The Future of GaN+SiC
And with the strong rise of new energy, artificial intelligence and other technologies, the unique advantages of third-generation semiconductors are even more obvious - mobile electronics, rail transportation, electric vehicles, industrial, solar, wind and energy storage fields shine.
In order to give you a more intuitive understanding of the application scenarios of third-generation semiconductors, ZONSAN has created a 3D scene animation. Let's step into the future driven by GaN+SiC:
Smart Grid
The increasing penetration of renewable energy sources (e.g. wind and solar) into our power transmission and distribution systems, coupled with the advent of the smart grid era and the mainstreaming of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission, is driving the demand for efficient and high power density power electronic converter systems.
Solar energy (Solar)
Solar inverters convert the direct current (DC) obtained from solar panels into alternating current (AC) and store it in batteries or transfer it to the grid. Efficiency, size and reliability are the keys to ensuring the highest power delivery capacity and achieving the fastest possible return on investment.
Gallium nitride power chips and silicon carbide power devices offer lower component counts, more compact circuit topologies and better control, reducing overall cooling requirements. This helps to create solar inverters that are half the size and lighter than conventional solutions, reducing costs by 25% and achieving energy savings of 40%, as well as increasing the return on investment (ROI) of solar installations by approximately 10%.
For residential solar applications with 300-500W line power, GaN is ideal, while the higher voltage capability of SiC makes it more suitable for kW+ string inverters deployed in commercial solar installations.
Electric Vehicles (EVs)
On-board chargers (OBCs), DC-DC converters and traction motors, the electrical "backbone" of electric vehicles, need to have the highest efficiency and power density, as well as extreme reliability, at a competitive cost.
To achieve these goals, GaN-optimised 400V battery systems for passenger cars and advanced SiC solutions for commercial 800V batteries and beyond have emerged.
For example, the use of GaN technology could accelerate the global penetration of electric vehicles by three years and reduce CO2 emissions from road traffic by 20% by 2050.
Transportation and Mobile
The global transport industry is at a critical point of revolution and needs to provide environmentally friendly, cost-effective and robust products in an increasingly harsh climate.
A diverse portfolio of silicon carbide (SiC) discrete power devices, offering low on-off and switching losses and excellent thermal performance management, can be used in rail motors, rail auxiliary power supplies and more, enabling more cost-effective transportation systems, including electric buses, rail and metro traction, fleet and freight power subsystems.
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And in mobile electronics, GaN power chips can revolutionise fast and ultra-fast charging solutions for all mobile devices, including mobile phones, tablets and laptops - delivering up to three times faster charging and up to 40% energy savings at 1/2 the size and weight of traditional silicon solutions.
Industrial
The upgrade to variable speed drives (VSDs) increases efficiency and power density, while reducing energy consumption.
Highly integrated, high-speed power chips and power devices can be used in industrial motor motors to replace traditional silicon power devices to achieve higher efficiency, fewer harmonics, lower audible noise and bring autonomous protection, while providing the most compact and cost effective solution.
Data Center
Over 40% of data centre costs are related to power (electricity and cooling). With the rise of Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and the accelerated growth of data centre traffic, the effectiveness and efficiency of traditional silicon solutions have hit a "physical" bottleneck.
As a result, data centre architects are turning to broadband semiconductors - gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) - to help them optimise performance while keeping energy consumption as low as possible, while keeping the power of the cabinet up.
The proven reliability of mass-produced, highly integrated GaN power chip power devices can achieve efficiency gains of up to 10 per cent, resulting in cost reductions of up to US$1.9 billion per year.
As you can see, GaN and SiC can be found everywhere in every aspect of our lives. In the future, as new energy sources and energy efficiency continue to advance, third-generation semiconductors will become the obvious choice for power conversion systems because of their enormous potential.