materials that chip manufacturers process into finished semiconductor devices.
- 2022
Bernin 4 construction begins
[1]Soitec starts construction of a Bernin facility intended for silicon-carbide wafer production.
- 2019
Acquisition of EpiGaN
[1]Soitec acquires EpiGaN, reinforcing its position in gallium-nitride and compound-semiconductor technologies.
- 2018
Dolphin Integration assets acquired
[1]Soitec and MBDA acquire assets of Dolphin Integration.
- 2016
Volume manufacturing of 300-millimeter RF-SOI begins
[1]Soitec starts volume production of 300-millimeter RF-SOI wafers for radio-frequency semiconductor applications.
- 2015
Strategic return to core electronics
[1]Soitec announces an exit from solar and a renewed focus on semiconductor materials for electronics.
- 2012
FD-SOI sourcing agreement announced
[1]GlobalFoundries and STMicroelectronics announce an arrangement involving 28-nanometer and 20-nanometer FD-SOI devices.
- 2011
Acquisition of Altatech Semiconductor
[1]The acquisition adds semiconductor-equipment development capabilities to Soitec's portfolio.
- 2009
Entry into concentrator photovoltaics
[1]Soitec acquires Concentrix Solar and enters the solar-energy market with concentrator-photovoltaic systems.
- 2006
Acquisition of Tracit Technologies
[1]Soitec adds expertise in molecular adhesion and wafer thinning for broader Smart Cut applications.
- 2003
Acquisition of Picogiga International
[1]The acquisition expands Soitec's capabilities into III-V compound-semiconductor materials.
Products and positioning
A specialized semiconductor-materials supplier that enables chipmakers to improve energy efficiency, radio-frequency performance, integration density, and device functionality through engineered wafer substrates.
Engineered semiconductor substrates · 1992
Silicon-on-insulator wafers
SOI wafers consist of a thin silicon layer separated from a supporting substrate by an insulating layer. Semiconductor manufacturers process these wafers into integrated circuits for computing, communications, automotive electronics, servers, and other applications. The insulating structure can reduce parasitic capacitance and leakage compared with bulk silicon, helping designers balance performance, power consumption, and integration requirements.
Radio-frequency semiconductor substrates · 2001
RF-SOI wafers
RF-SOI substrates are engineered for radio-frequency circuits used in mobile phones, wireless connectivity, infrastructure networks, and related communications equipment. The platform supports switches, antenna-tuning components, and other RF functions by combining electrical isolation with compatibility with high-volume silicon manufacturing. Soitec began volume manufacturing of 300-millimeter RF-SOI wafers in 2016.
Low-power logic substrates · 2012
FD-SOI wafers
Fully depleted silicon-on-insulator substrates support integrated circuits designed for low power consumption and efficient performance. The technology has been developed through cooperation involving Soitec, STMicroelectronics, and CEA-Leti and has been adopted in manufacturing platforms associated with GlobalFoundries and Samsung. Target applications include connected devices, consumer electronics, automotive systems, and communications equipment.
III-V and gallium-nitride substrates · 2003
Compound-semiconductor wafers
Soitec produces and develops substrates based on compound materials including gallium arsenide and gallium nitride. These materials are used in high-frequency communications, satellite and fiber-optic systems, radar, power management, LEDs, and other optoelectronic applications. The portfolio reflects the company's expansion beyond silicon into materials whose electrical and optical properties suit specialized semiconductor devices.
Wafer-stacking and integration technology
Smart Stacking technology
Smart Stacking transfers a fully or partially processed wafer onto another substrate. It can be used across wafer diameters from 150 to 300 millimeters and with substrates such as silicon, glass, and sapphire. Applications include back-side-illuminated image sensors, radio-frequency circuits, and emerging three-dimensional integration schemes, where stacking can improve device performance or reduce form-factor constraints.
Power-semiconductor substrates · 2022
Silicon-carbide substrates
Silicon-carbide substrates are intended for power and high-temperature semiconductor applications, including systems that require efficient management of electrical energy. Soitec began construction of the Bernin 4 facility in 2022 to develop manufacturing capacity for this material. The facility represents an extension of the company's engineered-substrate strategy into a power-electronics material.
Brand decisions
2022
Expand into silicon-carbide wafer productionStrategyBackground
Demand for power-semiconductor materials created an opportunity to extend Soitec's substrate expertise beyond its established SOI and compound-semiconductor lines.
Action taken
Soitec began construction of the Bernin 4 facility, intended to produce silicon-carbide wafers.
Aftermath
The project broadened the company's manufacturing roadmap toward power electronics while retaining its French industrial base.
2015
Exit solar activities and refocus on electronicsStrategyBackground
Soitec's concentrator-photovoltaic business was affected by the stoppage of important solar projects, while the semiconductor-materials business remained central to its long-term positioning.
Action taken
The company announced a strategic shift toward electronics and a plan to leave the solar-energy market.
Aftermath
Soitec concentrated its operations and investment on SOI, RF-SOI, FD-SOI, compound-semiconductor, and related engineered-substrate technologies.
Recent events
- 2022
Soitec begins construction of the Bernin 4 silicon-carbide facility[1]
Product generation · Other
Soitec started construction of a Bernin facility intended to expand its silicon-carbide wafer capabilities, with production planned for a later stage.
- 2015
Soitec announces a strategic refocusing on electronics and plans to leave solar[1]
Other
After major solar projects were stopped or delayed, Soitec redirected its strategy toward its core semiconductor-materials business and began exiting solar activities.
Sources8 sources
- 1Soitecen.wikipedia.org
- 2Soitec acquires NOVASiC to aid industrialization of SmartSiC for automotive and industrial marketssemiconductor-today.com
- 3SOITEC BOARD ANNOUNCES CEO SUCCESSION PLAN - PIERRE BARNABE TO SUCCEED CEO PAUL BOUDRE AT THE CLOSE OF THE JULY 2022 SHAREHOLDERS MEETINGfinanznachrichten.de
- 4SOITEC: Soitec acquires NOVASiC to strengthen its Silicon Carbide wafer technologyfinanznachrichten.de
- 5SOITEC: Soitec commits to the reduction of its green gas emissions to limit climate change to 1.5°Cfinanznachrichten.de
- 6SOITEC: Soitec wins two awards for its employee share ownership schemesfinanznachrichten.de
- 7Soitec发布2021财年第二季度财报，收入达1.41欧元finance.sina.com.cn
- 8Soitec发布20财年第三季度业绩报告， 较19财年同期增长16%tech.sina.com.cn
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/soitec · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled