Power engineers sometimes need to play both roles simultaneously. Although the price of specified components is still expensive, there is usually a complex cost-benefit relationship between the cost of components and the improvement effects they can bring, which will continue to change over time and is often difficult to quantify. For example, power semiconductors. As a relatively new disruptive innovation technology, SiC is bound to have a high price when first commercialized. Although most engineers are aware that SiC has potential advantages over silicon-based products such as IGBT and Si MOSFET, they still place it at the end of the "optional" list. However, with the continuous decline in SiC prices and the continuous improvement of its performance, the reliability of SiC has been proven, and its position in the minds of engineers has also been continuously improved. It has now become a substitute for existing old technology components and a starting point for new designs. The use of SiC depends on the specific application. Solar and electric vehicle engineers were the first to adopt this technology, as improving efficiency has always been a high priority consideration in their field. But with the reduction of wafer costs, improved performance, the value of energy conservation, and the reduction of related component costs, there is no reason why engineers in wider application fields should not make any changes.

SiC has many inherent advantages, such as high critical breakdown voltage, high operating temperature, excellent conduction resistance, as well as small grain area, good switching loss quality factor, and fast switching speed. The latest device of the United SiC "3rd generation" SiC-FET, which uses normally closed common source and common gate, further expands its application range. For 1200V and 650V devices, our latest product in the UF series has the lowest on resistance in its class, less than 9 milliohms and 7 milliohms, respectively. This series of devices has low loss body diode effect, can maintain inherent robustness under overvoltage and short circuit conditions, and is as easy to drive as Si MOSFET or IGBT. In fact, after using TO-247 packaging, these devices can serve as simple replacement devices for most Si MOSFET or IGBT components, providing you with instant performance improvement. In response to the new design, UnitedSiC has also launched a low inductance, thermal performance enhanced DFN8x8 package, which utilizes the high-frequency function of SiC-FET.

The "visionaries" incorporate user and environmental benefits into the value equation, and due to system energy-saving considerations, they are increasingly inclined to use SiC-FET for design. There are still many things we can do. If we design the system around SiC-FET, we can increase the switching frequency and even eliminate components such as split rectifier diodes and buffer networks without significantly reducing efficiency. In addition, the size, weight, and cost of other related components such as heat sinks, inductors/transformers, and capacitors will also be reduced. In extreme cases, the entire cooling system, which is inherently inefficient, can even be removed, thereby saving more costs. Especially in the application of electric vehicle traction inverters, the improvement of efficiency is a virtuous cycle. Because SiC based inverters use lighter components, the battery life after charging becomes longer, which further extends the vehicle‘s driving range.

SiC technology is still evolving and is expected to further improve performance. In the next generation of products, the conduction resistance will further decrease with the reduction of switch losses, the rated voltage will also increase, the wafer size will further shrink, and the output will be increased, thereby achieving cost reduction. In the future, there will also be more variant versions and a wider range of packaging options available for applications with higher voltage and power levels.

Oscar Wilde also said, "Success is a science; if the corresponding conditions are met, corresponding results can be obtained. The current conditions are very suitable for SiC and will only get better and better. When calculating value, the cost of not using UnitedSiC products for innovation may surprise you.