Home »GaN/SiC» AspenCore's new book explores SiC in the era of smart energy
Silicon carbide technology is on the rise. We explore how and where it will have an impact.
Our latest book, AspenCore Silicon Carbide Guide, explores the ever-expanding efforts of the electronics industry aimed at realizing smart energy technologies.
As silicon reaches the theoretical performance limits of its power devices, the power electronics industry has been transitioning to wide band gap materials (WBG). WBG power semiconductor devices based on silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride technology have design advantages that can improve application performance, including: low leakage current, significantly reduced power loss, higher power density, higher operating frequency, and The ability to withstand higher operating temperatures. All of these can use smaller device sizes than pure silicon equivalent devices. Robustness and higher reliability are other important attributes, which increase the overall life expectancy and operational stability of the equipment.
Silicon carbide technology came at the right time. Just as global energy sustainability promotes the industry to provide cleaner and more efficient power conversion, silicon carbide power semiconductor devices have entered the development and deployment phase. Driven by the global carbon dioxide emission reduction target, the large-scale transformation of the automotive industry to automotive electrification has helped initiate the growth of the SiC market and promoted product development, which is expected to promote SiC power devices to a wider range of industries, electric vehicles and renewable energy application.
As Victor Veliadis, an IEEE Fellow, Executive Director and Chief Technology Officer of PowerAmerica, pointed out in his preface, “The AspenCore Silicon Carbide Guide provides an in-depth discussion of key aspects of SiC power technology. For those directly deploying SiC in this field, It is a valuable reference, and it is a comprehensive introduction for those transitioning from silicon.
"It covers the basic material characteristics, design and manufacturing of silicon carbide devices, as well as the practical considerations of system insertion in high-volume applications where silicon carbide replaces the main silicon technology. The book also provides detailed market analysis and in-depth understanding of SiC power devices. Market dynamics and emerging trends. Therefore, this is an fascinating book for business professionals and practicing engineers," Veliadis added.
Silicon carbide devices are also deployed in high-voltage power converters that have strict requirements on size, weight, and efficiency. On-state resistance and switching losses are significantly reduced, while the thermal conductivity of silicon carbide is almost three times that of silicon, allowing components to dissipate heat faster. This is important as the size of silicon-based devices shrinks.
The band gap energy of silicon carbide is greater than silicon (3.2eV, or about three times higher than silicon, equal to 1.1eV). Higher breakdown voltage and efficiency and better high-temperature thermal stability are possible because more energy is required to excite the valence electrons in the semiconductor conductive band. Smaller circuits, lighter weight and lower total power consumption are all advantages of using SiC technology in inverters. SiC MOSFETs can operate at higher switching frequencies, allowing the use of smaller inverter components. Silicon carbide power semiconductors can also work at higher voltages and currents than ordinary silicon power semiconductors, thereby generating greater power.
We also cover WBG markets, technologies and applications. Technologists provide insights into markets that benefit from the superior performance of SiC power devices. Then discuss the technical basis that supports the design, manufacturing, and circuit implementation. Subsequent chapters cover major SiC device applications, including electric vehicles, renewable energy, motor control, aerospace, and defense.
Veliadis, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of North Carolina, added: “Each chapter is a practical overview of its subject and is a must-read for anyone who wants to stay ahead of power SiC technology.”
Automobiles, smart energy: silicon carbide growth drivers
The aggressive goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions will require a radical reform of global energy production. Wind energy and solar energy are often combined with energy storage and are one of the fastest growing industries. Silicon carbide technology is the core of these solutions.
As discussed by market analysts Ezgi Dogmus and Ana Villamor of Yole Développement, SiC's growth drivers include hybrid and electric vehicles. Analysts trace the rise of SiC in the automotive market back to 2017, when Tesla adopted the technology in its main inverters. Other electric car manufacturers are also close behind. Yole predicts that by 2026, the automotive SiC market (including on-board chargers and DC/DC applications and inverters) will exceed US$2 billion.
The industry is betting that the automotive platform will become a springboard for the expansion of SiC to more power electronic products, maturing the technology, resulting in higher equipment output and more affordable equipment. Our analysis looks at the major players in the SiC supply chain and examines issues related to SiC wafer supply and capacity.
For smart energy applications, the dielectric strength of silicon carbide is 10 times that of silicon, which enables devices to operate at higher voltages while meeting the operating requirements of charging infrastructure and smart grids. There are also many advantages to running at a higher switching frequency. The higher switching frequency of SiC enables designers to reduce the physical size of magnets, inductors that are part of filters, or transformers that can be smaller when using high frequencies. At the same time, low harmonics due to higher switching frequency can significantly improve motor efficiency.
In the automotive and industrial environments, energy solutions based on SiC materials are increasing. Manufacturing wafers is still a much more complicated process than that used for silicon wafers. As the demand for SiC devices continues to grow, manufacturers must look for wafer suppliers.
Our latest book also includes the contributions of executives from major semiconductor companies involved in SiC production, including their views on the future of SiC technology. The discussion included possible market drivers for the growth of SiC beyond automotive electrification, including photovoltaic inverters and energy storage, UPS systems, power supply units for data servers, and industrial motor drives.
The supply chain problems that plagued the World Bank Group have alleviated. Despite this, industry executives still emphasize the importance of OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to ensure that the equipment supply is sufficient to meet the growing demand.
Aspencore silicon carbide guide provided by EE Times store.
This article was originally published in EE Times.
Nitin Dahad is a correspondent for EE Times and EE Times Europe and the editor-in-chief of Embedded.com. Having worked in the electronics industry for 35 years, he has held many different roles: from engineer to reporter, from entrepreneur to entrepreneurial mentor and government consultant. He was a member of the entrepreneurial team that launched and listed the 32-bit microprocessor company ARC International in the United States in the late 1990s. He is also the co-founder of The Chilli, which influenced most of the technology entrepreneurship field in the early 2000s. He has also cooperated with many well-known companies, including National Semiconductor, GEC Plessey Semiconductors, Dialog Semiconductor and Marconi Instruments.
Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio has a PhD. PhD in physics, a telecommunications engineer and journalist. He has participated in various international projects in the field of gravitational wave research. He worked with research institutions to design data acquisition and control systems for space applications. He is the author of several books published by Springer, as well as many scientific and technical publications on electronic design.
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