Silicon Carbide Industry Trends

Silicon carbide has recently made headlines due to its promising semiconductor properties, giving rise to speculation that it can replace silicon in applications like power electronics in electric vehicles and advanced sensors for extreme conditions.

SiC semiconductors can reduce energy losses and increase power conversion efficiencies, driving market growth over the forecast period. The 1-inch to 4-inch wafer segment held the highest market share in 2021.

Power Electronics

Silicon carbide is revolutionizing power electronics with its unique physical and electronic properties, offering designers numerous benefits that include higher efficiency, lower costs and extended lifespans. Its high voltage resistance is 10 times that of ordinary silicon and even outperforms gallium nitride for systems exceeding 1000V; making it suitable for many different applications such as electric vehicle chargers to high speed inverters and sensor systems.

EV charging systems utilizing SiC semiconductor devices provide faster charge time, improved performance, and long-term reliability for EV charging systems. Furthermore, these advanced technologies reduce greenhouse gas emissions while improving sustainability within the automotive industry – increasing worldwide as manufacturers increase focus on electric mobility. Demand for these advanced technologies will only continue to increase over time.

Silicon carbide power modules market is expected to experience moderate growth over the forecast period due to Asia Pacific’s growing adoption of electric vehicles and their charging infrastructure, coupled with increasing focus on renewable energy sources driving market expansion.

SiC power devices are more energy-efficient than their silicon counterparts and operate at higher frequencies and temperatures, as well as having reduced energy loss and cooling requirements, thus improving performance and durability. They are commonly found in battery chargers, on-board chargers, DC-DC converters, hybrid electric vehicles, wind turbines, solar power inverters, MRI power supplies and X-ray power supplies among many other power electronics applications.

The global silicon carbide industry is highly competitive and fragmented. To remain relevant in this environment, various players have implemented strategies like product launches, agreements, partnerships, collaborations contracts and acquisitions in order to strengthen their standing in the industry. Furthermore, innovative technology solutions will also help keep them ahead of their rivals in this highly fragmented sector.

Automotive

Silicon Carbide (SiC) market for automotive applications has seen rapid expansion over the last several years due to increasing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). SiC-based power semiconductor devices offer lower switching losses and reduced conduction losses than their silicon-based counterparts, helping EVs achieve improved energy efficiency with longer driving ranges.

As focus on carbon emission reduction increases in transportation sector, demand for high-efficiency electric vehicle (EV) battery systems and charging infrastructure increases as does SiC-based power electronics in drivetrains, which help reduce converter size while improving overall vehicle efficiency.

Power semiconductors in the automotive segment are expected to lead the silicon carbide industry over the forecast period. Their wide bandgap allows them to operate at higher voltages and frequencies, significantly improving power conversion equipment such as inverters and chargers in electric vehicles (EVs), leading to reduced energy consumption and operating costs.

SiC is widely utilized in industrial applications that involve grinding and cutting operations, due to its exceptional hardness and wear resistance properties that ensure its long-term viability in these environments. As such, SiC can be found widely used in manufacturing facilities as well as motor drives due to its ability to withstand harsh conditions and temperatures.

North American silicon carbide industry is expanding quickly due to increasing demand for SiC-based power semiconductors. Electric vehicle adoption is driving SiC adoption across EV drivetrains and charging infrastructure, while 5G networks expansion and industrial automation initiatives also contribute to its expansion. Furthermore, major SiC manufacturers such as ROHM Co. Ltd, ON Semiconductor, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation Renesas Electronics Corporation Toshiba Corporation all play key roles in driving regional silicon carbide industry expansion.

Aerospace

Silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor devices have long been recognized for their superior thermal and radiation tolerance and long-term dependability in harsh environments, making them ideal for aerospace applications. Silicon carbide components tend to be more resilient and long-lived, making SiC semiconductor devices the superior choice.

SiC is composed of silicon and carbon atoms in an equal ratio, and its crystal structure can either be hexagonal or cubic. SiC is an extremely durable material with incredible hardness and strength, as well as being lighter than many traditional aerospace materials like titanium and steel.

