HIGH-TEMPERATURE ELECTRONICS USING SIC - ACTUAL SITUATION AND UNSOLVED PROBLEMS

The high temperature applications of SiC based devices have been consi dered for a long time. On the other hand, the recent progress in the e pitaxial and bulk growth of silicon carbide have made possible the rea lization of a large variety of devices intended for specific applicati ons. However, the full achievement of high temperature capabilities of SiC will not be only determined by the development of the material it self (purification, structural perfectness etc.) but also by the devel opment of related device elements such as ohmic contacts, insulating l ayers, interconnections, encapsulation techniques, etc. This paper rev iews two groups of problems which play a key role in the development o f a SiC based high temperature electronics: (1) physical problems of t he real high temperature properties of SiC. (2) physical and technical problems of the high temperature related electrical parts. (C) 1997 E lsevier Science S.A.