Page 19 - NEW Armstrong Book - 2

SiC power device market forecast by segment
$4 000M
$2 000M
$M
2019 2020
2021 2022
2023 2024
Transportation Other
60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%
2025 2026 0% Industrial
Y-o-Y growth (%)
(Source: Compound Semiconductor Quarterly Market Monitor, Q2 2021, Yole Developpement)
Automotive Consumer
Energy
Telecom & Infrastructure
FIGURE 1: AUTOMOTIVE IS THE LARGEST MARKET OPPORTUNITY FOR SiC, AS ILLUSTRATED HERE.
When talking about EV/HEV, it is important to differentiate among the different levels of electrification, which will have an impact on the semiconductor content per car (Figure 1). In gen- eral, even though the electrification strategy differs for each OEM and particularly among different geographic regions, there is a common goal to increase the share of battery elec- tric vehicles (BEVs) in fleets. BEVs are driving the technology’s acceleration as customers demand shorter recharge times and longer driving range per charge, even while pushing to keep costs down.
There are several ways to extend driving range, including the use of SiC to increase inverter efficiency and optimize the battery’s energy use. On the other hand, the main way to decrease battery charging times is to deploy high-power chargers (up to 350 kW) worldwide, which would use 800-V instead of 400-V batteries and thereby avoid the challenges associated with high current levels. Indeed, 800-V batteries have been adopted by Porsche and Hyundai, and others will follow suit, even with dedicated platforms for several car models per OEM. Because the main inverter then operates at a higher voltage, its power semiconduc- tor components must also be rated at higher voltage levels, typi- cally at 1,200 V.
However, this does not mean that the entire BEV market will shift to 800 V, as batteries are still very costly and not all cars need a big battery with a long driving range. There will still be a sizable market for 400 V. The critical point is that SiC suits both approaches. But how did we get to this point with SiC?
Prior to SiC’s successful adoption in the EV/HEV segment, SiC devices had been developed and deployed primarily in high-end applications, such as power supply and photovoltaic invert- ers. However, in the mid-2010s, SiC’s high efficiency, high- frequency operation, and space-saving advantages compared with silicon MOSFETs and IGBTs grabbed the attention of the innovative automotive OEM. In 2017, Tesla decided to implement SiC in one of the most critical systems of its 400-V models — the main inverter — marking a significant mile- stone for the wide-bandgap material. In the wake of Tesla’s disruptive adoption, other OEMs investigated SiC solutions for 400-V BEVs. For example, Chinese OEM BYD has been a pio- neer for SiC modules, designing SiC-based devices into its 2020 Han EV model.
While the 400-V EV was the initial automotive market for SiC, 800-V–battery models present a more exciting
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Market Overview Power SiC in the EV Era: Fasten Your Seat Belts
SiC power device demand by market segment ($M)