SiC Transistor Comparison 2021

The market outlook for SiC devices is promising. According to Yole Développement, it is expected to grow from $716M to $3B for the period 2020 – 2025. Nevertheless, the technical panorama of SiC devices is still varying, and every manufacturer has its own solutions to die design and packaging integration. This leads to strong competition, which will accelerate technical innovation and lower prices. Moreover, SiC business models are still very different. We are seeing (and will continue to see) a restructuring of the supply chain driven by the main cost factors.

Since the commercialization of the first SiC device in 2001, the performance of SiC devices and the value that they add have been gradually proven. Their price has also become increasingly acceptable to end-users.

SiC transistors still have some technical and commercial challenges to face, despite the value they add. These include the wafer price and the complexity of some process steps specifically, SiC epitaxy, SiC etching, and high-temperature implantation. These challenges still hinder SiC adoption on a large commercial scale.

In this report, System Plus Consulting presents an overview of the state-of-the-art of SiC transistors. We cover 37 SiC transistors (33 SiC MOSFETs and 4 SiC JFETs) from six voltage classes: 650V, 900V, 1000V, 1200V, 1700V, and 3300V. The transistors are from Rohm, STMicroelectronics, Wolfspeed, Infineon, Littelfuse, IXYS (part of Littelfuse), onsemi, Microsemi, UnitedSiC (now Qorvo), GeneSiC, and Toshiba, and they target different power applications (including three automotive-qualified devices).

This report provides detailed optical and scanning electron microscope (SEM) pictures of the devices’ packaging and structure, with a focus on transistor design.

Also included is an estimated manufacturing cost of the analyzed SiC transistors and their selling prices, providing physical, technological, and manufacturing cost comparisons between them.

 

Technology & Market  

• SiC benchmark
• SiC technology roadmap by manufacturer

Company profile

• Rohm, STMicroelectronics, Wolfspeed, Littelfuse/IXYS, Infineon, onsemi, Microsemi, UnitedSiC (now Qorvo), Toshiba, GeneSiC

Physical Analysis

• 650V MOSFETs & JFETs: Rohm, STMicroelectronics, Wolfspeed

UnitedSiC (now Qorvo)

• 900V MOSFETs: Wolfspeed
• 1000V MOSFETs: Wolfspeed
• 1200V MOSFETs: Wolfspeed, Rohm, STMicroelectronics, Littelfuse, Infineon, onsemi, Microsemi, GeneSiC, IXYS, Toshiba
• 1700V MOSFETs: Wolfspeed, Littelfuse, Rohm, Infineon, STMicroelectronics
• 3300V MOSFETs: GeneSiC

Technology and Physical Comparison

• Device performance comparisons (FOMs, current density)
• Device design comparisons

SiC Transistors Manufacturing Process Flow

• Supply chains
• Process for: Wolfspeed, Rohm, STMicroelectronics, Littelfuse, Infineon, onsemi, Microsemi, UnitedSiC (now Qorvo), IXYS, Toshiba, GeneSiC

Cost and Price Analysis

• Yields explanation & hypotheses
• For each SiC transistor:
  • Wafer cost
  • Die cost
  • Packaging cost
  • Component cost
  • Component price

Cost Comparison

• Comparisons include wafer, die costs, die ampere cost
• SiC MOSFET comparisons per voltage class
• SiC MOSFET & SiC JFET cost comparison
• SiC MOSFET vs. Si IGBT die ampere cost comparison

Complete teardown with:

• SiC benchmark and technology roadmap
• Detailed optical and SEM photos
• Precise measurements
• Manufacturing process flow
• Supply chain evaluation
• Manufacturing cost analysis
• Estimated selling price
• Comparisons of technology design parameters, performance (figure of merits, current density), and costs (wafer, die, component, and cost per ampere)
• SiC MOSFET vs. Si IGBT die $/A cost comparison of different manufacturers