In power applications, is SiC or GaN better? Let’s talk about the practical factors to consider

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In power applications, is SiC or GaN better? Let’s talk about the practical factors to consider [Copy link]

In power supply applications, should SiC or GaN be used? Can one completely replace the other? What factors need to be considered in practical applications?

Before you read on or talk about it, you can vote first and tell us which one you think is better. You can also leave a comment and tell us your reasons.

Let's chat about this:

The choice of using GaN or SiC devices depends mainly on four key factors from the perspective of practical application: reliability, performance, cost and production capacity.

In terms of reliability: SiC has some defects of its own, but it has also achieved a basic level of reliability, and the reliability level of GaN is similar to that of Si.

Guan Guan found a comparison chart of GaN, SiC and Si reliability, so that everyone can have a clearer understanding

Performance Comparison

From a performance perspective, GaN offers better switching performance compared to SiC and silicon. This is because it has very low switching losses and can increase switching frequency by reducing the size of many components. On the other hand, SiC performs very well in terms of conduction losses. So when engineers choose, it may depend on which point you value more?

cost

From a cost perspective, SiC has done a great job of driving down costs, but GaN is fundamentally a lower cost structure than SiC and is approaching silicon in cost.

Capacity

The instability of SiC material properties will not be able to meet the rapidly growing market demand, resulting in limited manufacturing capacity and low yields. The development of demanding applications such as electric vehicles and renewable energy may be restricted as a result.

The above four points are put together by Guan Guan based on the information he found. Do you agree with them? Or can you share your views?

Qorvo, which is making efforts in the power supply field, also has something to say about this. It explains it in detail in this article. You can also take a look if you are interested:

Practical Considerations for Comparing SiC and GaN in Power Applications

木犯001号

Everyone is talking about GaN now. I think as it develops in the future, GaN will become more and more suitable for various power supply applications in terms of cost and other factors.

乱世煮酒论天下

Which one can currently achieve greater power?