Silicon carbide power devices - current developments and potential applications

Silicon carbide power devices are believed to revolutionize key sectors of the power semiconductor business in the next decade. At the moment, their cost positions have to be improved in order to enlarge their market potential. A first step in this direction is the availability of a high quality 3" base material as well as the outlook for having 4" wafers available by 2006. Looking into the near future, the next logical step in the device chain should be a SiC switching device. The potential ranges from high voltage applications in energy systems down to the huge market for low voltage power switches, where even in the blocking voltage range below 100 V SiC is believed to be one potential candidate for fulfilling the increasing demands on power density. One important field of applications of SiC power switches can be the hybrid electric vehicle with its demands on high power density electronics as well as the harsh environmental conditions. It is shown how the right combination of SiC diodes and silicon IGBT's can offer enormous improvements in the performance of systems intended to be used in new generation cars using hybrid or even full electric drives. The paper gives an overview about the developments of SiC power switches and diodes at SiCED and Infineon. In addition, some potential applications serving as drivers for the SiC power switch development is sketched. Finally, an outlook to near and long term perspectives for SiC power devices is given