Wacker Considers Sale Of Siltronic

German specialty chemical producer Wacker Chemie says it may sell—or float on the financial markets—its Siltronic silicon wafer subsidiary. Siltronic is the world’s third-largest producer of silicon wafers with annual sales of about $1 billion, or 20% of Wacker’s total sales. But making wafers is a capital-intensive business and the sale could free up resources for Wacker’s specialty chemical and polysilicon units. “Reshaping Siltronic’s ownership structure could be beneficial for both Wacker and Siltronic,” Wacker CEO Rudolf Staudigl says. Siltronic produces wafers in Germany, Oregon, and Singapore.