Silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) \u2014 today’s two major WBG material semiconductor platforms \u2014 improve the performance of power electronics systems beyond the limits of traditional silicon-based designs.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\n \n Learn more about how WBG works<\/span>

How Wide Bandgap (WBG) Technology Benefits Everyone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
From the smartphone in your pocket to the chips and batteries in the newest electric vehicles on the market today, you can find WBG technology making an impact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Silicon carbide (SiC) has become popular in the automotive industry and is also commonly used in solar panels and data centers. Meanwhile, you can thank Gallium nitride (GaN) for the ability to charge your smart devices faster; from 2019 to 2024, GaN helped fast chargers increase from 50 to 240 watts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
SiC and GaN are both used in semiconductor chips \u2014 which perform critical power conditioning functions in devices like rectifiers (which convert AC electricity to DC), inverters (which convert DC electricity to AC) and variable-frequency drives (which include both inverters and rectifiers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Using WBG-based power electronics in consumer electronics and data centers alone could save enough electricity annually to power over 1.3 million homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Semiconductor Application Space<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The graphic below shows the many industrial and consumer applications where SiC and GaN are being introduced. The energy, operational and performance advantages of SiC and GaN are critical enablers of the \u201celectrification of everything.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Consumer Electronics<\/h2>\n <\/summary>\n
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Laptops, smartphones, and tablets account for a solid chunk of electricity use today, and the demand for these products continues to rise. The small converter on the cord of your laptop computer, for example, converts the AC power from your wall outlet into the DC power used by your laptop. <\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n <\/details>\n\n\n
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Data Centers<\/h2>\n <\/summary>\n
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With the breakneck pace at which data is being created, we need more of these facilities seemingly every day. And just like the converters needed to charge your laptop or phone, data centers need to convert power to meet the needs of the diverse components of modern data center systems. WBG chips could eliminate up to 90% of the energy losses in the rectifiers currently used to perform power conversion. <\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n <\/details>\n\n\n
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Industrial Systems<\/h2>\n <\/summary>\n
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Industrial motor systems use well over half of the electricity consumed in U.S. manufacturing. Some motor systems use a variable-frequency drive (VFD) to dynamically adjust motor speed to match power requirements and save energy. WBG chips can make VFDs more efficient and compact \u2014 and will likely expand the range of motors in which VFDs are cost-effective.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n <\/details>\n\n\n
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Energy Savings<\/h2>\n <\/summary>\n
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Chips perform critical power conditioning functions in devices like rectifiers, inverters and variable-frequency drives (which include both inverters and rectifiers). WBG chips perform these functions more efficiently, yielding significant energy savings.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n <\/details>\n\n\n
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Renewable Power<\/h2>\n <\/summary>\n
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Energy generated by wind turbines and solar photovoltaic systems must be converted from DC to AC before it can reach the electric grid. WBG chips can provide the required conversion in the inverter. More efficient WBG-based power electronics for solar and wind-energy conversion could save enough electricity annually to power more than 700,000 homes.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n <\/details>\n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n
Sectors Where WBG Makes the Most Impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
SiC and GaN semiconductors have applications across several sectors \u2014 both civilian and military.<\/p>\n\n\n
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Industrial<\/h2>\n
\n Precision variable-speed drives & high temperature operation\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n\n
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Education and Workforce<\/h2>\n
\n Educating the next generation of WBG workers\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n\n
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Electric Transportation<\/h2>\n
\n Efficient charging & increased range\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Renewable Energy and Grid Modernization<\/h2>\n
\n Higher efficiencies in power conversion & a more secure energy grid\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n\n
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Defense<\/h2>\n
\n Smaller, faster, lighter, & more rugged power electronics\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n\n
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Data Centers and UPS<\/h2>\n
\n Reduced power and cooling requirements\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Heard enough?<\/h2>\n
See why you should join PowerAmerica.<\/p>\n \n
\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors \u2014 the same materials used in LED light fixtures and many flatscreen TVs \u2014 will make the next generation of power electronics more efficient, affordable and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":405,"featured_media":0,"parent":19073,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"pageIntro\":\"Wide bandgap semiconductors can operate at much higher temperatures, voltages and frequencies \u2014 making electronics more powerful and energy-efficient than conventional materials allow.\"}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-19063","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/poweramericainstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/poweramericainstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/poweramericainstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poweramericainstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/405"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poweramericainstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19063"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/poweramericainstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20146,"href":"https:\/\/poweramericainstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19063\/revisions\/20146"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poweramericainstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19073"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/poweramericainstitute.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}