SiC devices for power and high-temperature applications

Silicon carbide is a semiconductor material with superior properties compared with silicon or gallium arsenide. The main advantages concern high-temperature, high-power, high-frequency, and radiation hardened applications. In the first part of the paper, the material characteristics of SiC will be reviewed from a device point of view and the main application fields for SiC devices are summarized. In the second part, an overview of the current status of SiC devices and circuits is given. Special emphasis is put on high-temperature operation. These new devices enable advanced applications in power industry and mobile systems. Transfer to production seems to be possible within the next few years, being mainly a question of substrate quality and cost.