GlobalWafers has begun a partial resumption of operations at its Novara, Italy, plant following a fire that damaged the facility’s 8-inch production line in July.
The company has restarted epitaxial, or EPI, production while recovery work continues at the site. GlobalWafers said the recovery schedule is slightly ahead of its original plan, although the full return to normal operations remains ongoing.
The Novara facility is part of the upstream semiconductor supply chain, producing silicon-wafer products used by chip manufacturers. Any extended disruption could affect customers that rely on specialized wafer and epitaxial capacity, particularly in mature-node and power-related applications.
The partial restart reduces the immediate supply risk associated with the incident but does not mean all production has returned. The company’s progress will depend on the repair and qualification of the remaining equipment and on the pace at which customers can resume normal shipments.
