As the planet functions to cut down greenhouse gasoline emissions, world wide adoption of electric powered cars (EVs) is driving an enhanced demand from customers for high-power, energy-efficient compound semiconductors, this sort of as silicon carbide (SiC)-primarily based elements, in the course of the complete EV assembly procedure.
Renewable energy technology is now at the forefront of climate-forward exploration, with accelerating EV revenue playing a greater position than ever right before. 1 essential field challenge: growing overall electric powered car efficiency.
KLA has been advancing humanity by offering methods and guidance to the SiC and gallium nitride (GaN) power machine market place that enables innovations in EVs and other green technologies. Leveraging our working experience in creating new technology able of resolving complicated problems throughout the IC market to support generate generate enhancements, we have designed a complete portfolio of procedure equipment and inspection and metrology system handle solutions specialized for the exclusive requirements of ability units.
Our portfolio of items commences with inspection of SiC and GaN wafers, and we’ll share how KLA Devices Candela 8520 process is becoming utilized by companies in the ability electronics provide chain to increase substrate wafer quality and yield and improve their epitaxial development procedures.
“The long term of renewable strength is listed here, with a fast increasing current market and improved world adoption driving developments in green technological know-how. KLA Instruments is supporting the SiC industry’s efforts to equip makers of EV technologies with options to drive us towards a greener, more healthy earth,” claimed James Costello, supervisor of New Products Introduction at KLA Instruments.
Accelerating electric powered vehicle adoption through improved electric power effectiveness
A simplified 3D rendering highlights the area of SiC-primarily based elements in an electric car. SiC is ever more getting utilized in the onboard charger, battery management program, DC/DC converter and primary inverter in an electrical motor vehicle to maximize efficiency, battery lifetime and driving vary.
Ever more, automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers are switching from Si to SiC ability semiconductor devices for their EV programs. Compact, light-weight, electricity-productive SiC-based mostly products can cope with higher temperatures, producing them perfectly-suited to EV purposes. Owing to the influence of these technologies on auto efficiency, automakers are more and more making use of increased-voltage, SiC-dependent devices to raise electrical power performance for their EVs that enhance cost daily life and maximize pace capability as very well as towing capability.
Innovating for SiC unit companies
SiC semiconductor unit producing has distinctive troubles compared to Si semiconductor manufacturing. Problems in the SiC substrate and epitaxial layer arise at a a lot larger density than in Si substrates, building it an important precedence for producers to detect the defects, as when left unchecked in a Si- or SiC-based electric power machine, it can guide to procedure failure.
KLA Instruments’ Candela 8520 system is designed especially for identification of the SiC substrate and epitaxial flaws. The 8520 system’s multi-detection channels aid suppliers uncover process-similar problems and identify and classify generate-impacting defects together with triangles, carrots, stacking faults, basal plane dislocations (BPDs), micropipes, scratches and additional.
Essential SiC device manufacturing flaws are recognized by the Candela 8520.
Green mission
The KLA Instruments team develops, markets and services metrology and defect inspection techniques that are utilised by substantial-volume makers (HVM) and analysis and advancement departments in universities and industrial labs. Our portfolio serves a wide variety of markets like biotech and health-related units, optics, displays, batteries and power systems.
“The functionality of our tools to profit exploration and producing in battery, solar and other environmentally friendly systems proceeds to inspire us to innovate throughout a broad assortment of environmentally friendly know-how applications,” stated Tom Pierson, typical supervisor, KLA.
Aligned with KLA’s ESG commitments and method, KLA Devices supports manufacturers in renewable technologies striving to offer a greener upcoming for our planet.
The Candela 8520 joins the 8 Collection and Surfscan SP A2 in offering inspection capability for SiC and GaN electric power gadget production. To study far more about KLA’s total portfolio of solutions for electrical power products, test out our Compound Semi and Substrate Manufacturing web pages, and plasma etch procedures for SiC and GaN-on-Si electric power products from our SPTS division in this appealing post.
Rupa Velidandla
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Rupa Velidandla is a item marketing manager at KLA.