Silicon carbide chips could transform power electronics, enabling electric vehicles to achieve longer driving ranges and more efficient energy management systems. They can operate at higher temperatures, voltages, and frequencies than their silicon semiconductor counterparts.
Bosch already acquired an existing fab in Roseville with plans of converting it to produce SiC chips; however, there are numerous obstacles which must be overcome before any manufacturing can start taking place.
High-Voltage Applications
Electric vehicles are becoming more and more popular, creating an ever-increasing need for power electronics that can handle high voltages. Silicon is beginning to show its limitations here; wide bandgap semiconductors like silicon carbide become essential in this regard.
Silicon carbide stands apart from silicon in that its atomic structure produces a larger difference between its conduction and valence bands, enabling higher temperatures, voltages and frequencies for operation – this opens up new applications for silicon carbide.
Silicon transistors require frequent cooling in order to avoid melting or destroying themselves when switching at high voltages, increasing overall costs of the device. On the other hand, silicon carbide transistors can switch at higher frequencies without compromising performance or reliability, meaning fewer components need be included in an EV’s inverter and thus creating a smaller, lighter design overall.
Silicon carbide makes this possible due to its superior electric field strength; with nearly 10x that of conventional silicon, lower ON resistance per area, and increased voltage withstand capabilities through thinner drift layers; providing silicon carbide with the capability of meeting all aspects of power electronics required by electric vehicles and battery-powered industrial equipment.
High-Power Applications
Silicon carbide chips have gained momentum as governments around the world strive for reduced emissions and more fuel-efficient vehicles, becoming an attractive solution. Unlike traditional silicon semiconductors with narrow band gaps, SiC’s wide bandgap allows it to process electricity more efficiently while decreasing energy losses.
SiC’s wider bandgap makes it easier for electric currents to flow with less resistance, enabling devices that are half as thick. Furthermore, this means more of the electric potential difference is available for switching, leading to higher efficiency with fewer components needed – not to mention thermal conductivity’s ability to lower power losses and make SiC even more effective than ever!
SiC’s wide bandgap and excellent conductivity mean it provides efficient energy management solutions, leading to longer driving ranges on one charge.
SiC has already established itself in key EV components such as battery chargers, inverters and solar PV panels. Silicon carbide could one day replace silicon in traction inverters and solar DC-to-DC converters for faster charging times and greater energy management; further enabling smaller vehicles and faster energy management.
Low-Power Applications
As global interest in electric mobility expands, power electronic devices must provide superior efficiency, reliability and compactness – features which silicon carbide provides. It has an exceptional combination of properties to satisfy these demanding requirements.
SiC’s main advantage over silicon lies in its larger bandgap, enabling electrons to more freely move from its valence bands into conduction bands and thus withstanding significantly higher electric fields. Furthermore, SiC switches more rapidly which leads to smaller control circuitry and reduced energy loss.
Silicon carbide exists in various structures known as polytypes. Each differs by how its silicon and carbon atoms are stacked – depending on which polytype a device utilizes, its electrical and thermal characteristics could change accordingly.
SiC manufacturing processes currently available don’t meet the demands of high-performance applications, requiring large wafers. As SiC transitions towards 200mm wafers, Roseville team associates are being educated on operating these new tools – including mounting SiC wafers on frames for running through dicing machine and then inspecting for faults afterwards. Finally, heat dissipation poses another significant challenge. High performance silicon carbide chips generate considerable heat that must be effectively managed to avoid device degradation or premature failure.
Automotive Applications
Today’s world would be unimaginable without semiconductor devices, which are found everywhere from smartphones to electric vehicles. Their proliferation is driving demand skyward for silicon carbide (SiC) chips in particular.
These wide-bandgap semiconductors can handle more power at higher voltages than their silicon counterparts and feature faster switching times and reduced energy losses, all while taking up half as much space – helping manufacturers increase efficiency and reliability by reducing packing requirements for these semiconductors.
Silicon carbide has proven its worth as a material suitable for electric vehicle applications, including battery management systems and on-board chargers. These applications help conserve battery energy, extend driving range per charge, and allow faster recharging times – qualities automakers increasingly expect from suppliers of BEVs as more BEV models hit dealership lots.
Bosch is placing a significant bet on SiC, investing over EUR1.5 billion to convert their California facility in Roseville into state-of-the-art manufacturing for this vital technology. This requires extensive upgrades to clean rooms as well as hiring specialist personnel familiar with working on this new process.
As a result, quality assurance tools used to inspect SiC wafers face tremendous pressure. MTI Instruments’ capacitance-based off-line measurement system ProForma 300iSA provides cost-effective inspections that support early QA efforts, helping prevent expensive defects that might impede yield in manufacturing facilities.
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