China Tantalum Carbide coating Manufacturers, Suppliers, Factory

The third-generation wide bandgap semiconductor materials, such as Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicon Carbide (SiC), are renowned for their exceptional optoelectronic conversion and microwave signal transmission capabilities. These materials meet the demanding requirements of high-frequency, high-temperature, high-power, and radiation-resistant electronic devices. Therefore, they have vast application prospects in new-generation mobile communications, new energy vehicles, smart grids, and LED technologies. The comprehensive development of the third-generation semiconductor industry urgently requires breakthroughs in key core technologies, continual advancement in device design and innovation, and a resolution to import dependencies.

The Silicon Carbide (SiC) production process encompasses the preparation of substrate and epitaxy from the materials side, followed by chip design and manufacturing, device packaging, and finally, distribution to downstream application markets. Among these stages, substrate material processing is the most challenging aspect of the SiC industry. SiC substrates are both hard and brittle, making cutting, grinding, and polishing extremely difficult. This increases the likelihood of defects during processing and reduces the yield rate. Currently, major international SiC manufacturers are planning to transition from 6-inch to 8-inch SiC wafers. Overcoming the challenges associated with 8-inch substrates has become a critical benchmark for the SiC industry. This article will introduce the key parameters of SiC substrates.

The first generation of semiconductor materials is mainly represented by silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge), which began to rise in the 1950s. Germanium was dominant in the early days and was mainly used in low-voltage, low-frequency, medium-power transistors and photodetectors, but due to its poor high temperature resistance and radiation resistance, it was gradually replaced by silicon devices in the late 1960s. Silicon is still the main semiconductor material in the field of microelectronics due to its high technological maturity and cost advantages.

The development of 3C-SiC, a significant polytype of silicon carbide, reflects the continuous advancement of semiconductor material science. In the 1980s, Nishino et al. first achieved a 4 μm thick 3C-SiC film on a silicon substrate using chemical vapor deposition (CVD)[1], laying the foundation for 3C-SiC thin-film technology.

4H-SiC, as a third-generation semiconductor material, is renowned for its wide bandgap, high thermal conductivity, and excellent chemical and thermal stability, making it highly valuable in high-power and high-frequency applications.

Semiconductor materials are the materials with electrical conductivity between conductors and insulators at room temperature, which are widely used in fields like integrated circuits, communications, energy and optoelectronics. With development of technology, semiconductor materials have evolved from the first generation to the fourth generation.