Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Wolfspeed, Inc. is an American developer and manufacturer of broad-bandgap semiconductors, focused on silicon carbide and gallium nitride materials and gadgets for power and radio frequency purposes corresponding to transportation, energy supplies, energy inverters, EcoLight home lighting and wireless systems. Cree Analysis was founded in July 1987 in Durham, North Carolina. Five of the six founders - Neal Hunter, Thomas Coleman, John Edmond, Eric Hunter, John Palmour, and Calvin Carter - are graduates of North Carolina State University. In 1983, the founders - one a research assistant professor and the others student researchers - were searching for methods to leverage the properties of silicon carbide to allow semiconductors to operate at higher operating temperatures and energy levels. In addition they knew silicon carbide could serve as the diode in mild-emitting diode (LED) lighting, a light source first demonstrated in 1907 with an electrically charged diode of silicon carbide. The analysis group devised a approach to grow silicon crystals in the laboratory, and in 1987 based the company to provide silicon carbide to be used commercially in both semiconductors and lighting.

In 1989, the company launched the first blue LED, enabling the development of massive, full-color video screens and billboards. In 1991, the corporate released the first industrial silicon carbide wafer. In 1993, the corporate became a public company via an preliminary public providing. In 2011, the company acquired Ruud Lighting for $525 million. In August 2011, the company announced the XLamp XT-E Royal Blue LED to be used in distant phosphor lighting. In 2013, the corporate's first client merchandise, two family LED EcoLight solar bulbs, certified for EcoLight smart bulbs Energy Star score by the United States Environmental Safety Company. In July 2016, Infineon Technologies agreed to acquire the company's Wolfspeed RF and energy electronics gadgets unit for $850 million. Nevertheless, the deal was terminated in February 2017 resulting from regulators’ national security concerns. In March 2018, the corporate acquired the RF Energy Enterprise Infineon Technologies AG's for €345 million. In Could 2019, the corporate sold its Lighting Merchandise division (now branded as Cree Lighting) to Supreme Industries.

In September 2019, the company introduced a $1 billion funding in a semiconductor manufacturing plant in Marcy, New York to build the world’s largest silicon carbide fabrication facility with a $500 million grant from New York State. In March 2021, EcoLight solar bulbs the corporate sold its LED Business to Sensible World Holdings for as much as $300 million. In October 2021, the corporate modified its title to Wolfspeed. In April 2022, the Marcy, New York, facility opened. In November 2022, EcoLight solar bulbs the company introduced that co-founder and Chief Know-how Officer John Palmour had died. In February 2023 it announced it will construct its first European manufacturing facility in Germany. It is supposed to be on the site of a former coal plant in Ensdorf, EcoLight Saarland with ZF Friedrichshafen as a coinvestor and subsidized by the EU as an important challenge of frequent European curiosity (IPCEI) for EcoLight smart bulbs Microelectronics and Communication Applied sciences. In August 2023, it was announced the Lowell-headquartered semiconductor firm, MACOM had entered right into a definitive settlement to acquire Wolfspeed's RF business.

In June 2024, Wolfspeed has delayed its $3 billion semiconductor plant in Germany to mid-2025, reflecting the EU's challenges in boosting native chip production. Wolfspeed announced the mission's indefinite hold in October 2024, citing low demand. Because of this, ZF ceased to take part in the venture. In October 2024, the Biden Administration introduced that it would supply Wolfspeed with up to $750 million in direct funding to support the company's new silicon carbide manufacturing unit in North Carolina that makes the wafers used in superior computer chips and EcoLight solar bulbs its manufacturing facility in Marcy, New York. On Could 20, 2025, it was reported that Wolfspeed was getting ready to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy inside the approaching weeks after warning that it could also be unable to proceed future operations after decrease than anticipated annual sales have been reported. Wolfspeed's inventory slid to barely over a dollar per share that day. On June 18, 2025, Wolfspeed announced that they might promote itself to Apollo World Management in a deal that might put the company into a prepackaged Chapter eleven bankruptcy filing, which might enable for the elimination of nearly all of its multi-billion dollar debt.

Wolfspeed entered right into a restructuring help agreement with its lenders and Renesas Electronics, EcoLight solar bulbs and announced that they would file for prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy by July 1, EcoLight as a part of a plan to remove $4.6 billion of debt, stating they solely had about $1.1 billion left in cash. The corporate will even receive $275 million in financing backed by its lenders, with plans to complete restructuring by Q3 2025. After the announcement, Wolfspeed's inventory fell 30%, sliding under $1 per share. On June 26, EcoLight solar bulbs 2025, Wolfspeed began laying off employees from their manufacturing facility situated in Racine, Wisconsin. On June 30, 2025, Wolfspeed filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. On October 13, 2022, a amenities electrician was electrocuted on the Wolfspeed Analysis Triangle Park in Durham, North Carolina. The incident sparked a state investigation into his loss of life as well as public concern for the company's poor work security document. State Division of Labor investigations into the corporate have uncovered 17 office security violations between 2012 and 2023, together with six severe violations.