How Silicon Carbide and Gallium Nitride Are Powering the Future

Abstract

EV proliferation and ubiquitous 5G coverage have pushed power electronic technologies to the limit and are driving adoption of Wide Bandgap (WBG) semiconductors including Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN). The inherent higher voltage rating, better thermal performance and high-speed switching capabilities of these WBG materials provide the necessary performance boost for EVs and 5G networks, meeting the demands of these high power and high frequency systems. This explains how WBG materials enable over 98% efficient EV fast chargers, power 800V EV platforms and can achieve 50% – 65% PAEs in RF frequencies for the wireless segment, reducing energy consumption in 5G base stations by up to 40%. Although WBG materials currently have higher cost compared to silicon, the performance benefits offered ensure WBG will be the foundation of future power and communication infrastructure. On top of that, a tangled knot of export controls between the US and China, the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, increased IP clashes, and the forced rollout of a new generation of standards from IEC, SAE and 3GPP are already dictating ‘where’ and by whom this tech can be built, acquired and employed moving forward. Navigating that matrix has become as critical as managing the materials.

Introduction 

Across the energy and connectivity world, a two-pronged evolution is under way. The accelerated adoption of electric vehicle technology along with massive rollouts of 5G networks amount to some of the most expensive infrastructure changes in the 21st century. Both trends will require unprecedented performance from a specific field, power electronics. 

The capabilities required go beyond the reach of established and relatively cheap silicon (Si)-based technology.  Consequently, the future of the field is increasingly being defined by Wide Bandgap (WBG) devices: those based on SiC and Gallium Nitride (GaN). These materials possess band gaps around three times larger than Si (3.3-3.4 eV for SiC/GaN against ~1.1 eV for Si), a property which correlates with substantially improved breakdown voltages, thermal management capabilities and high operating frequencies for higher efficiency and smaller power devices. In this we review the relevant material properties of SiC and GaN devices, see where in the chain they’re being deployed for both EV charging and 5G infrastructure, understand the legal and legislative environment for their adoption and forecast what’s in store for the field.

The huge practical implications that small jump can make. The bigger bandgap of SiC and GaN mean these components can:

• Run on orders-of-magnitude higher voltage 
• Resist substantially more heat without degrading 
• Conduct current at many greater multiples of speed without losing energy (turn on / off far faster, in other words) 
• Provide significantly lower resistance at high currents at all voltages. 

So that two of the largest infrastructure buildout’s currently going on in history requires more efficient, smaller, faster and far more dependable components than Silicon currently can provide.

Revolutionising The EV Chargers 

EVs are as useful as their charge port. A number of companies are pushing for 350kW and beyond for their car charging capabilities, an endeavor so advanced that a significant amount of charge could be added in under 15 minutes. To achieve this using silicon power devices would result in complex, difficult-to-cool and large electrical systems. SiC eliminates these issues. 

Silicon carbide switches well at the high-voltages and -current levels typically involved with charging, can operate at up to 1700V-that’s nearly 3 to 4 times greater than the voltages usable with conventional silicon devices- and a switching efficiency that is over 50% better than silicon IGBTs. In fact, SiC can also push charger performance over 98% efficient as compared to approximately 93 to 95 percent for conventional chargers. This represents a saving of a substantial number of kWh per day on a 150kW charger running around the clock. Tesla was first with a SiC inverter. Almost every major vehicle manufacturer designing an 800volt automobile including Porsche and Hyundai – relies on SiC-based power devices and by 2030, SiC market is expected to achieve over60 percent for EV power applications.

Enabling The 5G Revolution 

The Silicon Carbide material excels at high-voltage power switching, while Gallium Nitride material reigns at high-frequency RF power, and as such, is critical for 5G infrastructure. 5G transmits over frequencies ranging from bands sub 6 GHz, up through frequencies over 24 GHz (the “mmW” range). Base station amplifiers need to amplify these wide range of frequencies while removing immense heat. Silicon RF power transistors start losing efficiency beyond a few gigahertz and produce so much heat they demand expensive cooling solutions.
GaN power amplifiers provide an elegant solution, operating at up to 100 gigahertz, or even higher. GaN transistors achieve power added efficiency (PAE) of 50 to 65 percent at 5G frequencies – approximately twice the PAE you’d get from silicon transistors. For a telecom service provider with thousands of base stations, the efficiency gains offer a 30 to 40 percent improvement in energy usage for the base station-a real game-changer. GaN also enables massive MIMO antenna arrays, wherein each dozen or so antenna elements need its own power amplifier-the economics of which are not possible without Gallium Nitride power.

