Researchers have been looking into silicon carbide(碳化硅), a promising alternative material for the semiconductor (半导体) industry, for several years now. Size, weight and efficiency are three important factors for power electronic to fit in e-cars. Silion carbide meets all three factors. It is more efficient but leaves a smaller footprint than conventional semiconductors such as silicon.
Even so, silicon carbide isn't to be found in any e-cars on the road today. This semiconductor material is still limited to research labs. To shift it from the lab to the factory, the Si on Carbide Module (模块) project has taken into consideration all the conditions of industrial production. The module's design is a good case: researchers at the Fraunhofer IZM are basing it on the structure of the classic printed circuit board that the industry has long favored. This should speed up its first display.
The module is also benefiting from the latest scientific advances. Instead of wire-bonding the semiconductor to the package, the researchers decided to put it directly in the circuit. The team also brought the potential customers on board for this development effort. In the project's first year, they drew up a specification (规格) sheet illustrating the requirements for the module and semiconductor. The researchers worked closely with users, catering to their wishes when they determined the product specification.
Automakers, component suppliers and OEMS were directly involved in the effort to map out the power-electronic module's size, layout and electrical circuits. The group sought to make the most of the space available in the vehicle's power train. Lars Bottcher, group leader at the Fraunhofer IZM and head of the SiC sub-project, says, "The major goal is to advance the new semiconductor material silicon carbide to mass production."
