GE Aerospace and Wolfspeed Sign MOU to Accelerate High-Voltage Silicon Carbide Adoption Across Aerospace, Defense, and Industrial Markets
GE Aerospace and Wolfspeed have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at accelerating the development and adoption of high-voltage silicon carbide (SiC) technology across a broad range of sectors, including industrial systems, aerospace platforms, and defense applications. The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that sets the foundation for joint efforts to standardize next-generation SiC-based power modules and strengthen the underlying supply chain ecosystem.
The partnership comes at a time when global demand for more efficient, compact, and high-performance power electronics is rising rapidly. With electrification expanding across industries and advanced defense and aerospace systems requiring increasingly sophisticated power management solutions, both GE Aerospace and Wolfspeed are positioning silicon carbide as a key enabler of future technological transformation.
Advancing High-Voltage Silicon Carbide Technology
At the core of the agreement is the development of high-voltage silicon carbide power modules designed to support advanced applications such as solid-state transformers, industrial electrification systems, and next-generation aerospace and defense platforms. These modules are expected to significantly enhance system performance by reducing the need for multiple series-connected devices, thereby simplifying power architectures.
Traditional silicon-based power electronics are increasingly limited in high-voltage, high-efficiency applications due to constraints in switching speed, thermal performance, and energy losses. Silicon carbide, by contrast, offers superior material properties, including higher breakdown voltage, faster switching capability, and improved thermal conductivity. These characteristics enable more compact and efficient power systems, making SiC particularly attractive for mission-critical applications where size, weight, and reliability are essential.
Through their collaboration, GE Aerospace and Wolfspeed aim to establish industry standards for high-voltage SiC modules. This standardization effort is intended to reduce complexity in system design, accelerate adoption across industries, and ensure interoperability and scalability of next-generation power systems.
Strengthening Supply Chain Resilience
In addition to technological development, the MOU also emphasizes the importance of supply chain resilience. The global semiconductor industry has faced significant disruptions in recent years, highlighting the need for secure and scalable sourcing strategies, particularly for advanced materials like silicon carbide.
Under the collaboration, GE Aerospace and Wolfspeed intend to strengthen domestic supply capabilities for high-power SiC modules. Wolfspeed, already recognized as a leader in silicon carbide manufacturing, brings significant production expertise, including high-volume 200 mm SiC wafer fabrication. This manufacturing capability is seen as critical to scaling the technology to meet growing demand across multiple sectors.
By working together, the companies aim to ensure a more stable and secure supply of advanced power components, reducing dependency on fragmented global supply chains and supporting long-term industrial and defense readiness.
Executive Perspectives on the Collaboration
Leadership from both organizations emphasized the strategic importance of the partnership and its potential to reshape the power electronics landscape.
Kris Shepherd, President of Electrical Power at GE Aerospace, highlighted the complementary strengths of the two companies. He noted that both GE Aerospace and Wolfspeed have independently contributed to pioneering advancements in power electronics, and that the collaboration brings together deep expertise to accelerate innovation.
According to Shepherd, the joint effort is expected to help build a strong and resilient value chain for high-power silicon carbide technologies. He emphasized that the shared objective is to enable smaller, more efficient, and more reliable high-voltage systems that can meet the increasing demands of modern aerospace, industrial, and defense applications.
From Wolfspeed’s perspective, Chief Executive Officer Robert Feurle underscored the urgency of addressing rising global power demands driven by artificial intelligence, electrification trends, and next-generation defense systems. He noted that these developments are placing unprecedented pressure on existing power infrastructure, which traditional silicon technologies are increasingly unable to support efficiently.
Feurle stated that GE Aerospace and Wolfspeed are uniquely positioned to provide the foundational building blocks required for high-voltage silicon carbide systems. He also emphasized the importance of domestic sourcing and the need to accelerate time-to-power for new systems. According to him, high-voltage silicon carbide is now reaching production readiness precisely when the market is experiencing a critical power delivery gap.
GE Aerospace’s Advancements in Silicon Carbide Systems
GE Aerospace has already made significant progress in applying silicon carbide technology in real-world applications. The company recently qualified high-voltage power units for U.S. military ground vehicles, marking an important milestone in demonstrating the readiness of SiC-based systems for defense applications.
