Quest has entered mass production of silicon carbide Schottky barrier diodes using a patented technology developed locally at the Queensland Micro and Nanotechnology Centre at Griffith University in Brisbane, Queensland.
A Schottky diode is different to standard diode that will consist of a junction between the metal and n-type semiconductor such as silicon. The metal side acts as the + anode and the semiconductor as the - cathode, thus the current can flow from the metal side to the semiconductor side, but not in the opposite direction.
Another advantage of the Schottky diode is that they exhibit faster switching speeds between on and off states which then enables them to reduce the wastage in power compared to a typical p-n junction diode.
While Silicon based Schottky diodes can offer significant advantages over their p-n counter parts they can't block high current flow at high voltages. This is crucial applications in solar power inverters, electric motor drives, electric car chargers and uninterruptable power supplies. However, this stumbling block has been removed by changing the semiconductor material from Si to SiC (silicon carbide), a semiconductor that can withstand at least ten times higher electric field (voltage) and has the added benefit of having three times higher thermal conductivity than Si or Silicon.
The team of researchers at Griffith University, ANFF-Q and Quest have between them developed this leading technology with SiC Schottky diode technology and using a homogeneous manufacturing process that eliminates to need for high power usage for ion implantation. This makes manufacturing our products very competitive and gives us a competitive advantage against larger manufacturers who are already established in the USA and China.
Australia is now on the map as a power semiconductor manufacture; Quests products are best in class and excellent value for money, and we are happy to offer engineering samples to prospective customers to prove our status as a serious competitor to the already established manufacturers on the global market.
Quest has a strategic plan to commercialise this world leading technology and is looking for OEM's and distributors.