碳化矽基板, SiC wafer, Silicon Carbide Substrate

石墨烯磊晶 epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide substrate

2" 3" 4" 6"

Opto- and Electronics-Applications for SiC

Silicon Carbide is used as substrate for GaN-epitaxy to produce LEDs in the blue/UV range of the spectrum. SiC is the material of choice because it offers low lattice mismatch for III-nitride epitaxial layers and high thermal conductivity (important for lasers).
Blue LEDs on SiC-basis have been commercially available for several years now. The next important step will be the development of blue SiC-laser-diodes, which can be used to increase data storage capacity among many other applications. The use of SiC-based UV- diodes may also find various applications, i.e. monitoring of combustion processes, all sorts of UV-detection while detector is almost solar-blind.
Electronics based on SiC shows advantages compared to Si-devices, where environmental conditions are adverse, i.e. ionizing radiation, heat-aggressive chemicals. For instance, SiC-based electronics would help to reduce weight and therefore costs of spacecraft, since SiC-devices showed to be much more resistant to ionizing radiation than Si-devices. Thus, a reduction of radiation-shielding is possible. Further, they may reduce or eliminate the use of cooling systems that have to be implemented as soon as Si-electronics is used.

• SiC-devices withstand higher temperatures.

Application and Benefits of Devices Processed on SiC
Because of its outstanding material properties, SiC-based electronics and devices can work in very hostile environment, where operation of conventional silicon-based electronics is not possible anymore. Silicon carbide's ability to work under high temperature, high power and high radiation conditions enable large enhancements of device-performance in a wide variety of applications.

Typical areas that already take or will take profit from SiC-devices are:

• low lattice mismatch for III-nitride epitaxial layers
• high thermal conductivity (important for lasers)
• monitoring of combustion processes

all sorts of UV-detection while detector is almost solar blind

Sensor-Applications of SiC

Compared to conventional techniques SiC-based sensors offer:

• operativeness in hot areas
• weight savings
• increased reliability
• increased performance
• tolerance against radiation and chemical aggressive media
• less cooling required due to high-temperature capability

State-of-the-art-aircraft use complex electronics and sensor systems to enhance their capabilities, i.e. for monitoring important parts of the engines that operate at high temperatures. Today's silicon-based devices cannot operate at elevated temperatures, and therefore must be shielded and kept away from hot areas. With that comes the necessity to use long wires and cable-connectors to connect electronics with the sensors. However, wiring and connector failure are crucial points that determine maintenance cycles of the engines and downtime of commercial aircraft.

High temperature silicon carbide electronics and sensors that make uncooled operation at temperatures up to 600 °C possible, would result in substantial aircraft performance gains due to weight savings and increased reliability.

SiC-based control electronics would eliminate most of the wiring and connectors needed in conventional protected aircaft control systems. This is also important for surveillance of the engines at spacecraft launching rockets.

High-Power Applications for SiC

Compared to conventional Si-devices SiC-based electronics offers:

• faster switching speed
• higher voltages
• lower parasitic resistances
• smaller size
• less cooling required due to high-temperature capability

This results from SiC´s properties, namely:

• large bandgap
• high electrical breakdown field
• high saturation drift velocity
• high thermal conductivity

Power electronics based on SiC may save billions of Euros due to an increase of efficiency of the electric power distribution system. According to estimations power plants generate an excess power reserve of around 20 % of consumed electricity to make sure that load changes or component failures do not affect service. Use of power devices makes a smart management of ressources possible and would drive down the generated power reserve to a minimum. Forecasts say that a reduction of power reserve of 5 % may result in savings of 50 billion US$ in the USalone over 25 years.

High-frequency Applications of SiC

Compared to conventional techniques SiC-based devices offer:

• increased power densities
• increased temperature-limit
• reduced size of devices
• increased performance

Most promising applications of SiC-based microwave electronics are wireless communications and radar, since conventional GaAs-based devices cannot operate at power densities and high temperatures that are demanded i.e. for defence purposes for radar. The same properties allow wireless communication to benefit from SiC. For instance, SiC RF-transistors operate at power densities beyond the theoretical limit of GaAs-based transistors. SiC RF-devices may be used in cellphone base stations.

Products

SiCrystal offers silicon carbide wafers of polytype 4H and 6H in different quality grades.

Standard quality wafers meet high demands for production-scale purposes, engineering grade substrates are the

inexpensive alternative for research and development and for process trials.

You may check out the specifications of our

  4H-substrates 目錄

  6H-substrates 目錄

Crystallographic, Physical and Electronic Properties of SiC^*

^* data as reported e.g. in Landolt-Boernstein (Springer Verlag) and G.L. Harris (INSPEC).