Silicon carbide power semiconductors — new opportunities for high efficiency

After a hype and a consolidation phase regarding the potential of silicon carbide based components in power electronics (mostly diodes and switches), we are observing a solid penetration of these components in modern solutions even for power ratings of several kW. Benefits of these new power devices are now more clearly identified and applications were depicted where the use of these new components, in particular Schottky barrier diodes available from Infineon and Cree, can be a technical and commercial access. For a further market penetration, new generations of diodes as well as powerful switching devices are released recently resp. ready to commercialization. Especially upcoming markets for high voltage power devices offering not only high power densities, but energy saving as well push these developments. Supported by the improvements in base material quality and size, SiC power devices are believed to be on the hop to a next important step regarding its propagation in a broader range of applications. The paper will sketch these recent developments and will show how the improved performance can provide new perspectives in conventional systems as well as new solutions.