The unique properties of SiC have driven the development of SiC-based devices for a wide range of applications, with high-power electronics being the most prominent. Commercially available 4H-SiC power devices are now integrated into numerous power systems, particularly in electric vehicles. At MRG/FORTH, we have developed SiC device technology for both high-frequency/high-power and low-frequency/high-power applications. More recently, this technology has been extended to bio-related and photonic applications, which will be presented in this talk.

The outstanding properties of SiC are also the key enablers for these emerging applications. In the biomedical field, SiC is particularly attractive because it is chemically inert, highly resistant to oxidative corrosion, exhibits negligible cytotoxicity, and offers excellent biocompatibility, including compatibility with neural tissue. In photonics, SiC is an exceptional material owing to its wide band gap, which enables operation over a broad spectral range, including the visible, while maintaining low optical absorption. In addition, its non-centrosymmetric crystal structure gives rise to second-order nonlinear optical effects. Finally, the maturity of SiC processing technology provides a significant advantage over other wide-bandgap semiconductors for both application areas.

Three rpresentative device examples will be presented: (i) a microwire-channel FET for biosensing, (ii) a neural microelectrode array, and (iii) a photonic/plasmonic nanopillar array.