SiC materials: a semiconductor family for the next century

The current status of SiC semiconductor materials is reviewed, with emphasize on forthcoming applications. In a first part one focuses on the most important physical properties. Then, power device and micro-opto-electronic applications, using both 4H and 6H-SiC, are presented. Technological problems which have to be: solved in order to realize simple planar device are considered. Emphasize is set on the French and European efforts, and on the USA and Japan's ones. In a second part, one deals with advanced high temperature industrial sensor applications. Interest for cubic 3C-SiC deposited on Silicon On Insulator (SOI) is demonstrated and results of comparative examinations of different 3C-SiC/SOI materials are briefly given. (C) 2000 Academie des sciences/Editions scientifiques er medicales Elsevier SAS.