Former Belgan fab in Oudenaarde to manufacture photonic chips

A European investor has acquired Belgan’s fab site, the firm’s curator told the Belga news agency. The buyer, whose identity hasn’t been revealed, is planning on investing 200-250 million euros to retool the cleanrooms in Oudenaarde for photonic chip manufacturing. Belgan’s manufacturing equipment and other assets have previously been sold separately.

Spawned from US firm Onsemi, Belgan tried to reinvent itself as a gallium nitride (GaN) foundry in 2022 to capitalize on the growing momentum of this material in power semiconductors, particularly for automotive applications. The firm ran out of cash last summer and filed for bankruptcy. In addition to the European buyer, a Chinese and an Indian company have been bidding for the fab shell.