As the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom puts intense pressure on data centre energy grids, some Chinese chipmakers are betting on highly efficient silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors to help solve the technology sector’s power problem.

Shenzhen-based Basic Semiconductor is the latest contender looking to bankroll its expansion after it passed a listing hearing earlier this week in its path to an initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong.

Founded in 2016 by graduates from Tsinghua University and the University of Cambridge, the firm is one of China’s few fully integrated device manufacturers in the SiC space, specialising in everything from chip design and wafer fabrication to module packaging.

Basic’s expected public debut underscores a broader national push to dominate the next phase of SiC technology. The firm joins peers like Silan Microelectronics and China Resources Microelectronics in a rush to supply next-generation AI infrastructure amid soaring demand.

SiC chips, made from a compound semiconductor material with exceptional heat resistance and power efficiency, have long been prized as components in electric vehicles (EVs). Now, a major new opportunity is emerging as AI demand drives the need for upgrading data centre power sources.

Nvidia’s advanced 800V Kyber rack configurations are expected to see SiC and gallium nitride (GaN) chips capture 10 to 15 per cent of the power semiconductor architecture, which was slated for mass deployment in 2027, according to research from UBS. Like SiC, GaN is a next-generation compound material that can handle higher voltages than traditional silicon.

While UBS analysts said that the global SiC market was currently oversupplied, largely due to aggressive capacity expansion by Chinese firms, they said the transition to 800V architectures in 2027 and 2028 would help absorb some of the excess inventory, supported in part by adoption of the technology by data centres.