Silicon carbide (SiC) technology is well into the power electronics mainstream, and it’s been apparent at the APEC 2023 show in Orlando, California. SiC semiconductors, which complement silicon in many applications, are now enabling new solutions by facilitating high power and high switching frequency in the 650 V to 3.3 kV range.

Keynote speakers and seminar presenters at APEC 2023 explained how SiC devices are uniquely positioned to serve the next-generation power electronics. They emphasized that know-how and learning cycles need to be developed and that there is a growing need for a trained workforce to skillfully insert SiC devices into power electronics systems.

There has also been a consensus that cost is a major issue for SiC components. At the same time, however, there is a broad agreement that cost is application-specific, and it can be reduced at the system level via clever engineering. “Meanwhile, SiC technology will continue to decrease cost at the component level,” said Peter Friedrichs, senior director for wide bandgap at Infineon Technologies.

Source: EE Times