News Detail

Amid the accelerating wave of domestic substitution in the third-generation semiconductor silicon carbide (SiC) industry, thermal field materials—core consumables in the substrate crystal growth process—have long been monopolized by foreign manufacturers from the United States, France, and Germany. With a domestic substitution rate of less than 20%, they have become a key bottleneck constraining cost reduction and efficiency improvement in China's SiC industry. Jiangsu Guanhe New Material Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Grand-Hope") has broken this monopoly barrier through technological breakthroughs. Leveraging cross-domain integration capabilities, large-scale supply strength, and forward-looking capacity planning, it has grown into a benchmark enterprise for "strengthening and supplementing the industrial chain" in China's SiC thermal field materials sector. Its industry position is reflected not only in the hard power of its products and technology but also in its strategic value in supporting the autonomous and controllable supply chain of the entire SiC industry.

I. Breaking the "Stranglehold": From "Catching Up" to "Running Alongside," Filling the Gap in Domestic High-End Thermal Field Materials

The quality of SiC substrate crystal growth directly depends on three core indicators of high-temperature thermal field materials: temperature resistance stability, thermal conductivity uniformity, and structural reliability. These have long been dominated by foreign companies. Domestic enterprises either relied on imports (high unit prices and unstable supply chains) or struggled with product performance meeting advanced process requirements. The emergence of Grand-Hope has fundamentally changed this landscape.

In terms of technological foundation, Grand-Hope has established a unique "cross-domain integration advantage." On one hand, it draws on prior application experience in the semiconductor and photovoltaic fields to precisely understand downstream customers' process adaptation needs for thermal field materials. On the other hand, it collaborates with European carbon fiber technology teams to overcome challenges in material formulation and molding processes, forming a closed-loop technological system of "core formulation + non-standard customized automated equipment + full-process quality control." Its core product, silicon carbide hard felt, fully matches leading American, French, and German manufacturers in key indicators such as temperature resistance (suitable for crystal growth environments above 2300°C), thermal field uniformity (error controlled within 3%), and service life (40% longer than comparable domestic products), while reducing costs by 15%-20% compared to imported products. It has become one of the few domestic enterprises capable of achieving "no compromise in performance, yet more optimized costs."

More crucially, Grand-Hope has overcome the industry-wide challenge of transitioning from "laboratory technology" to "industrial-scale production." Mass production of SiC thermal field materials requires not only meeting technical standards but also passing stringent certification by leading downstream customers (typically taking 1-2 years). To date, Grand-Hope has become one of the very few domestic manufacturers to pass verification by leading domestic SiC substrate companies like Tianyue Advanced and Jingsheng Mechanical & Electrical, and to achieve batch supply. This fills the gap of "no scalable domestic alternative for high-end thermal field materials" and is driving the domestic substitution rate for the thermal field segment in China's SiC industry chain from less than 20% towards 30%.

II. Core of the Supply Chain: Partnering with Leading Customers, Becoming a "Key Partner" in the SiC Capacity Expansion Wave

As the global SiC substrate market enters a period of explosive growth (market size exceeding $1 billion in 2023, projected to reach $6 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 30%), leading domestic substrate companies are launching capacity expansion plans. Thermal field materials, as "essential consumables," directly determine the pace of this expansion with their supply capability. Leveraging the advantages of "stable mass production + rapid response," Grand-Hope has deeply embedded itself into the mainstream domestic SiC supply chain, becoming a "trusted partner" for downstream companies' expansion.

From the perspective of customer collaboration, Grand-Hope' products are not merely "import replacements"; instead, the company engages in a "joint R&D" model with downstream customers. It provides customized thermal field solutions based on different customers' crystal growth furnace models and process parameters. For example, the "second-generation thermal field material" optimized for a leading enterprise can improve substrate crystal growth efficiency by 8% and increase yield by 3 percentage points, directly helping customers reduce unit production costs. This "customer demand-driven technological iteration" elevates Grand-Hope beyond the traditional "supplier" role, positioning it as a "process optimization partner" for downstream enterprises.

