Analysis of Strategies for Improving the Performance of SiC Semiconductor Devices

Abstract

Due to its wide bandgap, high thermal conductivity, and high-temperature, high-frequency, and high-power characteristics, silicon carbide (SiC) has been widely applied, especially in the field of electric vehicles, power conversion and photovoltaic inverters. However, there are still some defects in the utilization of SiC-based semiconductor devices, such as lattice mismatch, material defects, and interface defects. Enhancing the stability and reliability of SiC devices themselves is an urgent issue to be solved in order to improve their performance. This study proposes four strategies to enhance the performance of SiC semiconductor devices, with a focus on improving material quality, optimizing device structure, and addressing thermal management challenges. These strategies have made significant progress in the reliability and efficiency of silicon carbide devices, especially for high-power, high-frequency applications such as electric vehicles and photovoltaic systems. Moreover, a liquid-cooled heat sink design based on topology optimization is adopted to improve the heat dissipation efficiency. Benefiting from its wide bandgap (3.26eV), high thermal conductivity (~4.9 W·cm^-¹·K^-¹), and strong breakdown field (~3MV/cm), SiC is inherently suited for high-temperature, high-frequency, and high-power operation. The strategies proposed in this study further leverage these advantages to enhance device performance and reliability.