Advancing Sweden’s SiC Leadership via Acad–Industry Mobility
- Reference number
- SM25-0044
- Project leader
- Sun, Jianwu
- Start and end dates
- 260701-280630
- Amount granted
- 1 300 000 SEK
- Administrative organization
- TEKSiC AB
- Research area
- Materials Science and Technology
Summary
High-quality, low-defect silicon carbide (SiC) materials are essential for next-generation power electronics, renewable energy systems, and quantum technologies. However, current SiC materials suffer from high-density defects such as basal plane dislocations and stacking faults formed during growth, which severely limit device performance. This project tackles this long-standing global challenge by bridging advanced characterization with industrial reactor development. The visiting researcher, Associate Professor and Head of the Sublimation Materials Unit at Linköping University, will carry out a two-year, 50% full-time exchange at TEKSiC AB, a Swedish company specializing in SiC reactor technology. The main objective is to perform advanced characterization of SiC crystals grown in TEKSiC’s reactors and provide direct feedback for reactor design, growth optimization, and industrial processes. By combining the visiting researcher’s decades of academic expertise in semiconductor materials with TEKSiC’s engineering capacity, the project will create unique synergies that accelerate SiC innovation. Expected outcomes include new insights into defect mechanisms, improved reactor strategies, enhanced competitiveness of Sweden’s SiC industry, and training for students and engineers. This strategic mobility will reinforce Sweden’s global leadership in SiC technologies, strengthen the national innovation ecosystem, and contribute to long-term industrial competitiveness.
Popular science description
Silicon carbide (SiC) is a material that plays a key role in the technologies of the future. It makes it possible to build smaller, lighter, and more energy-efficient power electronics that are essential for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and quantum technologies. By replacing traditional materials like silicon, SiC can help reduce energy losses, lower costs, and enable more sustainable solutions for society. However, producing high-quality SiC is extremely difficult. Today’s SiC crystals still suffer from high-density defects that are formed during growth. These defects act “killers” in the material and severely degrade the performance and reliability of the SiC devices. Growth of high-quality, low-defect SiC remains a long-standing global challenge. This project brings together the visiting researcher’s academic expertise in semiconductor material and the innovative Swedish industry’s experience in design of SiC reactors to address this global challenge. The visiting researcher from Linköping University, who is a specialist in semiconductor materials (ZnO, GaN, SiC) and devices, will work 50% full-time for two years at TEKSiC AB, an innovative Swedish company specializing in design and development of SiC reactors. The researcher will employ advanced characterizations to identify defects and evaluate SiC crystals grown in TEKSiC’s reactors. The results will provide direct feedback for reactor design, growth optimization, and industrial processes. By combining the researcher’s decades of academic expertise in semiconductor materials with TEKSiC’s engineering capacity, the project will create unique synergies that accelerate SiC innovation. This creates a unique collaboration where academic knowledge and industrial engineering meet to solve a real-world challenge. The project is expected to deliver new insights into how defects form and how they can be reduced or eliminated. These results will guide better reactor designs and growth processes, making it possible to produce SiC with fewer defects and higher quality. The outcomes will strengthen Sweden’s SiC industry, provide valuable training opportunities for students and engineers, and ensure that Sweden remains at the forefront of this strategically important technology. By combining research excellence with industrial innovation, this project will not only advance science but also contribute directly to the transition towards a more sustainable and competitive future.