Applications of Silicon Carbide
Silicon carbide has significant characteristics such as high bandgap width, high breakdown electric field, high thermal conductivity, and high electron saturation drift rate. It can meet the device requirements of scientific and technological development for complex scenarios such as high temperature, high power, high voltage, and high frequency. It has been widely used in power electronics, new energy vehicles, energy storage, intelligent manufacturing, photovoltaics, rail transit and other fields. It can be said that “everything can be silicon carbide.”
Applications of Silicon Carbide in New Energy Vehicles
In the new energy vehicle sector, the application of silicon carbide technology is becoming key to improving the performance of electric and hybrid vehicles. Silicon carbide devices, with their high thermal conductivity, high breakdown electric field strength, and excellent mechanical properties, significantly enhance the efficiency and reliability of electric drive systems, charging systems, and energy management systems.
Applications of Silicon Carbide in Intelligent Driving and the Internet of Vehicles
Amid the rapid development of intelligent driving and the Internet of Vehicles, silicon carbide technology, with its superior performance, is gradually penetrating key areas such as sensor systems, data processing units, and communication modules, significantly improving system performance and reliability.
Applications of Silicon Carbide in Photovoltaic Systems
In photovoltaic systems, core components such as inverters, MPPT controllers, and energy storage conversion modules place multiple demands on power devices, including high efficiency, high voltage resistance, high-temperature operation, and miniaturization. Traditional silicon devices experience significant efficiency degradation in high-voltage and high-temperature environments, making them unable to meet the growing power density requirements of photovoltaic power plants.
Applications of Silicon Carbide in 5G Communications
In applications such as wireless communications and radar systems, RF devices serve as the core of signal transmission and processing, and their performance is crucial to system stability. RF devices based on semi-insulating silicon carbide, due to their wide bandgap properties, offer advantages such as low loss, high bandwidth, and high power density, making them a key enabler for next-generation 5G and military communications systems.
Applications of Silicon Carbide in Power Grids
Silicon carbide can significantly enhance power grids by improving the efficiency and capacity of power transmission and distribution. Silicon carbide substrates can operate at higher temperatures, voltages, and frequencies, making components such as converters, switchgear, and transformers smaller and more efficient, thereby reducing energy loss and improving power quality.
Applications of Silicon Carbide in Low-Altitude Aircraft
New aircraft, represented by eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing), have become a focal point in the global low-altitude economy and are expected to become a new trillion-dollar industry. SiC MOSFET devices, through their efficiency leaps and lightweight innovations, are driving eVTOL from the experimental stage to commercial operation. SiC MOSFET devices have become a core component of eVTOL power systems, and their improved performance and reduced costs will propel the industry into large-scale application.
Applications of Silicon Carbide in Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Electricity is becoming the latest bottleneck threatening the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI). The rapidly growing computing power of AI is accompanied by rising energy consumption, which is significantly impacting normal social energy demand. Taking US data centers as an example, by 2030 they could consume up to 9% of the nation’s electricity generation, roughly equivalent to the annual output of 40 medium-sized nuclear power plants.
With such a large scale of electricity consumption, even a 0.1% reduction in energy consumption is a significant factor. To help address this pressing electricity shortage, the global industry ecosystem is actively exploring all possible options. For example, ON Semiconductor has developed a new series of silicon trench power MOSFETs and SiC MOSFETs.
Application of Silicon Carbide in the Robotics Industry
Robots and new energy vehicles share a high degree of similarity in their technical architecture. Automotive chips can be transferred to robotics applications, but they must adapt to different performance requirements. For example, power semiconductors, in addition to automotive systems, also have technical capabilities applicable to motor drive controllers for robotic joints. The demand for efficient power control in this emerging robotics market is rapidly growing.