COMPARISON OF WIDE BANDGAP SEMICONDUCTORS FOR POWER APPLICATIONS

Recent development advances have allowed have allowed silicon (Si) semiconductor technology to approach the theoretical limits of the Si material; however, power device requirements for many applications are at a point that the present Si-based power devices can not handle. The requirements include higher blocking voltage, switching frequencies, efficiency, and reliability. To overcome these limitations, new semiconductor materials for power device applications are needed. For high power requirements, wide band gap semiconductors like silicon carbide (SiC) , gallium nitride (GaN) , and diamond with their superior electrical properties are likely candidates to replace in the near future. This paper compares all the aforementioned wide band gap semiconductors with respect to their promise and applicability for power applications and predicts the future of power device semiconductor materials.

Keywords:

Semiconductor materials , poewr semiconductor devices , silicon carbide , devices , new devices , semi conductor devices