4H Silicon Carbide (4H-SiC)

Wide-bandgap semiconductor polytype for high-voltage, high-temperature power electronics.

Core Principles & Analysis

• With a 3.26 eV bandgap and a breakdown field roughly ten times silicon's, 4H-SiC devices block kilovolts using very thin drift layers.
• The 2017 Tesla Model 3 was the first mass-market electric car to use SiC MOSFETs in its main traction inverter.
• Because SiC sublimes rather than melting at practical pressures, boules are grown by seeded physical vapor transport at around 2,300 °C.

Specifications & Metrics

• DENSITY: 3.21 g/cm³
• YIELD STRENGTH: N/A (brittle)
• HARDNESS: 2500 HV