The new facility will manufacture silicon carbide power semiconductors to more efficiently switch electricity in electric vehicles, fast charging stations, trains and renewable energy systems as well as AI data centers – creating over 900 high-value jobs.
SiC has distinct material properties that require specific post-growth processing to etch, pattern and anneal for low-resistivity ohmic contact formation – an operation which necessitates special equipment.
Benefits
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Silicon is an excellent material for low-powered applications, but its limitations become clear at higher power ranges. Silicon carbide offers more temperature, frequency and voltage tolerances than its silicon counterpart and therefore allows designers to offer powerful yet cost-effective solutions to their customers.
SiC can also switch faster than silicon, reducing the number of components necessary for switching operations and thus BOM costs and physical size; ultimately bringing total system costs down significantly. Furthermore, SiC features a shorter Miller plateau enabling lower switching losses directly related to switching.
Wolfspeed’s SiC devices cover power ranges spanning from watts to megawatts and include discrete solutions and high-power modules in single and dual channel configurations, offering designers flexibility in terms of cost, power density, physical size/layout optimization. SpeedFit design toolkit helps them model common topologies before selecting the appropriate SiC device for their application.
Applications
SiC is one of the few materials capable of meeting these specifications and operating at high frequencies. Due to its high saturated drift velocity and low onset temperature, SiC can operate reliably at higher voltages and frequencies while meeting heat budget constraints.
Wafer thinning, etching and doping processes exist for manufacturing silicon carbide devices; however, these processes are complex and must be tailored specifically for the material in which SiC is made. Due to its inert nature and high melting point resistance requirements, it often necessitates dry etching with fluorine- or chlorine-based solutions for dry etching; additionally its resistance to damage requires precise control of species dose and energy in its implantation technique.
At present, numerous large industrial projects are using SiC technology to reduce energy consumption. Applications using it include data centers where efficiency and cost effectiveness are of the utmost importance. Demand for SiC has surged due to increasing power requirements as well as environmental concerns regarding sustainable solutions for energy.
SiC’s ability to tolerate high temperatures and voltages makes it an ideal candidate for electric vehicle power converters, reducing energy waste while shortening charging times. Furthermore, SiC can also be utilized in renewable energy systems like solar inverters and wind power systems to improve efficiency while decreasing losses.
Costs
SiC power devices are driven by substrate prices, accounting for approximately 45-70% of production costs. Adoption is dependent upon this factor; consequently, SiC industry members are working towards lowering these prices through vertical integration and efficiency measures.
Wolfspeed’s John Palmour manufacturing center in Durham, North Carolina recently completed construction of its 8-inch SiC substrate plant. This investment will increase device production per substrate while decreasing manufacturing costs; additionally, Wolfspeed is working towards further cutting device fabrication costs by repurposing older 150mm and 200mm silicon volume fabs into production facilities.
A semiconductor fabrication facility (fab) will need equipment as well as chemicals and gases for lithography, metal targets, precursor materials, wet chemistry etch systems and various other services to run efficiently – costs that total more than $3B alone! On top of this, building and operating the fab itself comes at a further expense with an approximate 500,000ft2 class 100 cleanroom needed and 120,000ft2 for device production costs to consider.
Figure 2 illustrates PGC Consultancy’s cost forecast model. The inputs to the model are normalized to known or estimated 150 mm device costs in 2021; however, switching to 200 mm may not result in immediate cost reduction due to new generations of devices and improvements to substrate and device designs.
Manufacturing
Silicon Carbide (SiC) devices are being produced in response to rising power semiconductor demand, and can operate at higher temperatures, voltages, and power levels than silicon devices. Furthermore, SiC devices can withstand more heat without incurring cooling costs or energy waste–making them ideal for uninterruptible power supplies and 5G base stations; electric vehicles and charging poles.
SiC manufacturing processes differ significantly from silicon production. To produce top-quality wafers, selecting an effective chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) slurry and pad conditioning process is key to producing superior wafers. Furthermore, selecting a tool capable of providing consistent surface finish while imparting zero or less change to wafer shape should also be carefully considered. Pureon works closely with manufacturers to provide state-of-the-art CMP solutions such as final polish slurries as well as optimal pad conditioning processes for CMP services.
After doping, centrotherm offers several products designed to activate the crystal structure of wafers by annealing at high temperatures, including its c.Activator annealing furnace capable of withstanding temperatures as high as 2,000 degrees Celsius.
Although recent capacity expansion announcements were made, it remains uncertain if automotive-grade SiC wafer production capacity can meet demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and other applications. Many companies are investing in additional production capacity to meet this challenge.
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