Beijing:Nexperia’s Chinese subsidiary has announced a breakthrough in semiconductor production, saying it has achieved small batch manufacturing of 12 inch wafer bipolar discrete devices. The development comes at a time when tensions remain between the Chinese unit and the company’s headquarters in the Netherlands.
The Chinese subsidiary said the achievement marks an important step in strengthening its own research, development and manufacturing capabilities. The company described the progress as a milestone that could improve efficiency and expand production capacity.
A 12 inch wafer is a large silicon disc used to produce semiconductor chips. Manufacturing chips on larger wafers allows companies to produce more chips in each production cycle and reduce overall costs. It is also seen as an important stage in modern semiconductor manufacturing.
The announcement comes as the Chinese unit faces a growing dispute with the Dutch headquarters of Nexperia. The company, headquartered in the Netherlands, is owned by China’s Wingtech Technology. Differences between the two sides have intensified in recent months over management control and operations.
Earlier this month, the Chinese subsidiary reported that many employee accounts and internal systems were disabled by the headquarters, causing temporary disruptions to some operations. The unit said most of its systems have since resumed normal functioning.
The dispute has also affected supply chains. The Chinese subsidiary said it had begun sourcing silicon wafers from domestic suppliers after supplies from the parent company were interrupted.
Industry observers say the conflict has raised concerns about the stability of global semiconductor supply chains. Nexperia produces billions of chips each year that are widely used in cars, smartphones, power devices and industrial electronics.
China’s commerce ministry has also warned that the dispute could affect global chip availability if it continues to escalate.
The new production milestone suggests the Chinese subsidiary is trying to strengthen its technological independence while the conflict with its Dutch headquarters remains unresolved. Analysts say the situation reflects wider tensions in the global semiconductor industry as countries compete to secure control over critical chip technologies.