Wolfspeed launches transparent silicon carbide for AR and quantum

Wolfspeed announced the commercial introduction of its proprietary transparent silicon carbide (TSiC) technology, aimed at augmented reality displays, quantum computing, and other advanced optical applications. The company says its optical-grade TSiC substrates are engineered for low optical absorption and strong wafer flatness, building on more than 35 years of silicon carbide work including its LED technology and manufacturing of high-purity semi-insulating wafers.

Wolfspeed says silicon carbide's high refractive index, low birefringence, hardness, and thermal conductivity make it well suited to next-generation AR waveguides, potentially supporting wider fields of view, better image quality, and more compact wearable devices. The company also says the material can host qubits, preserve their quantum states, and transmit quantum information through light, all within a single silicon carbide crystal, something it says many alternative materials cannot do together.

An outside display systems and optics expert quoted in the announcement said silicon carbide's refractive index could let a single-layer waveguide replace stacked optics in AR glasses. Wolfspeed says it continues to advance its 200mm optical-grade substrates while developing 300mm TSiC technology for future demand.

Why it matters

A single material that could serve both lighter AR waveguides and qubit hosting points to silicon carbide becoming a bigger part of next-generation hardware supply chains.

Source: Wolfspeed