China RTP With Carrier Plate Manufacturers, Suppliers, Factory

Silicon Carbide (SiC) epitaxy is a key technology in the field of semiconductors, particularly for the development of high-power electronic devices. SiC is a compound semiconductor with a wide bandgap, which makes it ideal for applications that require a high-temperature and high-voltage operation.

Japan recently restricted exports of 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The announcement has sent ripples across the industry, as the move is expected to have a significant impact on global supply chains for semiconductor manufacturing.

A SiC boat, short for silicon carbide boat, is a high-temperature-resistant accessory used in furnace tubes to carry wafers during high-temperature processing. Due to the outstanding properties of silicon carbide such as resistance to high temperatures, chemical corrosion, and excellent thermal stability, SiC boats are extensively utilized in various thermal treatment processes including diffusion, oxidation, Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), and annealing.

Silicon carbide has a large number of applications in emerging industries and traditional industries. At present, the global semiconductor market has exceeded 100 billion yuan. It is expected that by 2025, the global sales of semiconductor manufacturing materials will reach 39.5 billion US dollars, of which the silicon carbide semiconductor market is expected to reach a market size of 2.5 billion US dollars in 2025. At the same time, silicon carbide is still the material with the best application performance in traditional ceramics, refractory, high temperature, grinding and other fields.

Within the silicon carbide (SiC) industry chain, substrate suppliers hold significant leverage, primarily due to value distribution. SiC substrates account for 47% of the total value, followed by epitaxial layers at 23%, while device design and manufacturing constitute the remaining 30%. This inverted value chain stems from the high technological barriers inherent to substrate and epitaxial layer production. Three major challenges plague SiC substrate growth: stringent growth conditions, slow growth rates, and demanding crystallographic requirements. These complexities contribute to increased processing difficulty, ultimately resulting in low product yields and high costs. Furthermore, the epitaxial layer’s thickness and doping concentration are critical parameters directly impacting the final device performance.

SiC substrates are the most crucial component in the silicon carbide industry, accounting for nearly 50% of its value. Without SiC substrates, it is impossible to manufacture SiC devices, making them the essential material foundation.