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  • Review Article
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Wide-bandgap semiconductors and power electronics as pathways to carbon neutrality

Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering volume 2, pages 155–172 (2025)Cite this article

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Abstract

Energy supply and consumption account for approximately 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Advances in semiconductor and power electronics technologies are required to integrate renewable energy into grids, electrify transport and the heating and cooling of buildings, and increase the efficiency of electricity conversion. This Review outlines the opportunities for carbon neutrality in the energy sector enabled by synergistic advances in wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductors and power electronics. First, we present advances in WBG power devices, converter circuits and power electronics applications and their implications. For example, WBG materials have a high critical electric field and thermal stability; therefore, WBG devices can operate at higher temperatures and frequencies than silicon devices, enabling higher efficiency and reducing the number of passive components and cooling systems required in converter circuits. We then discuss advances in renewable energy systems, electric vehicles, data centres and heat pumps enabled by WBG devices, and their potential to reduce carbon emissions through electrification and increased energy conversion efficiency. We also consider the implications of the carbon footprint of WBG device manufacturing being larger than that of silicon manufacturing. Finally, we discuss research gaps that must be addressed to realize the potential of WBG semiconductors and power electronics for carbon neutrality.

Key points

  • Advances in semiconductor and power electronics technologies are essential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to develop a carbon-neutral energy system by 2050.

  • Wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductors can increase the efficiency, functionality, dynamic response and form factor of power electronics systems through a holistic improvement in performance across the material, device and circuit levels.

  • Using WBG semiconductors instead of silicon in power electronics can reduce the carbon footprint per chip, reduce the number of passive components and volume of cooling systems required, increase the energy conversion efficiency and aid the deployment of renewable energy and electrification of transport and heating and/or cooling of buildings.

  • The adoption of WBG power electronics in photovoltaics, electric vehicles, data centres, and heat pumps could reduce annual carbon emissions in the USA by tens of millions of tonnes.

  • Although manufacturing WBG semiconductors might have a higher carbon footprint than silicon manufacturing, this extra carbon footprint is small compared to the system-level carbon savings enabled by WBG devices.

  • Further innovations across materials, devices, circuits and systems, as well as a shift to design power electronics based on the principles of reuse, remanufacturing and recycling, are essential to fulfil the potential of WBG power electronics for carbon neutrality.

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Fig. 1: The role of wide-bandgap power electronics in achieving carbon neutrality.
Fig. 2: Power semiconductor devices.
Fig. 3: Power electronics circuits.
Fig. 4: Power electronics applications in photovoltaics, electric vehicles and data centres.
Fig. 5: Opportunities for carbon neutrality enabled by power electronics and wide-bandgap semiconductors.

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Acknowledgements

The authors at Virginia Tech acknowledge support from the Center for Power Electronics Systems (CPES) Industry Consortium. H.W. acknowledges support from Hong Kong Research Grant Council (General Research Fund grant no. 17205922 and Areas of Excellence Scheme grant no. AoE/E-101/23-N). The authors thank D. Boroyevich for his guidance and the attendees of the Three Corners Power Electronics Extended Collaboration (3C-PEEC) Workshop for their technical insights. The authors also thank B. Wang for help in designing Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, J. Feng for collating data for Figs. 3 and 4 and for help in designing Fig. 4, and X. Yang for collating data for Fig. 2.

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  1. These authors contributed equally: Yuhao Zhang, Dong Dong.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Advanced Semiconductors and Integrated Circuits, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

    Yuhao Zhang & Han Wang

  2. Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

    Yuhao Zhang & Han Wang

  3. Center for Power Electronics Systems, Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA

    Dong Dong, Qiang Li & Richard Zhang

  4. Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Florin Udrea

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Y.Z. and D.D. researched data for the article. All authors contributed substantially to discussion of the content. Y.Z., D.D., Q.L. and H.W. wrote the article. All authors reviewed and/or edited the manuscript before submission.

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Zhang, Y., Dong, D., Li, Q. et al. Wide-bandgap semiconductors and power electronics as pathways to carbon neutrality. Nat Rev Electr Eng 2, 155–172 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44287-024-00135-5

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