Silicon Carbide (SiC) Substrates for Power Electronics
The unique electronic and thermal properties of silicon carbide (SiC) make it ideally suited for advanced high-power and high-frequency semiconductor devices that operate well beyond the capabilities of either silicon or gallium arsenide devices. The key advantages of SiC-based technology include reduced switching losses, higher power density, better heat dissipation, and increased bandwidth capability. At the system level, this results in highly compact solutions with vastly improved energy efficiency at reduced cost. The rapidly growing list of current and projected commercial applications utilizing SiC technologies includes switching power supplies, inverters for solar and windmill energy generation, industrial motor drives, HEV and EV vehicles, and smart-grid power switching.
Growth Method | Physical Vapor Transport | |
Physical Properties | ||
Structure | Hexagonal, Single Crystal | |
Diameter | Up to 150mm, 200mm | |
Thickness | 350µm (n-type, 3″ SI), 500µm (SI) | |
Grades | Prime, Development, Mechanical | |
Thermal Properties | ||
Thermal Conductivity | 370 (W/mK) at Room Temperature | |
Thermal Expansion Coefficient | 4.5 (10-6K-1) | |
Specific Heat (25⁰C) | 0.71 (J g-1 K-1) |
Additional Key Properties of Coherent SiC Substrates (typical values*) | ||
Parameter | N-type | Semi-insulating |
Polytype | 4H | 4H, 6H |
Dopant | Nitrogen | Vanadium |
Resistivity | ~0.02 Ohm-cm | > 1∙1011 Ohm-cm |
Orientation | 4° off-axis | On-axis |
FWHM | < 20 arc-sec | < 25 arc-sec |
Roughness, Ra** | < 5 Å | < 5 Å |
Dislocation density | ~5∙103 cm-2 | < 1∙104 cm-2 |
Micropipe density | < 0.1 cm-2 | < 0.1 cm-2 |
* Typical Production Values – Contact Us for Standard Specifications or Custom Requests
** Measured by White Light Interferometry (250µm x 350µm)Material Properties
Coherent contributes to the SiC success story by developing and manufacturing market-leading quality SiC substrates. We have years of SiC production experience and a corporate background in high-volume manufacturing excellence. Our large and continuously expanding IP portfolio ensures that our technology and manufacturing practices remain protected and state of the art. Our relentless focus on continuously improving materials quality and increasing substrate diameters directly benefits our customers and partners by improving their yields, reducing their costs, and enabling them to manufacture new generations of devices capable of even higher performance.