Cree Inc. (Durham, NC) demonstrated a silicon carbide (SiC) PiN power diode and a SiC power MOSFET transistor operating with power levels 10 times greater than those a year ago. The 10kV SiC PiN diode rectifier has an area of 9sqmm, a current capability of 20A and a pulsed-power capability of 200A. The company said it achieved power levels of up to 2MW pulsed. The SiC power MOSFET has a total chip area of 11sqmm, a high-voltage rating of 2.4kV with a current capability up to 10A. Cree made the demonstration at the International Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials in Tsukuba, Japan.
"We believe that the power levels now being demonstrated are nearing the levels required for commercial products that can complement our Schottky diode product line," said John Palmour, Cree’s director of advanced devices. "While more research and development is necessary to bring these devices to production, this is a demonstration of the rapid improvement taking place in both our material capability as well as in our device design and processing technology."
