A Comprehensive Review of Wide Band-Gap Semiconductors Technology

Electrical Engineering

Power electronic converters use semiconductors to satisfy the needs of different applications. Nowadays, these semiconductors are mainly based on Silicon (Si), which can be processed virtually without defects. However, the limits of Si are being reached and in consequence, Si based semiconductors have limited voltage blocking capability, limited heat transfer capability, limited efficiency and maximum junction temperature. Silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) are typical representative of the wide band-gap semiconductor material, which is also known as third-generation semiconductor materials. Compared with the conventional semiconductor silicon (Si) or gallium arsenide (GaAs), wide band-gap semiconductor has the wide band gap, high saturated drift velocity, high critical breakdown field and other advantages; it is a highly desirable semiconductor material applied under the case of high-power, high-temperature, high-frequency, anti-radiation environment. These advantages of wide band-gap devices make them a hot spot of semiconductor technology research in various countries. This article present the review of literature of wide band semiconductor, focusing on the recent developments of the wide band-gap technology and summed up the facing challenge of the wide band-gap technology

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