The third generation of semiconductor materials: Silicon carbide (SiC) conductor materials have undergone decades of development, and the first generation of silicon material semiconductors has approached perfect crystals, and research on silicon materials is also very thorough. The design and development of devices based on silicon materials have also undergone many generations of structural and process optimization and updates, and are gradually approaching the limits of silicon materials. The potential for improving the performance of devices based on silicon materials is becoming increasingly small. The third-generation semiconductors represented by gallium nitride and silicon carbide have excellent material physical properties, providing greater space for further improving the performance of power electronic devices.

1. What is silicon carbide?

SiC is a compound semiconductor material composed of silicon (Si) and carbon (C). Its bonding force is very strong, and it is very stable in thermal, chemical, and mechanical aspects. There are various polytypes (polycrystalline forms) in SiC, and their physical property values vary. 4H SiC is most suitable for power components.

2. What is the use of silicon carbide?

The third-generation semiconductor high-power power electronic devices represented by SiC are currently one of the fastest developing power semiconductor devices in the field of power electronics. As a typical representative of the third generation semiconductor materials, silicon carbide is also one of the most mature and widely used wide bandgap semiconductor materials in crystal production technology and device manufacturing. Currently, it has formed a global industry chain for materials, devices, and applications. It is an ideal semiconductor material for high-temperature, high-frequency, radiation resistant, and high-power applications. Due to the significant reduction in energy consumption of electronic devices, silicon carbide power devices are also known as the "green energy devices" driving the "new energy revolution".

1) Semiconductor lighting field

LEDs using silicon carbide as a substrate have significant advantages in high-power LEDs due to their higher brightness, lower energy consumption, longer lifespan, and smaller unit chip area.

2) Various motor systems

In high-voltage applications above 5 kV, semiconductor silicon carbide power devices are applied in both switching losses and surge voltages, with a maximum reduction of 92% of switching losses. The power consumption of semiconductor silicon carbide power devices is significantly reduced, and the heating capacity of the equipment is significantly reduced, further simplifying the cooling mechanism of the equipment, miniaturizing the equipment volume, and greatly reducing the consumption of metal materials for heat dissipation.

3) Power electronics fields such as new energy vehicles and uninterruptible power supplies

The new energy vehicle industry requires semiconductor power modules for inverters (i.e. motor driven) to have far greater reliability than ordinary industrial inverters when handling high intensity currents; In high current power modules, semiconductor silicon carbide modules with better heat dissipation, high efficiency, speed, high temperature resistance, and high reliability fully meet the requirements of new energy vehicles.

The miniaturization of semiconductor silicon carbide power modules can significantly reduce the power loss of new energy vehicles, enabling them to operate normally at high temperatures of 200 ℃. Lighter and smaller equipment reduces weight, reducing the energy consumption caused by the weight of the car itself.

Semiconductor silicon carbide materials not only play an important role in the energy-saving of new energy vehicles, but also play an outstanding energy-saving and environmental protection role in power electronics fields such as high-speed rail, solar photovoltaic, wind energy, power transmission, UPS uninterrupted power supply, etc.

4) Make electronic devices smaller in size

Reduce the size of the laptop adapter by 80% and reduce the size of a substation to the size of a suitcase. This is also a promising aspect of silicon carbide semiconductors.

With the country‘s emphasis on third-generation semiconductor materials, the semiconductor material market in China has developed rapidly in recent years. Among them, materials mainly composed of silicon carbide have received much attention. Despite this, industrial challenges still need to be addressed, such as China‘s manufacturing process and quality of materials not reaching the forefront of the world, heavy dependence on imports for material manufacturing equipment, and the lack of an industrial chain for silicon carbide devices. These issues need to be gradually resolved in order for domestically produced semiconductor materials to stand at the forefront of the world.