Dow Corning: Heat Resistance, Electrical Conductivity Turning Century-Old Compound Into High Tech Hero
29 Março 2006 - 11:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Silicon Carbide Poised to Usher In New Era of Advanced Electronics
MIDLAND, Mich., March 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- More than a
century after its creation, one of the world's hardest known
substances is being reinvented as a high tech solution to improve
radar systems, cell phone base systems, hybrid electric vehicles,
power grid networks, spacecraft and satellites. A high-purity
version of silicon carbide, a bluish-black crystalline compound
best known as the grit in sandpaper, is becoming increasingly
attractive as a semiconductor in microelectronics due to its
ability to withstand high heat and electrical current that
traditional silicon cannot. "Silicon carbide is a next generation
material designed to extend microelectronics beyond the limitations
of current semiconductors," said Robert Johns, global director, new
business development programs, in Dow Corning's Advanced
Technologies & Ventures Business. "We look forward to unlocking
a vast array of unprecedented electronics capabilities for all our
customers as a result." Leveraging on Dow Corning Corporation's
global leadership in the science of silicon containing materials,
the Dow Corning Compound Semiconductor Business staff of scientists
and engineers focus on developing new technologies to provide
solutions to semiconductor device customers. Silicon carbide has
taken a circuitous route to its place as a state-of- the-art
semiconductor. It was first manufactured in 1891 by Edward G.
Acheson, an employee of Thomas Edison. After striking out on his
own in a failed attempt to create artificial diamonds, Acheson used
silicon carbide to patent the abrasive Carborundum. Silicon carbide
was the second-hardest substance behind diamonds for more than 50
years before being eclipsed by other compounds. Electronics and
optical engineers have spent the past several decades studying ways
to use silicon carbide as a semiconductor, but only recently have
manufacturing techniques improved enough to allow the quality and
quantity of silicon carbide to be commercially feasible. The unique
properties of silicon carbide offer the benefit of faster switching
at higher power and energy efficiency, often eliminating expensive
thermal management systems, which enable better performance in high
performance electronic systems such as: * Transportation -- High
voltage/power applications such as hybrid or all electric vehicles,
industrial motors, locomotives, and power supplies requiring high
voltage switches. * Communication -- High frequency communications
such as cell phone base stations, satellites and radar. * Power
Supplies -- Reduce the size and increase the energy efficiency and
performance of computer power supplies, industrial power supplies
and electrical grid systems. * Defense -- High power and high
voltage in power control and radio frequency devices used in air,
ground, sea and space systems. * Lighting -- Opto-electronics for
blue laser diodes for the next generation of high density optical
storage and white light emitting diodes (LEDs). * Spacecraft and
satellites -- NASA is researching ways to use silicon carbide to
reduce spacecraft launch weights and increase satellite functional
capacities. Silicon carbide is also proving valuable in silicon
chip manufacturing, Johns said. In certain applications silicon
carbide can be used to form very thin, non-crystalline films. This
technology enables improved impurity barrier capabilities, which
improves device reliability, and allows smaller chip sizes or more
transistors on the same size chip. "Silicon carbide technology is
creating quite a bit of excitement," Johns said. "We're looking at
what could be revolutionary improvements in the cost, size, weight
and performance of a wide range of military and commercial
microelectronic systems." Dow Corning (http://www.dowcorning.com/ )
provides performance-enhancing solutions to serve the diverse needs
of more than 25,000 customers worldwide. A global leader in
silicon-based technology and innovation, offering more than 7,000
products and services, Dow Corning is equally owned by The Dow
Chemical Company (NYSE:DOW) and Corning, Incorporated (NYSE:GLW).
More than half of Dow Corning's annual sales are outside the United
States. DATASOURCE: Dow Corning Corporation CONTACT: Jarrod
Erpelding of Dow Corning Corp. (U.S.), +1-989-496-1582, Web site:
http://www.dowcorning.com/
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