Auto-Technik: So machen Siliziumkarbid-Halbleiter das Elektroauto besser
Der elektrische Mercedes CLA gilt als Effizienzwunder. Hilfreich sind dabei mehrere Details. Ein recht unscheinbares sind seine Siliziumkarbid-Halbleiter.
Cologne. Silicon carbide semiconductors are seen as a key technology for powerful yet efficient electric cars. These are not high-speed computing chips; their purpose is to switch large amounts of electricity with minimal loss. Crucially, they are used in the inverter, which converts direct current from the battery into alternating current required by the electric motor.
The mundane components decide how much energy reaches the wheels and how much is wasted as heat. Silicon carbide, or SiC for short, is a compound of silicon and carbon. While it is also used in abrasives or high-performance ceramics, it can be processed into semiconductor components like pure silicon. Its key advantage lies in its wide band gap, which describes how much energy is needed to make electrons movable and thus allow current flow.
While silicon's band gap is about 1.1 electron volts, SiC's is around 3.3 electron volts. This allows silicon carbide to withstand much higher electrical fields and temperatures. Accordingly, SiC components can be thinner and handle high voltages without breaking down electrically. At the same time, SiC conducts heat better than silicon.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
