Recent advancements in Japan have brought diamond power semiconductors closer to commercial feasibility, with performance exceeding existing materials by an order of magnitude. These semiconductors, made from synthetic diamond, are being hailed as the ultimate semiconductor material due to their exceptional thermal conductivity and electrical properties.
Diamond is particularly suited for power semiconductors, boasting 33 times the electrical strength of silicon and capable of operating at temperatures five times higher, theoretically handling 50,000 times more power. While next-generation substrates like silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) have garnered attention, diamond significantly outperforms them.
According to the Baliga figure of merit, diamond’s performance is over 80 times higher than SiC and 10 times greater than GaN, marking it as a transformative material for reducing power loss in semiconductor applications. This makes diamond a promising candidate for future power electronics, particularly in high-power, high-temperature environments.
These developments suggest that diamond semiconductors could soon become a viable option in the semiconductor industry, offering breakthroughs in efficiency and power handling capabilities. With Japan leading the way, the technology is rapidly approaching commercial readiness.
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