An overview of silicon carbide device technology

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:5834589

Neudeck, P G; Matus, L G

Recent progress in the development of silicon carbide (SiC) as a semiconductor is briefly reviewed. This material shows great promise towards providing electronic devices that can operate under the high-temperature, high-radiation, and/or high-power conditions where current semiconductor technologies fail. High quality single crystal wafers have become available, and techniques for growing high quality epilayers have been refined to the point where experimental SiC devices and circuits can be developed. The prototype diodes and transistors that have been produced to date show encouraging characteristics, but by the same token they also exhibit some device-related problems that are not unlike those faced in the early days of silicon technology development. Although these problems will not prevent the implementation of some useful circuits, the performance and operating regime of SiC electronics will be limited until these device-related issues are solved.

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Cleveland, OH (United States). Lewis Research Center
• OSTI ID: 5834589
• Report Number(s): N-92-15815; CONF-920104--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360204* -- Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories-- Physical Properties
CARBIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
FAILURES
MATERIALS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEMICONDUCTOR DIODES
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SILICON CARBIDES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT