SiC Technology

Silicon carbide (SiC)-based semiconductor electronic devices and circuits are presently being developed for use in high-temperature, high-power, and/or high-radiation conditions under which conventional semiconductors cannot adequately perform. Silicon carbide’s ability to function under such extreme conditions is expected to enable significant improvements to a far-ranging variety of applications and systems. These range from greatly improved high-voltage switching1–4 for energy savings in public electric power distribution and electric motor drives, to more powerful microwave electronics for radar and communications,5–7 to sensors and controls for cleaner-burning more fuel-efficient jet aircraft and automobile engines. In the particular area of power devices, theoretical appraisals have indicated that SiC power MOSFETs and diode rectifiers would operate over higher voltage and temperature ranges, have superior switching characteristics, and yet have die sizes nearly 20 times smaller than correspondingly rated silicon-based devices.8 However, these tremendous theoretical advantages have yet to be realized in experimental SiC devices, primarily due to the fact that SiC’s relatively immature crystal growth and device fabrication technologies are not yet sufficiently developed to the degree required for reliable incorporation into most electronic systems.9 Philip G. Neudeck NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field