Current and Future SiC Output Devices: Where is the greatest audio potential?

[musicfirst]

OK guys and girls, as new bee on the block, I am intrigued by the SiC Jfets and their potential.

Although I am not (yet?) a DIYer, I am a looong time audiot, and in my experience, new materials resulting in better components are often precursive to significant advancements in designs

Knowing nothing about which output devices are suitable for which topologies, I was hoping those wiser than me might pull out their crystal semi-condutors and pontificate on what kind of DIY and commercial audio potential you see with the devices currently available? What about other SiC devices likely to be available down the road?

Does the low distortion and high power handling and heat dissapation mean better results in simple topologies; simpler yet more powerful amplifiers; fewer gain stages? Will the high switching frequencies mean better class D performance?

Enquiring minds want to know.

Thanks all...

[Miles Prower]

These SiC JFETs have a lot of potential for audio. The linearity is outstanding. It's the availability that's a big problem here.

These JFETs have their own peculiarities that need to be taken into consideration. Unlike Si FETs, these need to operate at significantly higher voltages, due to the capacitance problem. I wouldn't run them at anything under 300Vdc. This also helps since these SiC JFETs will tend to pull a pretty stiff gate current at higher Vgs's, and that will complicate the driver design. If they don't have to idle at a high drain current, you won't have that problem.

Since you need to get that voltage up there, you're best bet is to couple to the output with an OPT to isolate that voltage. Since you already have the voltage, you can easily include a hollow state front end.

[jechentau]

so is it true they emit broadband yellowish/green light in operation for sure?
if so they should make a windowed one.
one may visually establish idle current value by a bias comparison card or so held beside it ;p or level in case of class B

[Arnulf]

Has anyone actually been able to procure any of Semisouth devices ? They seem to be made of unobtanium rather than SiC, and they don't respond to e-mail inquiries.

Farnell doesn't stock them (or know anything about them), nobody ahs them up for sale on ePay either

[Miles Prower]

^^^^

That's the halibut. These SiC JFETs are still experimental devices. Semisouth doesn't seem to deal in small quantities for DiY, but rather in large, bulk orders. These thingies are not cheap by any means. It might be several years before they start appearing in catalogs like Farnell, if ever.

[cbdb]

"SiC devices have high temp, high speed and high voltage operation capabilities".

Does any one know where there is info on there linearity? Seems like they may be worthwile in class D amps.

[Miles Prower]

There was a thread on this last year.

These days, the emphasis is on pulsed/digital type applications, and not linear performance. The latter is sometimes something you need to work out for yourself since you won't see much in the official specs.

[Arnulf]

Originally Posted by Miles Prower

That's the halibut. These SiC JFETs are still experimental devices. Semisouth doesn't seem to deal in small quantities for DiY, but rather in large, bulk orders. These thingies are not cheap by any means. It might be several years before they start appearing in catalogs like Farnell, if ever.

Power to them if they actually manage to survive with a business concept that relies on selling vaporware. They are allegedly selling devices made for SMPS use and one can easily procure BJTs or MOSFETs for such duty in any quantity desired, from DIY to mass purchase. I have yet to see SiC JFETs used in this role in a real world product so I really fail to see the logic behind advertising something for years and not being able to show anything for it.