Silicon carbide

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Polycrystalline SiC for mechanical applications.

Single crystalline SiC for electronic purposes. Image taken before cutting into thin wafers.

Silicon carbide (SiC) is a mineral which occurs extremely rarely in nature. When it does it is referred to as moissanite. It is probably most commonly known for its use as an abrasive due to the extreme hardness of the material, which is only exceeded by the hardness of diamond.

However, SiC is also being researched extensively for applications as a semiconductor for applications requiring high power, high frequency or a large degree of chemical inertness.