SiC is known for its durability, but it also delivers enhanced performance in higher-powered applications due to its wide bandgap which enables it to operate at higher frequencies, voltages, and temperatures than standard silicon chips – making it ideal for aircraft engine applications where versatility is of the utmost importance.

Aerospace is one of the fastest-growing markets for silicon carbide, and CoolCAD’s technology plays a pivotal role in its expansion. Our expertise in analyzing SiC semiconductors in bulk and spatially resolved ways ensures our customers receive superior products. Dopants may be added to SiC semiconductors to alter electrothermal properties and achieve specific electronic characteristics – including bandgap, breakdown voltage, electron mobility etc – making selecting suitable dopants imperative to producing high-performance electronics.

The 10 inches & above segment is projected to experience the fastest rate of growth over the forecast period. This is driven by commercial availability of SiC wafers that enable fabrication of gallium nitride (GaN) devices, including power devices and LEDs. SiC wafers offer superior electrical properties than silicon ones for power device fabrication resulting in improved performance of power devices; additionally energy-saving solutions have contributed towards its growth as a market segment.

Medical

Silicon carbide (SiC), commonly referred to as Carborundum, is a hard industrial material composed of silicon and carbon. Found naturally only in extremely rare minerals like moissanite, this substance has been mass produced since 1893 as powders or colorless crystals for use in ceramic bonds as hard ceramics that possess both semiconductor and insulator characteristics. With an Mohs hardness rating of 9 and Mohs hardness of 9 rating on Mohs scale.

SiC is a versatile material, capable of withstanding high temperatures, low losses and operating in high-voltage environments – characteristics which make it suitable for use in power electronics applications. Electric vehicles’ popularity as sustainable transportation options has driven demand for SiC devices that deliver higher power density and efficiency.

As commercial market trends shift towards lower-voltage applications, the US Department of Defense has found itself without access to high-voltage SiC technology that would enhance mission critical capabilities. Unfortunately, this situation will continue until government allocates strategic funding for research into crystal growth and device manufacturing processes for SiC.

Optoelectronics companies such as II-VI Incorporated and Cree have taken advantage of 150mm SiC substrates to develop LED and laser products using 150mm substrates, further fuelling segment growth. Furthermore, SiC has become more prevalent than ever in high energy laser and lighting applications which will further bolster this segment’s growth. SiC is becoming an attractive wide bandgap semiconductor alternative to silicon devices due to its significantly higher breakdown voltages and operating temperatures compared with silica. SiC is an ideal material choice for applications requiring greater reliability in harsh environments, including terrestrial electric vehicle power electronics and instruments used on rovers and probes used in space exploration (Mantooth, Zetterling and Rusu). Furthermore, SiC does not contain toxic metals that would compromise its use; making it a particularly good fit for applications needing high performance yet cost-efficient components.

Energy Storage

As global energy demands can fluctuate dramatically, meeting these spikes reliably is one of the driving factors of renewable energy and e-mobility initiatives. One way of meeting fluctuating energy requirements is with battery-based Energy Storage Systems (ESS), which store electricity ready to deliver when necessary.

Power stages in ESS such as DC/DC boost converters, bidirectional inverters and battery charging circuits can reap significant advantages by choosing SiC semiconductors for their higher switching frequencies, reduced losses and lower operating temperatures resulting in smaller package sizes and overall system costs. SiC devices also boast superior figures of merit than their silicon counterparts, leading to more energy-efficient designs with higher power densities that meet increasing demand from residential, commercial, industrial and utility levels.

SiC Schottky diodes and MOSFETs from Wolfspeed offer an extensive range of power levels in energy storage applications, spanning discrete devices up to full 5.6kV half-bridge power modules. Their packaging options–bare die as well as current-rated WolfPACK modules–meet the needs of different energy storage systems.

These devices can easily be integrated into existing ESS designs without major adjustments, which speeds development turnaround times. Furthermore, passive components may also be utilized with these devices to further optimize thermal management costs and footprint reduction. Their use may lead to significant BOM cost reductions by decreasing cooling expenses; ultimately enabling manufacturers to offer more cost-effective ESS solutions on the market – especially as this market expands. In addition, stored energy from EV batteries may be reused at grid level to extend lives and lower emissions – making ESS an integral part of renewables mix.