Semiconductors are used in almost every area of power electronics, whether as microprocessors, microcontrollers, IGBTs, solar cells or light emitting diodes. In order to further advance the development of promising technologies such as e-mobility or photovoltaic technology, particularly powerful semiconductors are required. This is because space requirements and weight must be kept low, while efficiency should be as high as possible. Conventional semiconductors made of pure silicon or germanium often reach their limits. This is where a new material comes in: silicon carbide.
Less waste heat, higher efficiency
The main advantage of the compound semiconductor is the high efficiency of the technology. This is because less energy is lost in the form of waste heat. At the moment of switch-off and switch-on, significantly lower energy losses occur than with conventional semiconductors made of pure silicon or germanium. This higher power density means that fewer components have to be used to achieve the same performance as before. The technology thus saves valuable space and weight – and even doubles this, since fewer or no heat sinks are required. In terms of e-mobility, for example, this means a greater range for vehicles.In addition, silicon carbide can also withstand high temperatures and voltages, making it predestined for use in regenerative power generation. But the compound semiconductor also enhances the performance of the technology in other areas such as IT infrastructure.
Costly production in small quantities
Despite these advantages, silicon carbide is still used relatively rarely in semiconductors because the components are relatively expensive. This is mainly due to the small quantities in which they are produced. The manufacturing process is complex due to the introduction of carbon atoms into the crystalline silicon.However, as this resilient material becomes increasingly established, a reduction in costs can be expected in the next few years – and with it progress in key industries. reichelt elektronik already offers Schottky diodes, MOSFETs and SiC cascodes from Infineon, STM, ROHM, Wolfspeed and UnitedSiC and is expanding its offering in this area.
