Dow Corning introduces 150 mm silicon carbide SiC wafers

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Dow Corning, a global leader in silicon and wide-bandgap semiconductor technology, raised the bar yet again for silicon carbide (SiC) crystal quality today by announcing that it now offers 150 mm diameter silicon carbide (SiC) wafers under its ground-breaking Prime Grade portfolio. Recently launched to set new standards for 100 mm SiC wafer quality, the portfolio now also offers three tiers of manufacturing quality 150 mm SiC substrates – labeled Prime Standard, Prime Select and Prime Ultra. Each tier offers increasingly stringent tolerances on critical defect types that adversely impact device performance, such as micropipe density (MPD), threading screw dislocations (TSD) and basal plane dislocations (BPD).

“SiC wide-bandgap power semiconductors have rapidly evolved from a cutting-edge niche into an established technology sector that is increasingly focused on the manufacturing economies afforded by SiC crystal quality, wafer size and other critical factors,” said Tang Yong Ang, vice president, Compound Semiconductor Solutions, Dow Corning. “Dow Corning’s decision to expand its Prime Grade portfolio to include 150 mm diameter SiC wafers aims to meet this very competitive demand. As we rapidly scale production of these high-quality wafers, our customers will be able to more confidently pinpoint the SiC substrate that optimizes the performance and cost of their next-generation device design while leveraging the improved economies of scale offered by larger wafer diameters.”

While many SiC wafer manufacturers promise low micropipe densities for their 150 mm substrates, Dow Corning is among the first to specify low tolerances of other defect types, such as TSD and BPD. Such defects reduce device yields, and inhibit the cost efficient manufacture of large-area, next-generation power electronic devices with higher current ratings.

All Prime Grade SiC wafers from Dow Corning offer consistently excellent mechanical characteristics to ensure compatibility with existing and developing device fabrication processes. The newly expanded Prime Grade portfolio of 150 mm SiC substrates includes:

  • Prime Standard SiC wafers that guarantee MPD of ? 1 cm-2, offering an attractive option for balancing performance and cost when designing simpler SiC power electronic components, such as Schottky or Junction Barrier Schottky diodes, with low to medium current ratings.
  • Prime Select SiC wafers that deliver more stringent tolerances for MPD (? 1 cm-2) and TSD (? 300 cm-2), making them suitable for more demanding SiC devices like pin diodes or switches.
  • Prime Ultra SiC wafers enable design of high-power devices that require the highest crystal quality. SiC substrates in this tier deliver extremely low MPD (? 1 cm-2), TSD (? 200 cm-2), BPD (? 3,000 cm-2) and a tightened wafer resistivity distribution for the design of today’s most advanced SiC power electronic devices. These include next-generation switching devices like metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), junction gate field effect transistors (JFETs), insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) and bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) or pin diodes. In addition, the superior substrate quality in this tier can benefit high-voltage (3.3 kV and higher) and high-current device designs.
  • “Dow Corning’s close customer collaboration in both silicon and wide bandgap semiconductor technologies has given us a clear understanding of the competitive demands and opportunities in these markets,” said Gregg Zank, chief technology officer, Dow Corning. “Combined with our unique expertise and market position, our growing reputation for outstanding SiC crystal quality, expanding epitaxy services and competitive pricing structures, Dow Corning is enabling our customers worldwide to compete and succeed in the fast-growing power electronics industry.”

    Prime Standard, Prime Select and Prime Ultra grades of both 100 and 150 mm SiC wafers are available globally from Dow Corning for development and sampling in standard production.