2025-05-13
Science Popularization | Important Semiconductor Material: Silicon Carbide
Silicon carbide is a non-metallic carbide, also known as carborundum, which is bonded by covalent bonds between silicon and carbon. Its chemical symbol is SiC (Silicon carbide in English). Its crystal structure can be divided into hexagonal or rhombohedral α - SiC and cubic β - SiC (cubic silicon carbide). Silicon carbide is a kind of carbide that was accidentally discovered in the laboratory by Acheson, an American, when he conducted the experiment of electrofusion diamond in 1891. It was mistaken for a mixture of diamonds at that time, so it was named carborundum. LELY put forward the concept of growing high-quality silicon carbide in 1955. Since then, SiC has been regarded as an important electronic material.