Silicon carbide - third generation semiconductor material

Semiconductor materials after decades of development, the first generation of silicon semiconductor material has been close to the perfect crystal, silicon material research is also very thorough. The design and development of devices based on silicon materials have gone through many generations of structural and technological optimization and update, and are gradually approaching the limit of silicon materials, and the potential for improving the performance of devices based on silicon materials is becoming smaller and smaller. The third generation of semiconductors represented by gallium nitride and silicon carbide have excellent material physical characteristics, providing a greater space for further improving the performance of power electronic devices.  

What is silicon carbide?  

SiC is a compound semiconductor material composed of silicon (Si) and carbon (C). Its binding force is very strong, in thermal, chemical, mechanical aspects are very stable. SiC exists a variety of polytypes (polycrystalline), their physical properties are different. 4H-sic is most suitable for power components.  

What is the use of silicon carbide?  

The third generation semiconductor power electronic devices represented by SiC are one of the fastest developing power semiconductor devices in the field of power electronics. Silicon carbide, as a typical representative of the third generation of semiconductor materials, is also one of the most mature crystal production technology and device manufacturing level, and the most widely used wide-band gap semiconductor materials, which has formed a global material, device and application industry chain. It is an ideal semiconductor material for high temperature, high frequency, radiation resistance and high power applications. Silicon carbide power devices can significantly reduce the energy consumption of electronic equipment, so silicon carbide devices are also known as the "green energy devices" to drive the "new energy revolution".  

Semiconductor lighting field  

Using silicon carbide as the substrate LED during higher brightness, lower energy consumption, longer life, smaller unit chip area, has a very large advantage in high-power LED.  

All kinds of motor systems  

In the field of 5 kv high voltage application, semiconductor silicon carbide power device on the switching loss and surge voltage are applied, can reduce switching loss, 92% of the largest semiconductor silicon carbide the obvious effects of reducing power consumption devices, the calorific value of equipment is greatly reduced, makes the equipment cooling units further simplify, equipment miniaturization volume. Greatly reduce the consumption of metal materials for heat dissipation.  

New energy vehicles and uninterruptible power supply and other power electronics  

The new energy vehicle industry requires that the semiconductor power module of the inverter (that is, the motor driven) has far more reliability than the ordinary industrial inverter when dealing with high intensity current; In the high-current power module, the semiconductor silicon carbide module with better heat dissipation, high efficiency, high speed, high temperature resistance and high reliability fully meets the requirements of new energy vehicles.  

The miniaturization of semiconductor silicon carbide power module can greatly reduce the power loss of new energy vehicles, so that it can still work normally at 200℃. Lighter, smaller devices weigh less, reducing energy consumption from the car's own weight.  

In addition to playing an important role in the energy saving of new energy vehicles, semiconductor silicon carbide materials have played an excellent role in energy saving and environmental protection in power electronics fields such as high-speed rail, solar photovoltaic, wind power, power transmission, UPS and so on.  

Make electronics smaller  

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