High-Performance Power Semiconductors for a Green Future

Power Semiconductors: Essential to Carbon Neutrality

Latest Update May 5, 2025

NEDO Future Outlook: High-Performance Power Semiconductors Pave the Way for a Carbon-Free Society

In today’s technologically advanced world, semiconductors are indispensable across numerous industries. Among them, power semiconductors—devices that control the flow of electricity in high-voltage and high-current applications—are playing an increasingly vital role in the global push toward carbon neutrality. However, as demand grows, significant technological challenges are also becoming apparent.

Samsung in Crisis: Urgent Reforms Needed as AI Semiconductor Race Slips Away

Advertisement

What Are Power Semiconductors?

Power semiconductors serve as high-speed switches that manage voltages ranging from several hundred to several thousand volts, and currents from tens to several thousand amperes. These switches lie at the heart of power electronics, a field dedicated to converting and controlling electric power.

They are widely used in:

Battery charging and discharging systems
Induction heating (IH)
Electric and hybrid vehicle (EV/HV) motor drives
Electric railways
Power sources for various electrical appliances

The Growing Need for Performance Innovation

The increased adoption of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power, along with the global shift toward electrification of energy consumption, is placing new demands on the performance of power semiconductors. In particular, better efficiency in power conversion and control is critical to supporting a sustainable energy infrastructure.

SiC and GaN: The Next Generation of Materials

To meet these demands, researchers and industry leaders are turning to advanced materials like silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), which offer superior physical properties compared to traditional silicon (Si). These include:

Wider bandgaps
Higher breakdown electric field strength
Better performance at high temperatures
Enhanced voltage resistance
Significantly reduced energy loss

These advantages make SiC and GaN ideal candidates for the next generation of high-performance power semiconductor devices.

Challenges Beyond the Material Itself

Despite the impressive properties of SiC and GaN, material performance alone isn’t enough. Developing reliable, high-efficiency power circuits that can handle extreme voltages and currents requires innovation across multiple supporting technologies.

Key Technical Hurdles Include:

Precision Doping: Achieving controlled p-type and n-type doping without damaging the material remains a manufacturing challenge.
Mounting and Packaging: Advanced bonding and sealing materials must be developed to support the enhanced voltage resistance, speed, and temperature range.
Supporting Circuitry: Without sufficient capabilities in drive circuits and other components, the full performance of the switches cannot be realized.

The Need for Cross-Industry Innovation

Addressing these challenges requires improvements not only in semiconductor technology but across the entire ecosystem of power electronics. Previous projects led by NEDO and other organizations have underscored the lack of peripheral technologies and the urgent need to close these gaps.

Achieving meaningful results will depend on cross-industry collaboration, where companies outside the traditional semiconductor sector contribute to the development of critical supporting technologies.

A 10–15 Year Window to Prepare

To meet the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, high-performance power semiconductors must be widely adopted across society—starting now. Because large-scale adoption of applied products takes time, the next 10 to 15 years are crucial. This period will determine whether these technologies can scale fast enough to support global decarbonization.