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SiC Market:
Traction,
Trends, and
Future
By Nitin Dahad
versations while compiling this book, we noted that beyond next-generation EVs, SiC’s higher efficiency has appeal across the energy industry. Three industry executives — Filippo Di Giovanni, wide-bandgap strategic marketing manager at STMicroelectronics; Ming Su, technical marketing manager at Rohm Semiconductor USA; and Peter Friedrichs, vice president SiC at Infineon Technologies — highlighted the trends for SiC in energy applications.
SiC technology drivers
“Silicon carbide reduces the energy losses that limit the efficiency of silicon-based power electronics converters,” said Rohm’s Su. “Depending on the application, this key advantage can translate into energy savings, a simplified cool- ing system, support for a higher operating frequency that can result in a smaller system size, or reduced requirement for bat- tery packs, such as for EVs.”
Because of its efficiency edge over traditional silicon when used
in inverters and converters, SiC is being employed extensively in energy-conversion processes, noted ST’s Di Giovanni. And Infineon’s Friedrichs highlighted the unprecedented efficiency and power density levels enabled by SiC as the principal drivers of its adoption.
“Furthermore, the unique feature of combining fast and low-loss switching with high blocking voltages enables completely new solid-state–based energy-conversion solutions,” said Friedrichs.
Many readers will be familiar with technology hype cycles. At
T
here is clear consensus within the semiconductor industry on the initial success areas for silicon carbide adoption, the key trends, and what the future holds
for the technology. The overwhelming response from those we polled in compiling this book is that SiC has made its benefits felt in the electric-vehicle sector and will enable wider adop- tion of EVs as SiC device supply improves and costs come down. Widespread SiC adoption in the automotive industry will then provide a base for the technology’s broad expansion into other areas, such as industrial applications.
Silicon carbide is a relatively new semiconductor material with a wide bandgap that enables greater efficiency than tra- ditional silicon when used in inverters and converters. In con-
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