Darren Hansen, CTO Crystal Growth at Zadient:
“The SiC industry’s current correction cycle deserves clear-eyed interpretation, and this Yole-backed analysis provides exactly that. As of 2025, utilization rates have dropped to around 50% for upstream processes Semiconductor Today — a direct consequence of the 2019–2024 CapEx wave that outpaced automotive demand recovery. The key takeaway is structural rather than cyclical: the short-term slowdown masks a long-term transformation toward 200 mm production, localized supply chains, and new device architecture. Critically for crystal growth, Chinese vendors now compete head-to-head in SiC crystal growth and epitaxy, even as international players retain leadership in thinning, metrology, and advanced ion implantation Semiconductor Today. For Zadient and its peers, the implication is that competitive differentiation will increasingly hinge on process quality and IP depth rather than capacity alone — precisely the moment when crystal growth excellence becomes a decisive long-term advantage.”