Silicon carbide (SiC), which is also known as carborundum, is a compound of silicon and carbon. It occurs in nature as the extremely rare mineral moissanite. It’s been used as an abrasive since 1893, and nowadays it is used in applications as various as car brakes and ceramic bulletproof vests to light-emitting diodes and radio detectors. SiC is also widely used in high-temperature semiconductor electronics, due to its amazing temperature-resistant properties.
There was a recent report from tech consultant Yole Développement outlining a curious absence of silicon carbide-based transistors, which was reporter in Semiconductor International. According to the report, the total market for SiC devices is $2.6 billion, more than 20% of the entire silicon-based power business in 2008. However, this share is expected to grow as various factors constraining SiC’s market penetration are overcome.
One factor slowing down SiC market penetration is its high cost. Low-voltage applications comprise the vast majority of SiC-based devices, which tend to have low margins. Medium-voltage (1.2 to 1.7 kV) applications are expected to increase over the next two to three years. High-voltage applications are expected to appear slowly beginning in 2013 or 2014 as technological improvements and cost reductions make SiC applications viable.
Total SiC substrate merchant market reached approximately $48 million in 2008, and it is expected to exceed $300 million during the decade. However, its relative share is looking like it will decrease. Currently, Chinese production companies are driving growth in the SiC transistor market. On the high end of projections, a yearly $800 million market can be expected for the SiC substrate transistor sector.
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