Evolution of Silicon Carbide in Photovoltaic Applications ——From Efficiency Breakthroughs to Cost-Effective Scaling

1. Continuous breakthrough in technical performance: double improvement in efficiency and power density
The device voltage level is upgraded to more than 1700V
As the DC bus voltage of the photovoltaic inverter is increased from 1100V to 1500V, the voltage resistance of silicon carbide devices is upgraded simultaneously. Manufacturers such as On Mei have introduced 1700V SiC MOSFET products that can be matched with 1500V high voltage platforms for higher power transmission efficiency and lower line loss3.
Basic Semiconductor's second-generation silicon carbide MOSFETs reduce switching losses by 30% by optimizing specific on-resistance (Rsp to 2.8-3.3mΩ) to meet the needs of 100-kilowatt inverters.
Power module integration and high-frequency
Using double-sided cooling module (such as IPM package) and integrated drive circuit, the parasitic inductance is reduced to less than 5nH, supporting high frequency operation above 100kHz, and the system volume is reduced by 40%.
The compact silicon carbide device in the micro inverter has improved heat dissipation efficiency, reduced TOLL package size by 30% compared to traditional solutions, and achieved a power density of 50W/cm³

2. the cost reduction drives the rapid increase in market penetration
Scale effect appears
The price of silicon carbide devices continues to fall: the unit price of SiC SBD dropped from 4.1 yuan /A in 2017 to 1.4 yuan /A, the average annual decline of MOSFET reached 30%-40%, and the cost is expected to be close to 1.5 times that of silicon-based devices in 2026.
China's silicon carbide substrate cost target has been reduced from 3,000 yuan/piece in 2023 to 2,000 yuan/piece in 2026, promoting the cost reduction of the whole industry chain.
Hybrid solution reduces the application threshold
The "silicon + silicon carbide" parallel scheme proposed by Tesla adds part of silicon carbide devices on the basis of IGBT, and the cost is only increased by 50%-60%, but the system efficiency is significantly improved and the short-circuit resistance is enhanced, which has been pilot applied in the field of photovoltaic energy storage.

3. the industrial chain coordinated to accelerate the process of localization
Global capacity expansion and domestic substitution
International giants Wolfspeed, Infineon and other plans to increase the 6-inch silicon carbide wafer production capacity to 4.6 million pieces/year (2026), Chinese manufacturers such as SAN 'an Photoelectric has achieved substrate mass production, localization rate from 15% in 2020 to 40% in 2025.
Packaging technology innovation
Advanced packaging processes such as silver sintering and AMB (active metal brazing) are popularized, reducing thermal resistance by 30% and extending device life to 50 times that of silicon-based products.

4. Application scenarios extend to the whole industrial chain
Core devices: photovoltaic inverters dominate the market
Silicon carbide penetration in the Boost and DC/AC inverter segments has reached 35% and is expected to exceed 50% by 2025. The conversion efficiency of photovoltaic inverters using silicon carbide exceeds 99%, and the cost of kilowatt-hour electricity in the whole life cycle is reduced by 12%.
Supporting materials and equipment innovation
The silicon carbide boat bracket replaces the quartz carrier, the temperature resistance is increased to more than 1600 ° C, the service life is extended to more than 1 year, and the downtime and maintenance costs in the production of photovoltaic cells are reduced.
Ceramic carving and milling machine to achieve silicon carbide precision components micron processing, production costs reduced by 50%, to promote the photovoltaic bracket, frame and other structural parts lightweight.

5. Challenges and coping strategies
Technical bottleneck
The electromagnetic interference (EMI) caused by the high-frequency switch needs to be suppressed, the drive circuit needs to match the dv/dt change rate of 100kV/μs, and the development of customized driver chips has become a focus.
Reliability verification system
Establish a 10-year accelerated weathering test standard in harsh outdoor environments (high temperature, high humidity, salt spray), requiring a device failure rate of less than 0.1%/ 1000 hours.

conclusion
Silicon carbide technology in the photovoltaic field is undergoing a three-stage transition of "performance breakthrough - cost exploration - scene expansion". It is expected that by 2028, the global photovoltaic silicon carbide market will exceed 8.9 billion US dollars, and the technological breakthroughs of Chinese enterprises in substrate preparation, module packaging and other links will promote the reconstruction of the global industrial pattern. Future technology iteration should focus on defect control, system integration optimization and standard system construction