SiC Mass Commercialization: Present Status and Barriers to Overcome

In an increasingly electrified technology driven world, power electronics is central to the entire clean energy manufacturing economy. Silicon (Si) devices have dominated due their low cost volume production, excellent starting material quality, ease of fabrication, and proven reliability. Although Si continue improve, they are approaching operational limits primarily relatively bandgap, critical electric field, thermal conductivity that result in high conduction switching losses, poor temperature performance. Carbide’s (SiC) compelling efficiency system benefits led significant development efforts over last two decades today planar trench MOSFETs, JFETs commercially available from several vendors as discrete components or modules 650 V 1700 voltage range. High impact application opportunities, where SiC displacing incumbent counterparts, emerged include automotive rail with reduced losses cooling requirements; novel data center topologies loads higher efficiencies; variable frequency drives for efficient motors at overall cost; more efficient, flexible, reliable grid applications footprint; “more aerospace” weight, volume, reductions contributing savings. particular, insertion vehicles brings major competitive advantages a opportunity can spur economies scale lower costs. As continues grow, industry lifting barriers mass commercialization than device cost, relative lack wafer planarity, presence basal plane dislocations, reliability ruggedness concerns, need workforce skilled keep up rising demand. It should be noted many applications, reduces compared even though 2-3 counterparts. This passive component simplifications enabled by operation. this paper, we will review key aspects discuss overcoming commercialization.