Silicon Carbide as a Semiconductor
As we continue with the BaSiCs of SiC blog series, we’re going to take a look at SiC as a semiconductor material and what properties make it special.
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SiC Materials
Materials Products
Wolfspeed is transitioning to a new wafer scribe format based upon SEMI specification M12-0706. This conversion is projected to be fully integrated across all products by the end of 2023, and brings several improvements. The M12-based scribe will be positioned upright when the major flat or notch is oriented up, making the scribe easier to read when the wafers are loaded into cassettes. The new format includes a wafer supplier identification code, validating the wafer’s authenticity. It also includes a checksum, which is an error-detection method that prevents OCR mis-read errors and reduces the instance of processing errors associated with such event.
Industry-Leading Portfolio, Innovation and Scale
With more than 30 years of SiC development and manufacturing experience, Wolfspeed produces the industry’s broadest range of SiC materials. Offering n-type conductive SiC products and a variety of SiC epitaxy options, Wolfspeed delivers the quality and quantity necessary to support the rapidly expanding demand for high-efficiency, SiC power semiconductors.
When you partner with Wolfspeed, you get the best and most innovative materials.
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Physical Properties
Polytype | Single-Crystal 4H |
Supported diameters | 150mm |
Crystal structure | Hexagonal |
Bandgap | 3.26 eV |
Thermal conductivity (n-type; 0.020 Ω*cm) | a~4.2 W/cm • K @ 298 K c~3.7 W/cm • K @ 298 K |
Thermal conductivity (HPSI) | a~4.9 W/cm • K @ 298 K c~3.9 W/cm • K @ 298 K |
Lattice parameters | a=3.073 Å c=10.053 Å |
Mohs hardness | 9 |
Dimensional Properties, Terminology, & Methods
Diameter | The linear dimension across the surface of the wafer. Measurement is performed using an automated micrometer, traceable to the ANSI standard, providing the average value for each individual wafer. |
Thickness, Center Point | Measured with ANSI-certified non-contact tools at the center of each individual wafer. |
Surface Orientation | Denotes the orientation of the surface of a wafer with respect to a crystallographic plane within the lattice structure. In wafers cut intentionally “off orientation,” the direction of cut is parallel to the primary flat, away from the secondary flat. Measured with x-ray goniometer on a sample of one wafer per boule in the center of the wafer. |
Orthogonal Misorientation | In wafers intentionally cut “off orientation,” the angle between the projection of the surface normal onto a (0001) plane and the nearest [1120] direction. |
Knowledge Center
The Importance of Silicon Carbide’s Wide Bandgap
In this newest BaSiCs of SiC post, we’re going to discuss bandgaps and find out why SiC’s wide bandgap is key to its usefulness.
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Silicon Carbide’s Unique Properties and Applications
Although it might seem like a recent innovation, silicon carbide (SiC) has actually been in use since the late 1800s, beginning as an abrasive material and later finding applications in a wide variety of industries (including semiconductors). The wide-ranging use of SiC is a natural consequence of the material’s extraordinary physical traits.
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