Silicon carbide (SiC) has become a cornerstone for enhancing efficiency and supporting decarbonization across industries. It’s an enabler for advanced power systems, addressing growing global demands in renewable energy, electric vehicles (EVs), data centers and grid infrastructure.
SiC technology has advantages over traditional silicon devices, especially in power conversion efficiency and thermally sensitive situations. Its overall impact in the electronics and power industries can lead to greater profitability and sustainability.
“In the past, most power consumption was tied to some type of motor control such as industrial automation applications and factories, rail transportation, moving pumps for wastewater treatment or fluids like oil in pipelines,” said Michael Williams, director of marketing for industrial and infrastructure at Infineon Technologies AG, the largest semiconductor manufacturer in Germany. “With the introduction of silicon carbide, there was a shift toward driving efficiency in the marketplace, enabling reductions in energy losses across multiple conversion stages, [and] supporting high-demand applications.”
The shift focused on decarbonization and the development of new generations of renewable technology, including renewable energy systems, EV infrastructure and data centers. It also improved power conversion efficiency from around 95% to 98.5%, a significant shift that has lowered energy losses, reduced heat generation and minimized cooling requirements.
Improving Grid Infrastructure
Simply transferring power from the grid or a high-voltage power line into a data center can result in a 5% to 6% loss in power as it travels through several layers of conversion. Data centers alone are estimated to account for 3% of global energy consumption today, projected to rise to 4% by 2030, according to Data Centre Magazine, with no expectations of slowing down.
SiC comes into play for datacenter power infrastructure, driving efficiency and system cost in grid-scale energy storage and solar central inverters. The combined solution enables future datacenters to work in a microgrid environment, reducing loading on the already strained U.S. grid.
“With the electrification of automobiles, we’re seeing many reference designs come out with bi-directional charging and advanced power electronics, meaning they’re charging during non-peak times and putting power back into the grid for peak times,” said Shawn Luke, technical marketing engineer at DigiKey.
SiC, as a wide-bandgap technology, supports higher voltage handling and faster switching speeds in applications like EV charging. This has enabled a complete transformation of the global grid infrastructure while reducing system complexity and overall costs.
Designing with SiC technology
SiC technology addresses efficiency well, but there are times when a designer needs a small product, which is when wide bandgap (WBG) or silicon (Si) devices are used.
“Just as a designer has three technologies to choose from, they also have three fundamental design considerations. Do I make my product cost-effective? Do I make my product compact? Or do I make my product efficient?” explains Williams. “Choosing any two of these priorities allows a designer to choose Si solutions. However, designing for all three of these considerations requires wide bandgap devices. The key driver for compact products is increasing the switching frequency to reduce the size of the magnetics and capacitance in the system.”
Because of the WBG capability in SiC technology, voltage levels can be higher, which has enabled the next generation of technology implementation. The challenge is that SiC is a complex material to work with given it’s a significantly stiffer base material than traditional silicon.
Power cycling is a key factor in package development, as it puts strain on the interconnection between the SiC die and its leadframe or substrate, potentially leading to premature device failure. Developing new interconnection technologies to improve the power cycling performance of future SiC devices is important in addressing the future requirements of a decarbonized grid.
“Applications now utilize much higher power cycling than the motor-drive applications of the past,” said Williams. For example, Infineon has been focused on developing its .XT technology, an advanced interconnection technology that can increase power cycling performance >22 times versus standard soft solder techniques. “This technology development enables higher power density, improved thermal performance, and maximum system lifetime, enabling the shift to more renewable energy sources.”
DigiKey
Power Conversion Market Innovations
Another exciting new development in the power market is grid decarbonization, the transition away from fossil fuel power plants (like coal and oil).
“Decarbonization can happen both at the macro level with changes power companies are making to switch to wind, solar and hydropower, but also at the consumer level through EVs and the like,” said Luke. “Enablers like SiC are helping us get closer to microgrids more than ever before, localizing power sources for less conversion and loss, aiding in decarbonization.”
Another innovation that could have a strong impact on the power sector is the implementation of solid-state transformers. The transformers can greatly enhance the infrastructure of the power grid, reducing the size, installation time and overall complexity of the utility site. Deploying solid-state transformers enables modular, high-voltage systems and microgrid solutions, leading to more sustainable power distribution.
What’s Next?
With new technology rolling out constantly, SiC is predicted to have a lasting presence.
“Infineon experts predict silicon power switching devices will continue to dominate the market for the remainder of the decade,” said Williams.
Companies like Infineon are investing in scaling manufacturing to increase capacity and developing solutions that improve power efficiency while reducing the cost of SiC technology. Innovations such as modular microgrids, distributed DC networks, and fusion reactors are on the horizon, with SiC at the core of these advancements.