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Automated inspection tool to unveil defects in raw Silicon Carbide crystals.

Project description

New tool to assess crystal defects in silicon carbide

Silicon carbide is a semiconductor base material that consists of pure silicon and pure carbon. Its properties are particularly well-suited for a variety of power components and devices used in electric vehicles, renewable energy and various industrial applications. It can withstand substantially higher voltages, frequencies and temperatures than typical silicon. However, the commercialisation of many electronic devices based on silicon carbide has been challenging due to the presence of a wide variety of defects. The EU-funded SiC_Scope project plans to develop an automated inspection tool to enable manufacturers to assess the defects of silicon carbide crystals before they enter the costly processing phase. The new tool will help semiconductor manufacturers improve the crystals' growth process and quality.

Objective

Silicon Carbide (SiC) is emerging semiconductor crystal for high-power electronics. There is great demand from Electric Vehicles and Power Generation industries for SiC devices that enable to operate at higher power, higher voltages, higher temperatures, and higher frequencies, compare to traditional silicon. On top of it SiC wafers reduce energy loss at electric power control, contributing to the reduction of energy use and the environmental stress.

Unfortunately high defectiveness of produced SiC crystals is a stumbling block in its wide-spread use in electronics. Today defective volume in SiC crystals could reach 50%, and the defects are unveiled only after crystal processing, wafering and, in many cases, polishing wafers. This process is considerably costly because SiC is one of the hardest materials with hardness just below diamond.

This project is to develop an automated inspection tool to enable manufacturers to assess defectiveness of SiC crystals before they enter costly processing. It will help semiconductor manufacturers to save resources on slicing and polishing initially defective crystals, and provide insight into the crystal quality to improve the growth process.

I am PhD in Physics who studied Material science, crystal growth and characterisation. The project will be carried out at the Swiss company Scientific Visual, that has developed quality inspection tools for other industrial crystals, and it is to expand its technology to Silicon Carbide.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2019

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Coordinator

SCIENTIFIC VISUAL SA
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 203 149,44
Address
8, CHEMIN DES ALLINGES
1006 Lausanne
Switzerland

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SME

The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.

Yes
Region
Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Région lémanique Vaud
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 203 149,44
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