Cree, Inc.

Cree, Inc. is a leading semiconductor corporation that sells best-in-class lighting products under its name and innovative GaN and SiC offerings under the Wolfspeed brand. Founded in 1987, the Durham, North Carolina firm employs more than 5,300 people and has manufacturing facilities in the United States and China. For the last five decades, Cree has distinguished itself within the component industry by maintaining a diverse and forward-thinking portfolio. In 1989, the firm made history by releasing the world’s first commercial blue light-emitting diode (LED). Today, the company offers a range of popular lighting solutions, including LED chips, bulbs, and fixtures. It has also become a trusted video screen and specialized automotive component provider. Because of their exceptional versatility and quality, consumer, commercial, and industrial manufacturers spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the brand’s products every year. The company's appetite for innovation has also turned Wolfspeed into a half-billion-dollar brand in recent years. The division sent shockwaves through the semiconductor sector by releasing the first commercialized SiC wafers. Refusing to rest on its laurels, the department has followed that breakthrough by developing several important radiofrequency and power devices. Cree recently made headlines with the introduction of another product with industry-disrupting potential. Wolfspeed’s 650V MOSFETs offer first-class energy efficiency, providing up to 20 percent lower switching losses than other MOSFET devices. As such, the line gives manufacturers a lower overall cost of ownership and reduced cooling needs without sacrificing durability. Because of their SiC build, the components offer a potential 300 percent greater power density than silicon parts. The 650V MOSFET family’s incredible capacity and reliability make them suitable for application in data centers, renewable energy equipment, and electric vehicle on-board chargers. Cree and its Wolfspeed brand have debuted a host of transformative innovations in the last 32 years. Judging by its latest product launches, the firm will continue to do so for many years to come.