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Silicon Carbide in Semiconductor
2025-01-16

Silicon Carbide in Semiconductor

                                           (SiC Products used in Semiconductor Produced by Wintrustek)



Silicon carbide, or SiC, is a semiconductor base material made entirely of silicon and carbon. SiC can be doped with phosphorus or nitrogen to create an n-type semiconductor, or with beryllium, boron, aluminum, or gallium to create a p-type semiconductor.

 

Advantages

  • High maximum current density

  • 120–270 W/mK of high thermal conductivity

  • A low 4.0x10^-6/°C coefficient of thermal expansion

 

Silicon Carbide has exceptional electrical conductivity due to these three properties, especially when contrasted to SiC's more well-known relative, silicon. Due to its unique properties, SiC is a very desirable material for high power applications requiring high temperatures, high current, and high thermal conductivity.

SiC has emerged as a major force in the semiconductor business, supplying power to power modules, Schottky diodes, and MOSFETs for use in high-efficiency, high-power applications. SiC allows for voltage thresholds of over 10kV, although it is more expensive than silicon MOSFETs, which are normally limited to breakdown voltages at 900V.

Additionally, SiC can handle high operating frequencies and has very low switching losses, which enables it to reach efficiencies that are currently unmatched, particularly in applications that operate at voltages higher than 600 volts. SiC devices can cut size by 300%, total system cost by 20%, and converter and inverter system losses by over 50% when used properly. Because of this total system size decrease, SiC can be very helpful in applications where weight and space are critical.

 

Application

 

Solar industry

 

Efficiency and cost reduction are also significantly impacted by SiC-enabled inverter modification. When silicon carbide is used in solar inverters, the switching frequency of the system is increased by two to three times compared to silicon standard. This increase in switching frequency makes it possible to reduce the magnetics in the circuit, which saves a significant amount of space and money. Consequently, inverter designs based on silicon carbide can be almost half as large and heavy as those based on silicon. SiC's strong endurance and dependability over other materials, such as gallium nitride, is another reason that pushes solar experts and manufacturers to employ it. Because silicon carbide is dependable, solar systems can reach the sustained lifetime required to run continuously for more than ten years.

 

 

EV usage

 

The EV and EV charging systems industry is one of the biggest growing areas for SiC semiconductors. From a vehicle perspective, SiC is a great option for motor drives, which includes electric trains as well as the EVs that travel our roads.

 

SiC is a great option for motor-drive power systems due to its dependability and performance. Moreover, using SiC can reduce system size and weight, which are important factors for EV efficiency, due to its high performance-to-size ratio and the fact that SiC-based systems frequently require using fewer overall components.

 

The application of SiC in EV battery-charging systems is also expanding. The length of time it takes to recharge batteries is one of the main obstacles to EV adoption. Manufacturers are searching for methods to shorten this time, and SiC is often the solution. The utilization of SiC power components in off-board charging solutions allows EV charging station makers to optimize charging performance by taking advantage of SiC's high power delivery capabilities and fast switching speed.The outcome is up to a 2x quicker charging time.

 

 

Uninterruptible power supplies and data centers

 

The role of data center is becoming more and more important to companies of all sizes and industries as they undergo digital transformation.

 

SiC could operate colder without compromising performance and had higher thermal efficiency. Additionally, data centers using SiC components may house more equipment in a smaller footprint due to their increased power density.

 

Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), which help guarantee systems remain operational even in the event of a power outage, are an additional feature of these data centers. Because of its dependability, effectiveness, and capacity to provide clean power with minimal losses, SiC has found a place in UPS systems. There will be losses when a UPS converts DC power to AC power; these losses reduce the amount of time a UPS can supply backup power. SiC contributes to lowering these losses and raising UPS capacity. When space is limited, UPS systems that have a higher power density can also operate better without taking up more room, which is important.

 

To conclude, SiC is going to be an important component of semiconductor design for many years to come as applications expand.


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