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Automotive semiconductors and sensors from Bosch

The SiC MOSFET road to excellence

Bosch’s silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor technology journey in a nutshell

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The SiC MOSFET road to excellence in automotive semiconductors

Let’s go on a journey together – with some exciting stops along the route of silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET innovations. With Bosch as a tour guide, you can't do better: Bosch has more than 20 years of experience in the field of automotive MOSFETs and silicon carbide, stands out as one of the most flexible semiconductor providers, and is driving fast-paced innovation. Are you curious about the technology journey of SiC MOSFETs, and about the current status of the industry? Then fasten your seatbelt for an exciting ride!

Our fuel is innovation

In Bosch’s SiC roadmap, development is the constant. Bosch began developing silicon carbide semiconductors in 2001 with SiC-Schottky-Diodes and lateral MOSFETs (metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors). The first prototypes of modern trench MOSFETS were available in 2011. Since the start of series production in 2021, a new generation of MOSFETs with significant improvement in the key performance indicators such as power density and switching properties is scheduled for every 2 to 2.5 years. And not only the cell architecture is permanently evolving. New user-friendly features such as integrated sensing functions or alternative power metallization are also added. But what’s unique about our automotive MOSFET technology? Let’s take a closer look.

Bosch’s SiC technology roadmap
Bosch’s SiC technology roadmap

Going vertical for increased power density

Most of today’s SiC MOSFETs have a planar gate structure. This means that the gate complex of gate electrode and gate oxide are located at the surface, and the current flow in the channel of the transistor is lateral. Bosch chose a different path, setting itself apart from competitors: the dual-channel vertical trench concept. It allows the current flows to also go vertically through the channel. The unit cell becomes smaller, thus increasing the power density. In other words: maximum performance in a tiny space. Additionally, the Bosch double trench technology helps significantly reduce channel resistance. Together with its high robustness, the dual channel trench MOSFET is specifically well suited for applications with high lifetime demands – a perfect match for all types of modern vehicles.

Conquering new ground: the transition to 200 mm MOSFET wafer size

With 200 mm wafers important economies of scale can be achieved, compared to 150 mm wafers currently in use.
With 200 mm wafers important economies of scale can be achieved, compared to 150 mm wafers currently in use.

What would a trip be without exploring exciting new destinations? For Bosch, the latest uncharted territory was the 200 mm wafer production. Our deep understanding of SiC material and defect physics made it possible to conquer this new ground, making Bosch a pioneer of 200 mm SiC technology. With a usable area almost twice as large as that of 150 mm wafers, this extended size allows for a big boost in manufacturing efficiency. Larger wafers also mean that significantly more chips can be manufactured in one production run. What’s more, 200 mm wafers allow for greater process uniformity and more sophisticated chip designs. This technological leap is particularly important in current automotive trends, which have high demands in terms of functional density with the lowest possible use of resources – in production as well as on the road.

Next SiC milestones ahead: market launch of next-gen 200 mm wafers

Bosch is currently transferring generation 2 of its SiC chips to 200 mm
Bosch is currently transferring generation 2 of its SiC chips to 200 mm

The journey´s next destinations are set: Since June 2024, Bosch is producing samples of generation 2 silicon carbide chips on 200 mm wafers for customer trials, paving the way to the upcoming series production. And generation three is also already on the horizon, with the start of production planned for 2027. This way, Bosch will continue to underpin its role as driver of technological innovation in the field of automotive MOSFETs and silicon carbide semiconductors.

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