In the history of power semiconductor development, power semiconductors can be divided into three generations:

First-generation semiconductor materials: single crystal semiconductor materials such as germanium and silicon. Silicon has a band gap of 1.1 eV and very stable characteristics after oxidation.

Second-generation semiconductor materials: compound semiconductor materials such as gallium arsenide and indium antimonide. Gallium arsenide has a band gap of 1.4 electron volts and an electron mobility five times higher than that of silicon.

Third-generation semiconductor materials: wide-bandgap semiconductor materials represented by silicon carbide and gallium nitride have outstanding advantages such as higher saturation drift speed and higher critical breakdown voltage, suitable for high power, high temperature, high frequency, and resistance Irradiation applications.

The third generation of semiconductor materials can meet the new requirements of modern society for high temperature, high power, high voltage, high frequency, and radiation resistance, and it has economic and environmental benefits such as small size, less pollution, and low operating loss. Therefore, the third generation of semiconductor materials It is gradually becoming the center of development. The current mainstream third-generation semiconductor materials are silicon carbide and silicon nitride. 

The former is mostly used in high-voltage applications such as smart grids and rail transit; the latter has greater applications in the high-frequency field (5G, etc.).

The silicon carbide industry has become a new battlefield in the power semiconductor device industry.