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341,986
2024-06-01 to 2025-05-31
Collaborative R&D
Power electronics is an underpinning technology in the green revolution, of particular importance in electric vehicles (EVs). For faster charging and longer ranges, 4H Silicon-Carbide (4H-SiC) power metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) are being widely adopted the higher ranges from 1200V-1700V. After adoption by Tesla, Hyundai, and many other OEMs, SiC MOSFETs have been proven to be a more efficient alternative to legacy silicon power devices, leading to the rapid expansion of the SiC industry. The motivation of this project is to develop an alternative engineered substrate, which is lower cost, more readily available and may make the end device more efficient and reliable. One major issue with 4H-SiC power electronics is the production throughput of wafers is bottlenecked. .. The second major issue of 4H-SiC is the intrinsic failure of the MOS interface, which is an inherent materials system weakness of the SiO2/4H-SiC interface. We aim to demonstrate the viability and advantages of another SiC variant, cubic SiC called ('3C-SiC'), for use in power electronic devices which is compatible with existing high volume and high quality Silicon material. We will develop this in the form of bonded layers of 3C-SiC on other substrates. 3C-SiC will improve the reliability of the MOS interface as well as creating a new materials market which the UK could lead. IceMOS Technology Ltd ('IceMOS') are a UK semiconductor manufacturer of silicon based MEMS and superjunction power MOSFETs. A research team at the University of Warwick ('UoW') has recently developed new 3C-SiC materials fabrication processes that has the potential to be commercialised. This project will bring together IceMOS and UoW after initial unfunded investigations to demonstrate the potential of 3C-SiC on Si ('3C/Si'), or 3C-SiC on 4H-SiC ('3C/4H').