Silicon carbide is an inorganic chemical compound of pure silicon and pure carbon that can be doped with nitrogen or phosphorus to form an n-type semiconductor or aluminum, boron and gallium to become p-type semiconductors.
SiC has made headlines recently due to its use in electric vehicle power electronics and sensors for extreme conditions, but this refractory and abrasive material also offers unique capabilities across industries.
Power electronics
Silicon carbide (SiC) has long been used as an abrasive in grinding wheels and cutting tools, while also being an integral component in high voltage devices such as IGBTs and MOSFETs. SiC’s wider bandgap enables it to handle voltages up to 10 times greater than standard silicon semiconductors allowing power electronics to operate at higher switching frequencies with significant efficiency gains.
SiC allows for DC fast charging in electric vehicles by reducing voltage and current losses and improving thermal management while simultaneously decreasing key power electronic component size and weight – this technology provides many other benefits as EV architectures move towards 800 Volts for DC fast charging capabilities.
SiC materials offer many advantages for power electronic devices made of them, including wide bandgap, lower turn-on resistance and superior conductivity, making them suitable for harsh conditions. SiC can therefore make for excellent power electronic solutions in many different fields of application.
SiC is an artificial compound created in 1891 by Edward Goodrich Acheson as part of an attempt to produce artificial diamonds from clay mixed with carbon powder from coke (coke is carbon). Although present naturally only in very limited amounts (known as moissanite) found within certain meteorite and corundum deposits. Elkem’s SiC is produced by melting and cooling an electric furnace full of silicon/carbon ingots before sorting them accurately for different uses.
Automotive
Silicon carbide semiconductors can withstand higher temperatures than their silicon counterparts, making it an invaluable material in the automotive industry. This allows manufacturers to reduce cooling system sizes for electric vehicles (EVs), saving weight and cost. Furthermore, silicon carbide allows inverters to run at higher frequencies for increased performance and efficiency.
Silicon Carbide (SiC) is an extremely hard, brittle ceramic material with multiple uses in metal cutting, metallurgical, and energy industries. Produced synthetically via various methods, American inventor Edward Goodrich Acheson accidentally discovered SiC while trying to artificially make diamonds in 1891 while trying his luck at producing artificial diamonds; at first he called them carborundum but several years later French scientist Henri Moissan synthesized it independently using different processes.
SiC is a semiconductor with a wide bandgap that allows electrons to pass more easily through it than silicon does, enabling it to handle voltages up to 2.8 times higher than traditional silicon devices.
SiC is most often employed in abrasives. Being both hard and cost-effective, SiC can be used to grind materials such as steel, aluminum, cast iron and rubber with incredible ease. When mixed with other abrasives it creates grinding wheels or cutting tools; and can even be used in manufacturing sandpaper products. Elkem’s industrial production of silicon carbide for both the abrasive and metallurgical industries employs Acheson’s original method: clay (an aluminium silicate) mixed with powdered coke (carbon) are mixed together and heated in an electric resistance furnace until their heat produces SiC.
Wearables
SiC is one of the hardest known substances, with a Mohs hardness rating of 9 that second only to diamond. Additionally, SiC makes for an excellent abrasive material and has been utilized since late 19th century in abrasive grinding wheels, cutting tools and waterjet/sandblasting operations as an abrasive. Furthermore, SiC can be found as wear-resistant parts on pumps and rocket engines as well as being used as a semiconductor substrate in LEDs (light emitting diodes).
SiC is capable of withstanding temperatures as high as 1,400 degC while still remaining strong and corrosion resistant, making it suitable for components exposed to acids or lyes. Thanks to its high Young’s modulus, SiC can bear heavy loads without distorting easily; its surface resists corrosion as well.
Silicon carbide could help electric vehicles reduce their reliance on active cooling systems that add weight and complexity, thus saving weight and cost. SiC’s operating temperature range is higher than silicon, thus improving motor performance for faster running EVs.
Silicon carbide (SiC) is produced by reacting powdered silicon and carbon with hydrogen at high temperatures, yielding single-crystal boules that can then be cut down into wafers for use in electronic devices. Reaction-bonded SiC has become a popular form for power electronics that must operate at higher voltages and frequencies while still remaining resilient against extreme environments.
Clean energy
Silicon carbide is an ideal material for use in renewable energy applications ranging from solar inverters and storage systems, through industrial motor drives. Silicon carbide offers greater efficiency and power density while meeting emerging standards of green energy production.
SiC semiconductors differ significantly from traditional silicon semiconductors in that they can withstand higher electricity voltage fluctuations and temperatures without suffering damage, and operate at much higher switching speeds than their silicon counterparts. Furthermore, SiC is nontoxic reducing environmental concerns.
Alpha SiC (a-SiC), with its hexagonal crystal structure similar to Wurtzite, is the most frequently encountered polymorph. It can be doped n-type with nitrogen or phosphorus or doped with beryllium, boron, aluminium or gallium dopants; its brown-to-black hue comes from iron impurities; once polished it can produce transparent to opaque ceramic coatings for optical applications.
ST’s SiC MOSFETs are specifically designed to deliver maximum performance and reliability for electric vehicle battery packs and charging infrastructure, industrial motor drives and more. Their proven scalable technology enables electric vehicles to be powered with up to 50% more power in less space with lower losses that won’t increase your energy bill.
SiC is an ideal material to use in environments that pose physical wear issues, including erosion and abrasion. Due to its exceptional resistance against both erosion and abrasion as well as low thermal expansion coefficient, SiC can withstand repeated impacts or wear cycles without experiencing damage from repeated impact damage or wear cycles.
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