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With the advent of 12-inch (300 mm) silicon carbide (SiC) wafers, the third-generation semiconductor industry has officially entered the “12-inch era.” This marks a shift from technology demonstration to industrial-scale power electronics deployment.

SiC’s inherent advantages—high breakdown voltage, high thermal conductivity, and low conduction losses—make it ideal for high-voltage (>1200 V) power devices. However, as wafer diameters grow from 6–8 inches to 12 inches, material consistency and production stability become the defining factors for successful device manufacturing.

1. Material Quality: The First Layer of Evaluation

Material quality determines the physical performance ceiling of SiC devices. When evaluating suppliers, focus on:

1. Chemical purity — lower impurity concentrations reduce deep-level defects.

2. Crystal defect control — large-diameter crystals are more prone to dislocations.

3. Doping uniformity — affects carrier concentration and device performance.

Key Notes:

• Purity should not be judged by single-number specifications alone; verify test methodology and statistical sampling.

• For 12-inch wafers, dislocation control is critical, as larger areas are more prone to crystal defects.

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2. Wafer Fabrication Capability: Process Consistency

Compared to 8-inch wafers, 12-inch SiC wafers face significant fabrication challenges:

• Crystal growth requires extremely precise thermal field control

• Dicing and polishing equipment must handle larger wafers

• Epitaxial layer uniformity and stress control require additional optimization

Observation: Dicing and polishing are often the bottlenecks in 12-inch wafer production, directly impacting final wafer yield and delivery reliability.

3. Production Capacity & Supply Chain Stability

As 12-inch wafer production scales up, capacity and supply chain stability become central to supplier evaluation:

Industry observations indicate that multiple suppliers are actively developing 12-inch SiC wafer production lines, including material, equipment, and end-device manufacturers, signaling a rapid transition from R&D to commercial deployment.

4. Integrated Scoring & Risk Management

A weighted scoring system can help evaluate suppliers systematically:

• Material quality and defect control: 35 %

• Process capability and consistency: 30 %

• Capacity and supply chain resilience: 25 %

• Commercial & ecosystem factors: 10 %

Risk Notes:

• Although 12-inch SiC technology is commercially available, yields and cost control remain challenging.

• Ensure the supplier maintains a traceable quality system, as defects on large-diameter wafers have a disproportionate effect on high-voltage devices.

Conclusion

By 2026, 12-inch SiC wafers are set to become the backbone of next-generation high-voltage power electronics. Evaluating suppliers solely based on datasheet specifications is no longer sufficient. Instead, a quantitative, multi-layered approach covering material purity, process consistency, and supply chain reliability ensures both technical and commercial success.