Korea Ceramic Technology Institute Dr. Seongmin Jeong and Yoonji Shin… Manufacture of high-quality SiC substrates with about 4 times improvement in quality
Defect density of 270 or less, expected to foster domestic power semiconductor industry and expand global market share
[에너지데일리 조남준 기자] Researchers in Korea have developed a world-class high-quality silicon carbide (SiC) single crystal substrate material for power semiconductors, which has four times the quality of existing substrates. Accordingly, it is expected to contribute significantly to the expansion of global market share as well as fostering the domestic power semiconductor industry, which has yet to achieve commercialization.
The Korea Institute of Ceramic Technology (Director Kwangsoo Yoo) announced that the research team of Dr. Seongmin Jeong and Yoonji Shin of the Energy Efficiency Material Center recently developed the world’s best silicon carbide single crystal substrate manufacturing technology for power semiconductors through the strategic core material technology development project of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
The silicon carbide (SiC) single crystal substrate material used as a power semiconductor substrate has superior thermal and electrical properties than the existing widely used silicon substrate.
Accordingly, it is analyzed that the market is on an explosive growth trend as it has begun to be applied to energy industries such as aviation, space, and electric vehicles that require high voltage and high current characteristics.
However, it has been pointed out that it is very difficult to manufacture a highly reliable substrate that can be applied to semiconductor integrated circuits due to the large number of defects due to material characteristics, and a single crystal growth technology capable of minimizing defects is required.
The research team produced a silicon carbide single crystal substrate with a diameter of 2 inches (50 mm) through a solution growth method instead of the conventional sublimation method, and the original technology and process technology that can manufacture high-quality substrates with a defect density of 270 or less per square centimeter. Developed.
Solution growth method grows crystals in a relatively stable thermal equilibrium state, so single crystals with few defects can be grown, but there are many variables and process control is very difficult.
To overcome these shortcomings, the research team secured core source technologies and optimized process technologies through cooperation with Dong-Eui University, Axel Co., Ltd., and Iljin Display Co., Ltd.
The defect level of the developed solution-grown silicon carbide single crystal substrate was confirmed to have a defect density of 270 or less per square centimeter, and compared to the fact that the conventional prime-grade commercial silicon carbide substrate has a defect density of 1000 or more per square centimeter, the quality is about 4 Times improved.
In particular, the quality of the substrate to which the high-quality silicon carbide single crystal solution growth technology is applied is the highest in the world.
The global silicon carbide semiconductor device market is on a rapid increase, exceeding $1.83 billion in 22 years, but substrate materials, the core material of silicon carbide semiconductors, have not yet been localized due to quality problems, so 100% depend on imports.
The high-quality silicon carbide single crystal substrate manufacturing technology developed this time can improve the quality of domestic silicon carbide substrate materials in a short time, and is expected to contribute significantly to fostering the domestic power semiconductor industry, which has yet to achieve commercialization, and expanding its global market share. .
Dr. Seong-min Jeong of the Korea Institute of Ceramic Technology said, “High-quality silicon carbide single crystal solution growth technology is a key material source technology that can accelerate the entry into the substrate market of Korea, a latecomer.” I will try to mass-produce it.”
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