The Legal and Regulatory Landscape

The proliferation of WBG semiconductors is also occurring within an ever-tightening net of export controls, industrial policy legislation, IP disputes and compliance standards.

Export Controls

The WBG semiconductors are now firmly entrenched at the epicentre of the US-China technological rivalry. US chip export restrictions to China have tightened dramatically since implementation in October 2022, with particularly strong action taken in October 2023 and December 2024. The December 2024 rules promulgated by the US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), for example, established controls on 24 distinct semiconductor equipment items and added 140 entities to its Entity List. SiC and GaN devices incorporated into the defence, auto, and telecommunications sectors will be increasingly affected by these rules.

CHIPS Act and Industrial Policy

At home, $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 has made these semiconductors a priority, explicitly recognizing the importance of SiC substrates for the energy and military sectors and funding GaN wafer manufacturing. Its 25% investment tax credit supplements a total of $39 billion in outright cash grants. Europe is pursuing similar industrial policy, via a 43-billion-euro European Chips Act to lift its market share to 20% by 2030, with WBG power semiconductors playing a prominent role.

Intellectual Property

The commercial importance of the technology has fueled a patent race to secure technological leadership. The increasing uptake of GaN for high power, and radio frequency (RF) communications applications has generated substantial growth in patent applications, issuances and acquisitions among market incumbents and newcomers, such as Huawei, TI, Infineon, for device, design, and manufacturing know-how. Entrants must secure freedom to operate; and monitor essential and standards-based patents, especially where GaN RF products will connect to 5G base station equipment that relies on ITU and 3GPP standardized frequencies.

Standards and Compliance

JEDEC, has created working groups on best-practices and testing standards for WBG power semiconductors. EV charging stations need to adhere to specific standards for conductive charging( IEC 61851 and IEC 62196), general inductive charging (UL 2594), and wireless EV charging at 85khz, where SiC is well-suited(SAE J2954). GaN power amplifiers in use for 5G must be tested and verified according to standards such as FCC Part 96, ETSI EN 300 440 and 3GPP Release 15. Base station operators are liable if these devices interfere with other equipment, and require third-party certification.

Conclusion 

No longer confined to the research lab, Wide Bandgap devices are now load-bearing components within two of the most significant infrastructure deployments of modern times. Silicon Carbide is raising the performance ceiling on the critical EV power components in ultra-fast, high-voltage systems that support electric vehicles. Gallium Nitride offers the RF performance required to deliver scaled, energy-efficient 5G that works as per requirements. 

Simultaneously, the regulatory regime governing these WBG materials – from licensing and export, incentives, IP strategy, to compliance is transforming. 

Indeed, the move beyond silicon in high power and high frequency will continue and accelerate given decreasing costs, expanding Wafer volume and longer time series Reliability data, impacting EV, Industrial, power generation, renewables and defence applications. An initial advance in materials science is a fundamental change impacting semiconductor supply Chains in order to bring about the de carbonize and high-speed world of tomorrow

References 

Millán, J. (2022). Power electronics based on wide-bandgap semiconductors: Opportunities and challenges. Proceedings of the IEEE. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9565934 

Deb, N., et al. (2025). Rapid electric vehicle charging based on silicon carbide enabled medium voltage DC transmission systems. IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution. https://doi.org/10.1049/gtd2.70092

Lu, H., Zhang, M., Yang, L., et al. (2023). A review of GaN RF devices and power amplifiers for 5G communication applications. Fundamental Research, 5(1), 315–331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fmre.2023.11.005 (PubMed: PMID 40166121)

Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). (2024, Dec 2). Foreign-Produced Direct Product Rule Additions and Refinements to Controls for Advanced Computing and Semiconductor Manufacturing Items. Federal Register. https://www.bis.gov

PatSnap. (2026). Wireless EV charging: 1,956 patents analyzed for 2026. https://www.patsnap.com/resources/blog/articles/wireless-ev-charging-1956-patents-analyzed-for-2026/

IDTechEx. (2024). The emerging adoption and future trends of SiC and GaN in EVs. https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-article/31201