Differences between silicon carbide raw materials and gallium nitride materials

Similarities between silicon carbide and gallium nitride

Silicon carbide and gallium nitride belong to wide band gap semiconductor materials. They have the characteristics of large band gap, high electron drift saturation speed, small dielectric constant and good conductivity. With the high requirements of the market for the miniaturization and thermal conductivity of semiconductor devices, the market demand for such materials has soared. They are suitable for making radiation resistant, high-frequency, high-power and high-density integrated electronic devices.

Advantages and disadvantages of silicon carbide and gallium nitride

Silicon carbide, also known as emery, is made of quartz sand, petroleum coke, sawdust and other raw materials through high-temperature smelting in a resistance furnace. Silicon carbide is also a rare mineral in nature - morsonite. Among contemporary C, N, B and other non oxide high-tech refractory raw materials, silicon carbide raw materials are widely used and economical. At present, China's industrial production of silicon carbide is divided into black silicon carbide and green silicon carbide, both of which are hexagonal crystals.

Gallium nitride is a compound of nitrogen and gallium. It is a semiconductor with direct energy gap. The structure of the compound is similar to wurtzite and has high hardness. Gallium nitride has a wide energy gap of 3.4 electron volts, which can be used in high-power and high-speed optoelectronic components. For example, gallium nitride can be used in violet laser diodes, which can produce violet laser without using nonlinear semiconductor pumped solid-state lasers.

Application fields of silicon carbide

Silicon carbide is a mature wide band gap semiconductor material. Countries all over the world attach great importance to the research of silicon carbide. The United States, Europe and Japan have not only formulated corresponding research plans at the national level.

Silicon carbide has become an important abrasive because of its great hardness, but its application range is more than ordinary abrasive. For example, its high temperature resistance and thermal conductivity make it one of the kiln furniture materials of tunnel kiln or shuttle kiln. Its conductivity makes it an important electric heating element. In addition, silicon carbide raw materials can also be used in functional ceramics, refractories, metallurgical raw materials and other application fields.