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Currently, many semiconductor devices employ mesa device structures, which are predominantly created through two types of etching: wet etching and dry etching. While the simple and rapid wet etching plays a significant role in semiconductor device fabrication, it has inherent drawbacks such as isotropic etching and poor uniformity, which result in limited control when transferring small-sized patterns. Dry etching, however, with its high anisotropy, good uniformity, and repeatability, has become prominent in semiconductor device fabrication processes. The term “dry etching” broadly refers to any non-wet etching technology used for removing surface materials and transferring micro and nano patterns, including laser etching, plasma etching, and chemical vapor etching. The dry etching discussed in this text specifically pertains to the narrow application of processes using plasma discharge—either physical or chemical—to modify material surfaces.

At present, the most important direction trend of substrate development is to expand the diameter. The 6-inch mass production line in the global SiC market is maturing, and leading companies have entered the 8-inch market.

Silicon Carbide (SiC) single crystals are primarily produced using the sublimation method. After removing the crystal from the crucible, several intricate processing steps are required to create usable wafers.

4H-SiC, as a third-generation semiconductor material, is renowned for its wide bandgap, high thermal conductivity, and excellent chemical and thermal stability, making it highly valuable in high-power and high-frequency applications.

The process of silicon carbide substrate is complex and difficult to manufacture. SiC substrate occupies the main value of the industry chain, accounting for 47%. It is expected that with the expansion of production capacity and the improvement of yield in the future, it is expected to drop to 30%.

SiC MOSFETs are transistors that offer high power density, improved efficiency, and low failure rates at high temperatures. These advantages of SiC MOSFETs bring numerous benefits to electric vehicles (EVs), including longer driving range, faster charging, and potentially lower cost battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Over the past five years, SiC MOSFETs have been widely used in the power electronics of EVs in vehicles from OEMs such as Tesla and Hyundai. In fact, SiC inverters accounted for 28% of the BEV market in 2023.