These qualified systems highlight the growing maturity of silicon carbide technology in demanding operational environments. Military platforms require extremely high reliability, durability, and efficiency, particularly in harsh and variable conditions. The successful qualification of these power units underscores GE Aerospace’s ability to translate advanced semiconductor materials into deployable, mission-ready systems.
In addition, GE Aerospace has advanced its internal research and development efforts in silicon carbide device technology. The company recently demonstrated its fourth-generation silicon carbide MOSFET devices at its Research Center in Niskayuna, New York. These devices are designed to deliver improved switching speed, higher efficiency, and greater durability compared to previous generations.
Such advancements are particularly important for aerospace and defense applications, where system performance is closely tied to power density and thermal efficiency. Faster switching speeds and reduced energy losses directly translate into lighter, more compact systems—an essential advantage in aircraft, satellites, and advanced military platforms.
Wolfspeed’s Leadership in Silicon Carbide Manufacturing
Wolfspeed plays a central role in the global silicon carbide ecosystem, particularly through its leadership in high-volume manufacturing. The company has established itself as a key supplier of 200 mm silicon carbide wafers, which represent a significant advancement in scaling SiC production.
Larger wafer sizes enable higher output and improved cost efficiency, making silicon carbide more commercially viable for widespread adoption. Wolfspeed’s manufacturing capabilities are therefore critical in bridging the gap between laboratory-scale innovation and large-scale industrial deployment.
In addition to its manufacturing leadership, Wolfspeed recently introduced the world’s first commercially available 10 kV silicon carbide MOSFET. This breakthrough device has been recognized as a PCIM Top Innovation, reflecting its significance in advancing the performance frontier of power electronics.
The 10 kV MOSFET opens new possibilities for high-voltage applications in industrial systems, artificial intelligence infrastructure, and aerospace and defense platforms. Its availability marks a major step toward enabling systems that require extreme voltage handling while maintaining high efficiency and reliability.
Enabling Next-Generation Power Systems
The collaboration between GE Aerospace and Wolfspeed is expected to accelerate the deployment of silicon carbide across several critical application areas.
In industrial electrification, high-voltage SiC systems can improve energy efficiency in power distribution networks, renewable energy integration, and heavy industrial operations. Solid-state transformers enabled by SiC technology can replace traditional bulky transformer systems with more compact and efficient alternatives.
In aerospace applications, silicon carbide can significantly reduce system weight and improve thermal performance, both of which are essential for improving fuel efficiency and extending operational range. Advanced aircraft increasingly rely on electrified systems, including propulsion support, onboard power distribution, and avionics, all of which benefit from more efficient power electronics.
In defense systems, silicon carbide enables more resilient and compact power architectures for vehicles, radar systems, directed energy systems, and other advanced military platforms. The ability to operate efficiently under extreme conditions makes SiC particularly suitable for mission-critical applications where reliability cannot be compromised.
Industry Implications and Future Outlook
The partnership between GE Aerospace and Wolfspeed reflects a broader industry shift toward wide-bandgap semiconductor technologies, particularly silicon carbide and gallium nitride. As global energy systems become more electrified and digitalized, demand for high-performance power electronics is expected to continue rising.
By focusing on both technological innovation and supply chain resilience, the collaboration addresses two of the most important challenges facing the semiconductor industry today: scaling advanced materials into mass production and ensuring secure access to critical components.
If successful, the initiative could accelerate the commercialization of high-voltage silicon carbide systems and establish new industry benchmarks for performance, efficiency, and reliability. It may also encourage broader adoption across additional sectors beyond aerospace, defense, and industrial markets, including transportation, renewable energy, and advanced computing infrastructure.
The MOU between GE Aerospace and Wolfspeed marks a significant step forward in the evolution of high-voltage silicon carbide technology. By combining GE Aerospace’s expertise in advanced aerospace and defense systems with Wolfspeed’s leadership in silicon carbide manufacturing, the partnership aims to accelerate innovation, standardize next-generation power modules, and strengthen supply chain resilience.
As electrification trends intensify and global power demands continue to grow, high-voltage silicon carbide is emerging as a critical enabling technology. This collaboration positions both companies at the forefront of that transformation, with the potential to reshape how power is generated, managed, and delivered across some of the world’s most demanding industries.
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