Regarding supply stability, Grand-Hope began its capacity layout as early as 2021 with its subsidiary in Henan as the starting point. Currently, its Phase I project has achieved stable mass production. The Phase II project involves an additional investment of 150 million RMB, planning an annual output of 500 tons of carbon fiber thermal field materials. Upon reaching full capacity, the annual output value is expected to exceed 500 million RMB. This scale of production capacity can not only meet the current demands of leading domestic customers but also proactively match the incremental demand post-2025 from SiC substrate capacity expansion, mitigating the risk of "domestic substitution capacity failing to keep pace with industry growth." It provides crucial support for the stability of China's SiC supply chain.

III. Dual Boost from Capital and Capacity: Solidifying Industry Position, Leading the Second Half of Domestic Substitution

A company's industry position requires validation through both technology and market, as well as support from capital and capacity. Since its establishment, Grand-Hope has gained continuous recognition from the capital market due to its clear strategic positioning and solid execution capabilities: in May 2024, it completed a Pre-A round of financing led by Addor Capital; in April 2025, it secured joint investment from Yonghua Investment, Anhui Reform and Development Fund, and Cornerstone Capital. Investors in both rounds are professional institutions focused on hard tech and new materials. Their investment rationale is based not only on optimism about the growth prospects of the SiC industry but also on recognition of Grand-Hope' technological barriers and value in domestic substitution.

Capital injection further feeds back into capacity and R&D: On the capacity front, equipment debugging for the Phase II project at the Henan base is underway. It will employ more advanced automated production lines, increasing production efficiency by 50% compared to Phase I, with product yield stabilized above 99%. On the R&D front, Grand-Hope' "second-generation thermal field material" has entered the pilot-scale testing stage and is expected to achieve mass production before 2025. By optimizing the fiber composite structure, this product can reduce thermal conductivity by an additional 10% and increase the temperature resistance limit to 2500°C, further widening the gap with domestic peers and moving towards "international leadership."

It is noteworthy that Grand-Hope' industry value is also reflected in "promoting industrial chain synergy." The recycled short carbon fiber scrap technology used in its production process not only reduces its own raw material costs but also promotes the circular economy within the carbon fiber industry chain. Furthermore, its self-developed non-standard customized equipment provides a reference model for the domestic substitution of thermal field material equipment, creating a synergistic innovation effect across "materials - equipment - application."

IV. Industry Value: Beyond "Substitution," Aiming to "Reshape the Landscape"

The industry position of Grand-Hope essentially reflects both the "depth of domestic substitution" and its "contribution to the industrial chain." Its breakthrough not only frees domestic SiC enterprises from dependence on imported thermal field materials but also, through "cost reduction + performance optimization," indirectly promotes the affordability of SiC substrates. Estimates suggest that domestic substitution in the thermal field material segment alone can help domestic SiC substrate companies reduce unit costs by 8%-12%, laying the foundation for the large-scale application of SiC devices in fields like new energy vehicles and energy storage.

From an industry trend perspective, as the silicon carbide sector transitions from "technical validation" to "large-scale application," competition in thermal field materials will shift from "whether substitution is possible" to "whether it can be superior." Grand-Hope has proactively established its second-generation product line, scaled production capacity, and a collaborative R&D model with customers. Its core competitiveness is no longer merely the "first-mover advantage in domestic substitution," but rather the "sustained capacity for technological iteration" and the "deeply integrated industry chain ecosystem." This competitive edge positions the company not only as the current "domestic frontrunner" but also as a potential future "key player" in the global silicon carbide thermal field materials arena.

Conclusion

In the journey towards domestic substitution in third-generation semiconductors, Grand-Hope' industry position is no coincidence. It broke the monopoly through technological breakthroughs, supports the industrial chain with scaled-up supply, and solidifies competitiveness with capital backing, ultimately growing from "filling a gap" to "defining standards." For China's SiC industry, the value of Grand-Hope lies not only in "manufacturing domestic thermal field materials" but also in proving that "domestic materials can be better and more cost-effective than imports." With the release of its production capacity and continuous technological iteration, Grand-Hope will continue to lead the second half of domestic substitution for SiC thermal field materials, injecting stronger momentum into the autonomous and controllable development of China's third-generation semiconductor industry.