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silicon carbide
noun
: a very hard dark crystalline compound SiC of silicon and carbon that is used as an abrasive and as a refractory and in electric resistors
Examples of silicon carbide in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These high-performance braking systems use a brake rotor made from a mixture of carbon, ceramics, epoxy resin, silicon carbide, and carbon fiber (the ingredients are baked together in a mold at high temperatures to form the rotor).
—Michael Harley, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
But unlike amateur scopes, the optical truss is made of silicon carbide.
—Diane Hope, Ars Technica, 12 Dec. 2023
Porsche The rear drive unit uses silicon carbide power electronics.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 25 Jan. 2024
But silicon carbide is 60 percent less sensitive to cosmic rays than silicon.
—Debbie G. Senesky, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2023
Energy Department approves $544 million loan for production of silicon carbide wafers for EVs and power electronics in Michigan.
—Alan Ohnsman, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
To make GaN transistors for the applications described above, GaN is typically deposited on a substrate like silicon, silicon carbide, sapphire, or GaN itself.
—Willy Shih, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024
Realizing that silicon carbide might have the right properties to work in space set the direction for my career, which combines materials studies with space exploration.
—Debbie G. Senesky, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2023
Over the past decade, one of the biggest stories in semiconductors has been a surprise eclipsing of traditional silicon—in the field of power electronics, where silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) have raced past silicon to capture multibilllion-dollar segments of the market.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'silicon carbide.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1893, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near silicon carbide
Cite this Entry
“Silicon carbide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/silicon%20carbide. Accessed 13 Jun. 2024.
Medical Definition
silicon carbide
noun
: a very hard dark crystalline compound SiC of silicon and carbon that is used as an abrasive in dentistry
More from Merriam-Webster on silicon carbide
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about silicon carbide
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