What are the advantages of Silicon Carbide?

As the European Union tries to reduce its dependence on Russian energy, the Russian president recently said Russia would try to shift its energy exports to the east, adding that there was no way for European countries to give up Russian gas immediately.

Russia supplies about 40 percent of the EU's gas, and western sanctions imposed over the conflict with Ukraine have complicated financing and logistical arrangements for existing agreements, hitting Russian energy exports, the report noted.  

Russia has been building closer ties with China and other Asian countries as the European Union debates whether to impose sanctions on Russian gas and oil and member states seek supplies from elsewhere, Reuters said.  

"So-called partners from unfriendly countries admit that they cannot survive without Russian energy, including gas," the Russian president said in a televised government meeting. There is no reasonable alternative to Russian gas in Europe right now."  

He also said Europe was driving up energy prices and destabilizing markets by talking about cutting off Russia's energy supplies. Russia, which produces about a tenth of the world's oil and a fifth of its natural gas, will need new infrastructure to increase energy supplies to Asia, he said.

He ordered Moscow to submit a plan by June 1, including "the expansion of transport infrastructure to countries in Africa, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region".  

He also sought to clarify the possibility of integrating two pipelines -- the Sakhalin-Khabarovsk-Vladivostok gas pipeline in the Far East and the "Power of Siberia" gas pipeline to China -- into Russia's unified gas supply system. In theory, connecting these routes to larger gas networks could allow Russia to divert gas from Europe to Asia.

Because of the ever-changing international situation, the supply and prices of international bulk silicon carbide are still very uncertain.

What are the advantages of SiC?

The combination of silicon and carbon gives silicon carbide excellent mechanical, chemical and thermal properties, including:

High thermal conductivity.

Low thermal expansion and excellent thermal shock resistance.

Low power and switching loss.

High energy efficiency.

High operating frequency and temperature (operating temperature up to 200 °C junction).

Small chip size (with the same breakdown voltage).

Intrinsic volume diode (MOSFET device).

Excellent thermal management to reduce cooling requirements.

Long life.

How is SiC used in the electronic field?

Silicon carbide is a semiconductor very suitable for electric power applications, which is first of all due to its ability to withstand high voltage, which is ten times higher than silicon. Silicon carbide-based semiconductors have higher thermal conductivity, higher electron mobility and lower power loss. Silicon carbide diodes and transistors can also operate at higher frequencies and temperatures without affecting reliability. The main applications of SiC devices, such as Schottky diodes and FET/MOSFET transistors, include converters, inverters, power supplies, battery chargers and motor control systems.

SiC vs. Si

Although it is the most widely used semiconductor in electronic products, silicon begins to show some limitations, especially in high-power applications. A relevant factor in these applications is the band gap or band gap provided by semiconductors. When the band gap is high, the electronic devices it uses can be smaller, faster and more reliable. It can also operate at higher temperatures, voltages and frequencies than other semiconductors. Although the band gap of silicon is about 1.12eV, the band gap of silicon carbide is about three times that of 3.26eV.

Why can SiC withstand such a high voltage?

Power devices, especially MOSFET, must be able to handle extremely high voltages. Because the dielectric breakdown strength of the electric field is about ten times that of silicon, SiC can achieve a very high breakdown voltage, from 600V to thousands of volts. SiC can use a higher doping concentration than silicon, and the drift layer can be made very thin. The thinner the drift layer is, the lower the resistance is. In theory, given a high voltage, the resistance per unit area of the drift layer can be reduced to 1 inch 300 of silicon.

Why is the performance of SiC better than IGBT at high frequency?

In high-power applications, IGBT and bipolar transistors were mainly used in the past to reduce the on-resistance at high breakdown voltage. However these devices provide significant switching loss resulting in heating problems that limit their use at high frequencies. With SiC, devices with high voltage, low on-resistance and fast operation, such as Schottky barrier diodes and MOSFET, can be manufactured.

Silicon carbide SiC price

The price is influenced by many factors including the supply and demand in the market, industry trends, economic activity, market sentiment, and unexpected events.

If you are looking for the latest silicon carbide price, you can send us your inquiry for a quote. (sales1@rboschco.com)

Where can I get silicon carbide?

RBOSCHCO is a trusted silicon carbide manufacturer and silicon carbide supplier with over 12-year-experience. We ship our goods all over the world.

If you are looking for silicon carbide powder, please send an email. (sales1@rboschco.com)

The current international situation is highly uncertain, and its economic impact has not been able to be assessed properly. In addition, rising energy and commodity prices and supply chain disruptions are expected to push the price of the silicon carbide higher.

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