Silicon carbide

Silicon carbide (SiC) is a hard compound of silicon and carbon. Its high thermal conductivity, chemical stability, and wide bandgap make it useful as an abrasive, refractory ceramic, and semiconductor.

Silicon: A chemical element and semiconductor widely used in electronics and solar cells. Silicon supplies one of SiC’s two elements and provides a useful comparison for semiconductor behavior.
Acheson process: An industrial method that produces silicon carbide by heating silica and carbon in an electric furnace. This high-temperature process established the mass production of SiC abrasive.
Abrasive: A material used to wear away, grind, polish, or cut another material. SiC’s hardness makes it an effective abrasive in grinding wheels and sandpaper.
Gallium nitride: A wide-bandgap semiconductor used in high-frequency and power electronics. GaN competes with SiC in power conversion, with different strengths in voltage and switching frequency.
Carbon: A chemical element that forms diverse structures, including diamond and graphite. Carbon bonds with silicon in SiC, helping produce its hardness and thermal stability.
Chemical vapor deposition: A process that forms solid material from chemical vapors reacting on a heated surface. CVD grows high-purity SiC layers used in semiconductor devices and epitaxial wafers.
Refractory material: A material that retains useful properties at very high temperatures. SiC withstands heat and chemical attack in kiln furniture and furnace components.
Aluminum oxide: A hard ceramic compound of aluminum and oxygen, also known as alumina. Alumina is a common abrasive and refractory alternative to SiC, with different hardness and chemical behavior.
Covalent bond: A chemical bond formed when atoms share electron pairs. Strong covalent bonding between silicon and carbon underlies SiC’s hardness and high melting point.
Sublimation growth: A crystal-growth method in which vaporized material deposits onto a seed crystal. Physical vapor transport grows bulk SiC crystals for semiconductor substrates.

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