Silicon Carbide Power Devices

Silicon Carbide power devices provide an energy-efficient alternative to traditional silicon semiconductors and are used in applications ranging from electric vehicles and corporate data management systems to wind and solar energy generation.

SiC is an ideal material for power semiconductor applications due to its distinctive physical properties and wide bandgap, offering many advantages over silicon such as increased breakdown voltage and decreased power loss.

High-voltage

High voltage silicon carbide power devices offer efficient use of electricity across a variety of applications. This is achieved largely by their ability to switch at higher switching frequencies, which reduces energy usage by converting less electricity to heat and permitting the use of smaller magnets, inductors and transformers that reduce device size overall. Furthermore, silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors can handle significantly higher voltage than their silicon counterparts meaning fewer devices will be necessary in any particular situation.

Efficiency of power converters and inverters depends heavily on the performance of their power semiconductors. Silicon (bandgap: 1.1eV) has traditionally been the go-to material due to its abundance and lower price; however, due to physical limitations imposed by its material properties its performance is now reaching an impasse.

SiC’s superior physics make it an excellent replacement for silicon in high-voltage power electronics applications. SiC offers 10 times greater power density, and 10x higher breakdown intensity allowing it to reach higher voltages with thinner drift layers reducing total resistance per unit area significantly.

SiC power devices, when assembled as Schottky diodes or p+n bipolar transistors, can achieve high breakdown voltages with minimal on resistance due to their metal anode (or p+ anode) on top of an n layer heavily-doped with impurities.

SiC power devices boast low on-resistance, which translates to reduced switching losses and, thus, energy savings that make them ideal for applications including electric vehicles and renewable energy systems. While SiC devices tend to be more costly than silicon-based alternatives, developers must identify applications where their cost can be justified by potential savings such as hybrid technologies that combine silicon IGBTs with SiC schottky barrier diodes to achieve efficiency improvements without increasing module costs.

High-current

Silicon Carbide (SiC) power devices with high breakdown voltages and low power losses have received renewed attention in recent years. Their primary advantage over conventional semiconductors lies in their wide energy gap which allows smaller more efficient electronics that operate under higher temperatures, voltages, and frequencies to operate more effectively than before.

This technology holds great promise to revolutionize power electronics industry, from electric vehicles to corporate data management. At present, most power electronics use silicon-based devices with limited bandgap – however silicon’s limitations are being stretched in many power applications; wide bandgap Silicon Carbide (SiC) may provide a superior solution in such instances.

SiC is capable of withstanding much higher voltages – up to 10x more in some instances – than silicon, making it suitable for power efficient electronics that run at higher temperatures and frequencies without compromising reliability. Furthermore, SiC boasts superior thermal conductivity and electron mobility making it suitable for high-speed power applications.

A typical SiC power device consists of either a vertical MOSFET or IGBT with source and drain contacts on the bottom n+ substrate and connected by thin oxide layers to drain contacts on top n+ substrates, while its body diode counterpart features preexisting basal plane dislocation (BPD), creating stacking faults at BPDs that reduce effective active area.

Reduced on-state resistance remains one of the primary challenges associated with developing high-current SiC devices, and many approaches have been explored for addressing it, such as interface nitridation of gate oxides on trench sidewalls and increasing cell density. More recently, AFM technology has shown promise as a method for achieving reduced on-resistance in SiC power MOSFETs.

SiC power devices fabricated on the 0001 surface demonstrate less than half the on-state resistance of those fabricated on other crystal faces, which can be attributed to its higher critical electric field that reduces switching losses and increased channel mobility at the SiO2/SiC interface.

High-temperature

Silicon carbide (SiC) is an extremely durable semiconductor material, possessing excellent electrical, thermal, and physical properties. This versatile material can be made into discrete devices and power modules and operated at temperatures that could damage other semiconductor materials; additionally it boasts higher energy efficiency and better heat dissipation than most power semiconductors.

SiC is typically an insulator in its pure state; however, with the addition of impurities it can transform into a semiconductor. Doping SiC with aluminum, boron, and gallium allows it to conduct electricity more effectively due to its four major faces in its crystal structure.

Silicon carbide power electronics devices offer several distinct advantages over silicon, including their ability to withstand much higher working temperatures than their silicon counterparts and having lower switching loss and junction temperatures than traditional silicon MOSFETs, thus significantly reducing Joule heating during operation.

Note, however, that the maximum allowable operating temperature for SiC power modules varies based on their design and packaging. To increase reliability of these units, direct bond copper (DBC), consisting of thick Cu foil adhered onto Al2O3 substrate has proven capable of withstanding temperatures as high as 500degC without degrading over time.

Reducing contact resistance is another essential element of developing high-temperature power electronics, achieved through improving the quality of ohmic contacts and Schottky interfaces. At high temperatures, contact resistance should remain below 0.1 ohm so as to avoid degradation of devices.

Power converters and MEMS devices that must operate in harsh environments require high-temperature components that can withstand their environment. This article covers state-of-the-art technologies for these components, such as SiC power devices and modules, gate drives, passive components, as well as key factors promoting their performance within this extreme temperature environment. Furthermore, comparisons are provided regarding their composition materials, physical structures, packaging technologies as well as packaging technologies used.

High-frequency

Silicon Carbide (SiC) is an advanced semiconductor material used to increase the efficiency of power conversion systems. SiC provides higher breakdown voltage, lower power loss and faster switching than traditional silicon devices; additionally it features an energy band gap which enables it to work at higher temperatures and frequencies; making this technology revolutionary in power electronics.

SiC is an exceptionally efficient conductor of electricity, enabling it to handle high voltages and currents without producing heat, saving significant amounts of energy in power converters that operate 24 hours a day and also helping manufacturers create smaller devices with reduced cooling requirements.

SiC is currently experiencing rapid expansion within the power electronics industry due to its many advantages over traditional silicon power devices. Not only are its high-voltage and temperature capabilities impressive, but these devices also boast greater reliability over silicon transistors for longer product lifetimes and can be produced at lower costs – making them more accessible across a range of applications.

SiC power semiconductors outshone traditional silicon devices by boasting lower on-state losses that can save up to 70% of total power converter loss, which helps significantly reduce size and weight while improving performance. Furthermore, SiC is an efficient thermal conductor than silicon and reduced cooling system costs and production costs are minimized as a result.

SiC IGBTs provide high voltage and current in a compact package. These devices can be used in applications ranging from DC/DC converters, fluid pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration to DC/DC conversion and air conditioning. Furthermore, their modular nature makes assembly straightforward.

This report on the ultra-high voltage SiC power device market for HVDC transmission examines it from multiple angles, covering key parameters such as company overview, business strategies, products portfolio segment analysis, Porter’s Five Forces analysis value chain analysis key trend analysis as well as recent developments and providing a comprehensive view of this industry.