Wolfspeed Commercially Launches TSiC Transparent Silicon Carbide for AR Eyewear Optics

US-based Wolfspeed announced on October 29 the commercial launch of TSiC, a technology producing optically transparent silicon carbide. The company now offers optical wafers specifically designed for waveguide displays in augmented reality glasses. The material features a high refractive index, hardness, and thermal conductivity, enabling compact optics with wide fields of view without multi-layer structures. Technical specifications for 4H polytype monocrystalline wafers include light absorption below 0.05 cm⁻¹ (450–650 nm), surface roughness under 1 nm RMS, and nominal thickness of 500 µm ± 20 µm. Commercial sizes are 150 mm and 200 mm diameters, with 300 mm samples available upon request. While prior prototypes like Orion and Goeroptics modules demonstrated SiC's utility, Wolfspeed has not disclosed prices, production volumes, or customer names, leaving the immediate effect on consumer AR eyewear costs undetermined.