Beyond Silicon: The Next Frontier of Semiconductors in High-Voltage Charging

Abstract

Since the birth of semiconductor industry, the Silicon (Si) always takes the dominant position. However, with the surge of requirement of semiconductors’ performance, Silicon is gradually facing the risk of being phased out. More and more semiconductor materials have been developed, showing a trend of replacing the Si. This essay takes high-voltage charging piles as an example to show the advantages of materials beyond silicon. By comparing relevant data and analyzing physical quantities that affect material properties, this essay found that SiC, GaN, diamond and other materials are better than silicon in high-temperature stability, high breakdown field and ultra-low power loss. In addition, in the part of economic discussion, it takes economic factor into account, showing the reason of why Si dominated the semiconductor industry at beginning, and how much advantage it contains compared with other materials, and which material can stand out and become the main core of the next-generation semiconductor industry.