Silicon carbide (SiC), as the core material of the third-generation semiconductors, is profoundly changing multiple fields due to its excellent physical and electrical properties. The following table summarizes its main applications and advantages for a quick overview:
Application Areas Main Application Scenarios Advantages of Silicon Carbide (SiC) Related Technology/Product Examples
New Energy Vehicles Main Drive Inverter, On-Board Charger (OBC), DC-DC Converter Improves efficiency, increases driving range (reportedly up to 6% 8), and reduces system weight and volume Hybrid SiC Modules1, SiC MOSFETs
Charging Infrastructure DC Fast Charging Stations Improve charging efficiency, support high-power fast charging, and reduce charging time
Photovoltaic Power Generation and Energy Storage PV Inverters, Power Storage Converters (PCS) Improve photoelectric conversion efficiency (reportedly SiC diodes can increase by 1.5% to 2% compared to silicon-based systems 6), reduce system losses, and increase power density SiC Diodes6, SiC MOSFETs
Industrial Power Supplies and Data Centers Server Power Supplies, Telecom Power Supplies, Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) Improve power efficiency, increase power density, and reduce energy consumption and heat dissipation requirements Toshiba’s 650V SiC MOSFET
5G Communications and RF Devices RF power amplifiers, filters, etc. Semi-insulating silicon carbide-based RF semiconductor devices with excellent high-frequency, high-temperature, and high-power performance.
Smart Wearables and AR/Optical Waveguides: Diffractive waveguides for AR glasses and ultra-thin lenses. High refractive index, high hardness, and high thermal conductivity enable wide fields of view, full-color imaging, eliminate optical artifacts, and contribute to device thinning and lightweighting (e.g., 0.55mm-thin AR lenses) and cost reduction (substrate costs are expected to drop significantly in the future). High-purity semi-insulating substrates made from 12-inch silicon carbide ingots and ultra-thin silicon carbide diffractive waveguides.
Rail Transit and Smart Grid: Traction converters, power electronic transformers (PET), and high-voltage direct current transmission. High withstand voltage and low loss improve system efficiency and reliability.
Main Types of Silicon Carbide Devices
Silicon carbide is primarily used in the semiconductor industry to manufacture the following devices, which are the foundation for the aforementioned applications:
Silicon Carbide MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors): Particularly suitable for high-frequency, high-voltage, and high-efficiency applications, such as the main inverter of new energy vehicles. Current technology has enabled low on-resistance (for example, Yangjie Technology’s third-generation SiC MOS platform boasts an on-resistance below 3.33mΩ.cm²³) and high-temperature operation (for example, Infineon’s CoolSiC™ MOSFET G2 series can operate at 175°C normally and 200°C under overload conditions).
Silicon carbide diodes (primarily Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs)): Featuring virtually no reverse recovery current, they are particularly well-suited for high-frequency switching applications, such as photovoltaic inverters and on-board chargers, significantly reducing switching losses.
Silicon carbide modules: Multiple silicon carbide chips (such as MOSFETs and diodes) are integrated and packaged to form a power module. For example, the main drive module for new energy vehicles (NEVs) offers advantages such as higher power density and improved reliability.
🔧 Silicon Carbide’s Core Advantages
Silicon carbide’s ability to bring about these revolutions stems from its exceptional material properties:
High breakdown field strength: This allows silicon carbide devices to operate at higher voltages, making them suitable for high-voltage applications.
High thermal conductivity: Facilitates heat dissipation, allowing devices to operate at higher temperatures and simplifying cooling systems.
High electron saturation drift velocity: Enables SiC devices to operate at higher frequencies, thereby reducing the size and weight of passive components (such as inductors and capacitors) in the system.
Wide bandgap: Provides SiC devices with excellent high-temperature stability and radiation resistance.
🌐 Current Development Status of the SiC Industry
The SiC industry is experiencing rapid growth and expansion:
Continued Market Growth: The SiC power device market is expected to exceed US$10.3 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) exceeding 20% over the next five years.
Technology Upgrades: Wafer size is moving from the mainstream 6-inch to 8-inch (which can reduce unit costs by over 30%) and 12-inch wafers.
Gradually Improving the Industrial Chain: Domestic companies are actively developing and making progress in substrates, epitaxy, device design, manufacturing, and module packaging.
Cost Trends: With improvements in material quality, larger wafer sizes, enhanced manufacturing processes, and expanding industry scale, the cost of silicon carbide devices is gradually decreasing, paving the way for large-scale application in a wider range of fields.
💎 Summary
With their superior physical and electrical properties, silicon carbide semiconductors are becoming a key driver of innovation and upgrades in new energy vehicles, renewable energy, industrial power supplies, 5G communications, and consumer electronics. Although the current manufacturing cost of silicon carbide devices (especially MOSFETs) is relatively high and the process requirements are stringent, with continuous technological advancements, continued industry development, and continued expansion, costs are expected to fall further, and their application prospects are promising.