Experts have analyzed that SiC modules used in electric vehicle inverters will continue to lead the SiC market.

On the 18th, Kim Hyung-woo, director of the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute, gave a special lecture on the topic of ‘Domestic and international SiC power semiconductor technology development trends and market status’ at the ‘Mouser Power Seminar 2023’ hosted by Mouser and organized by e4ds.

Kim predicted that the SiC market will grow from $696 million in 2020 to $6.3 billion in 2027, with the automotive industry expected to account for 70 to 80 percent of the SiC device market.

The main application of SiC in electric vehicles is inverters.

Inverters account for 92% of the $1.055 billion SiC power semiconductor device market in 2022, at $974 million.

The main inverter was replaced due to the attempt to switch to an 800V battery solution. As development progresses toward high voltage, the application of SiC modules is expected to accelerate.

Center Director Kim predicted that inverters will lead the entire SiC device market to a scale of hundreds of billion dollars.

Looking at the market share by type of SiC device, full SiC power modules, which are widely used in the EV and HEV inverter and charger fields as well as in the railway and transportation fields, account for close to 70% and are expected to remain so.

Looking at the types of components, it is expected that onboard chargers and DC/DC converters will be applied in transistor and diode forms rather than module form.

For DC/DC converters, 600 V is sufficient, so Si-based MOSFETs are expected to be applied for the time being.

Sales of xEVs are expected to grow at a CAGR of 22.7%, reaching 35 million units in 2027.

In particular, it is expected that sales of SiC devices, which are necessary for the increase in electric vehicle sales, will also grow in tandem.

Looking at the SiC power semiconductor device market in the charging infrastructure sector, unlike electric vehicles, it shows a pattern in which individual devices are used more than modules.

Among them, diodes are expected to occupy the largest market share.

However, as batteries move up to 800V, there is a need for modules to be included in chargers as well, so it is expected that SiC modules will be applied to fast chargers when 800V batteries become widespread.

The most demanded product in the EV charger market is high-power DC charger.

It is expected that technological development will be carried out for SiC power semiconductor devices as well in the form of device development suitable for this.

Why High Power DC Chargers Are Needed Today 5This is to meet the strong market demand for driving ranges exceeding the 00 km limit.

Current chargers take too long to charge a battery that satisfies the above requirements.

Everyone agrees that high-power, high-speed DC chargers need to be made, and that SiC is the way to go for them.

It is analyzed that the demand for SiC will be essential to handle the battery capacity of commercial vehicles (trucks over 5 tons) that will increase in the electric vehicle market in the future.

Meanwhile, according to Yole Development, silicon accounted for 93% and SiC accounted for 6.1% as of 2022, but it is projected that SiC will account for 13.2% in 2026.

While power supplies and UPS led the initial market, the main application leading the current SiC market is the electric vehicle sector, and it is analyzed that it will continue to lead the SiC market.

Center Director Kim Hyung-woo also said that SiC devices are expected to be applied in the railway and transportation sectors and that Japan is already conducting tests, and in the long term, he predicted that they will also be applied in wind power generation.