Bosch is set to invest on extending semiconductor production in Reutlingen

Bosch has been developing and manufacturing semiconductors for over 60 years.
In an additional move to combat the ongoing global chip shortage, Bosch plans to further extend its wafer fab in Reutlingen.
More than a quarter of a billion euros is to be invested in creating new production space and the necessary clean-room facilities between now and 2025.
This will give Bosch the firepower to meet the continuously growing demand for chips used in mobility and IoT applications.
“We are systematically expanding our manufacturing capacity for semiconductors in Reutlingen,” Robert Bosch GmbH Chairman of the Board of Management, Dr Stefan Hartung, said.
“This new investment will not only strengthen our competitive position, but will also benefit our customers and help combat the crisis in the semiconductor supply chain.”
Bosch says the effects of the crisis are apparent in Australia, with the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries’ reporting new vehicle sales in November 2021 down 15.3 percent compared to the same month in 2020. 
The construction of a new extension in Reutlingen will create an additional 3,600 square meters of ultramodern clean-room space.
As of 2025, this additional capacity will produce semiconductors based on technology already in place at the Reutlingen plant.
Bosch is also extending an existing power supply facility and will construct an additional building for media supply systems serving both the new and existing production areas. The new production area is scheduled to go into operation in 2025.  
The Reutlingen wafer fabs use 150- and 200-millimeter technology, while the Dresden plant makes chips on 300-millimeter wafers.
Both employ cutting-edge manufacturing methods based on data-driven process control.
“AI methods combined with connectivity have helped us achieve continuous, data-driven improvement in manufacturing and thereby produce better and better chips,” said Markus Heyn, Member of the Board of Management of Robert Bosch GmbH and Chairman of the Mobility Solutions business sector.
This includes the development of software to enable automated classification of defects. Bosch is also using AI to enhance materials flows. With its high level of automation, this state-of-the art production environment in Reutlingen will safeguard the plant’s future and the jobs of the people working there. 
“Bosch is already a leading chip manufacturer for automotive applications, and this is a position we intend to consolidate.”
Measures to achieve this include the development and manufacture of chips made of silicon carbide, which Bosch has been producing since December 2021.
Chips made of this innovative material are destined to play an increasingly important role in electromobility. Bosch states it is currently the only automotive supplier worldwide manufacturing power semiconductors made of silicon carbide.

For more information, visit www.bosch.com.au