On January 21, 2025, the Institute of Microelectronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced that the first domestic high-voltage radiation-hardened silicon carbide (SiC) power device and its power supply system jointly developed by the team of Liu Xinyu and Tang Yidan and the team of Liu Yanmin of the Space Application Engineering and Technology Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have successfully passed the first phase of space verification and achieved the first application in the orbit of China's space station. This major breakthrough not only marks China's important progress in the field of third-generation semiconductor materials, especially in the application of aerospace power supply systems, but also provides a new solution for the upgrading of power supply technology in future space missions.
Technological breakthroughs: the great advantages of silicon carbide power devices
As the core component of the power electronic system, the performance of power devices directly affects the energy conversion efficiency and the stability of the system. Over the past few decades, silicon-based power devices have approached their performance limits in many applications. In contrast, third-generation semiconductor materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) have shown great potential in high-efficiency and high-power applications due to their unique physical properties, such as wide bandgap, high breakdown voltage, and good thermal conductivity.
The power-to-volume ratio of the 400V high-voltage radiation-hardened silicon carbide power device developed this time is nearly 5 times higher than that of traditional silicon-based power devices. This means that SiC devices are able to transmit higher power in the same volume, significantly improve energy conversion efficiency, and have significant advantages in high-power applications. In addition, the high efficiency of silicon carbide materials greatly reduces the heat dissipation requirements of the power system, which not only reduces the energy consumption of the spacecraft, but also effectively saves space and weight, and provides more space for other system modules.
Professor Liu Xinyu said that the high energy efficiency, miniaturization and lightweight characteristics of this silicon carbide power device make it an ideal solution for aerospace power supply systems. The heat dissipation device in the traditional aerospace power system usually occupies a large volume and weight, but the high efficiency of the silicon carbide device significantly reduces the heat dissipation requirement, so as to further improve the load capacity of the space system.
Figure: China's high-voltage radiation-hardened silicon carbide power device has been successfully verified in space (the picture comes from the Internet, for illustration only).
Validation in Space: A Critical Leap from Ground to Orbit
The successful space verification of high-voltage radiation-hardened silicon carbide power devices is an important milestone in the field of aerospace power supply technology in China. In November 2024, the silicon carbide power device was launched into space with the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft and a series of scientific experiments were carried out on the Chinese space station. After more than a month of on-orbit power-up testing, the SiC power device has shown excellent stability and reliability under both static and dynamic conditions.
The experimental data shows that the performance of the SiC power device in the space environment is in line with expectations, and its application potential under extreme conditions is successfully verified. Especially in the high-radiation and high-vacuum environment of space, this device can still maintain stable operation, which verifies its radiation resistance and high reliability. Professor Tang Yidan pointed out that this achievement marks that silicon carbide power devices can become a key technology to improve power efficiency and reliability in future space missions, and may promote the development of space power systems in the direction of more efficient, more compact and higher power.
Industry Impact and Global Perspective: The Future of Silicon Carbide Technology
The successful development and space verification of silicon carbide power devices not only enhance China's technological competitiveness in the aerospace field, but also have a far-reaching impact on the global semiconductor industry. With the gradual saturation of the performance of silicon-based power devices, silicon carbide materials are becoming a new focus of global scientific and technological competition due to their superior physical properties.
China's successful development of high-voltage radiation-hardened silicon carbide power devices not only fills the technical gap in this field in China, but also provides technical support for future space missions such as deep space exploration and manned lunar landing. In addition, the application of silicon carbide power devices in the aerospace field also provides a technical reference for other industrial fields in high-efficiency and high-radiation environments. For example, in applications such as electric vehicles and renewable energy systems, silicon carbide materials are becoming a mainstream solution due to their high efficiency and high radiation resistance.
Internationally, the United States, Europe and other places are also actively promoting the research and development of silicon carbide power devices. The wide application of silicon carbide materials in the aerospace field has become one of the key directions of global scientific and technological competition. China's success not only proves its ability to innovate in the field of third-generation semiconductors, but also opens new doors for international space technology cooperation.
Future Prospects: Towards a higher breakthrough in kilowatt power
The Chinese Academy of Sciences said that the application of silicon carbide power devices in the aerospace power system will further promote the technological progress of the aerospace power system. The high-voltage silicon carbide power devices verified this time provide a solid technical foundation for future power modules with higher power and higher efficiency. With the continuous development of technology, silicon carbide devices are expected to move towards the kilowatt power level, promoting the evolution of aerospace power systems in the direction of higher power, smaller size, and lighter weight.
Professor Liu Xinyu emphasized that China's self-developed silicon carbide power devices have passed the rigorous space environment test and have been successfully applied in the aerospace power supply system, marking a significant improvement in China's independent innovation ability in the field of aerospace power technology. This not only provides technical support for China to build a space power, but also provides new ideas and solutions for the development of global space technology.
Conclusion
The successful development and space verification of China's first high-voltage radiation-hardened silicon carbide power device marks a key step in the field of aerospace power supply technology. As the technology continues to mature, silicon carbide power devices will provide more efficient and reliable power solutions for future space missions and promote the advancement of global space technology.
This achievement has also set a new benchmark for the development of the global semiconductor industry, and with the deepening of the application of technology, silicon carbide power devices will become an important part of the field of power electronics and energy systems, helping the technological innovation and development of the global aerospace, aviation, energy and other fields.
