sic semiconductor

**Silicon Carbide (SiC)** — a wide-bandgap semiconductor material (3.26 eV) used for high-power, high-temperature, and high-frequency electronic devices. **Advantages Over Silicon** - 3x higher bandgap: Operates at higher voltages and temperatures (up to 600C) - 10x higher breakdown electric field: Smaller, more efficient power devices - 3x higher thermal conductivity: Better heat dissipation - Higher electron saturation velocity: Faster switching **Applications** - **EV Power Inverters**: Tesla Model 3/Y, Lucid — SiC MOSFETs convert DC battery to AC motor power. 5-10% range improvement vs silicon IGBTs - **EV Charging**: 800V fast chargers use SiC for efficiency - **Renewable Energy**: Solar inverters, wind turbine converters - **Industrial**: Motor drives, power supplies, rail traction **Challenges** - 4-5x more expensive than silicon per wafer - Smaller wafer sizes (150mm transitioning to 200mm vs 300mm for Si) - Crystal defects (micropipes, stacking faults) harder to control **Market**: Growing rapidly ($3B+ by 2025), driven primarily by electric vehicle adoption. Major suppliers: Wolfspeed, STMicro, Infineon, onsemi.