Sustainable Manufacturing and Applications of Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors—A Review

Abstract

Wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) are revolutionizing high-power electronics due to their superior thermal conductivity, breakdown voltage, and energy efficiency. These materials are critical in electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and high-frequency applications like 5G infrastructure. However, their production processes are resource-intensive and present significant environmental challenges. This review evaluates recent advancements in sustainable WBG semiconductor manufacturing, focusing on low-energy epitaxial growth, closed-loop recycling, and the mitigation of toxic by-products. Additionally, it highlights the role of Industry 4.0 innovations, such as AI-driven process optimization and IoT-based resource management, in enhancing sustainability. The review identifies research gaps in cost reduction, alternative WBG materials like Gallium Oxide (Ga₂O₃) and Diamond, and scalable green manufacturing solutions. It underscores the necessity for industry-wide collaboration and regulatory frameworks to drive the adoption of eco-friendly semiconductor fabrication. The findings of this study provide a roadmap for advancing sustainability in WBG semiconductor production, ensuring their long-term viability in the transition toward energy-efficient technologies.

Keywords

Sustainability / Wide-bandgap semiconductors / Epitaxial growth techniques / Manufacturing

Acknowledgments

The authors express their sincere gratitude to the Agricultural Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering Departments of the School of Engineering Sciences, University of Ghana, for their invaluable administrative and technical support during this research. We also extend our appreciation to our colleagues and reviewers from the School of Engineering Sciences, University of Ghana, for their insightful feedback, which greatly enhanced the quality of this work.

Author Contributions

The manuscript was written with contributions from all authors. All authors have approved the final version of the manuscript.

Ethics Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

No data was used for the research described in the article.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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