A signal at 459 nanometres: Korean researchers rewrite the map for finding silicon carbide defects

Silicon carbide — the tough semiconductor inside electric-vehicle power systems — only works if its crystal defects are correctly identified, and for years engineers have argued over which glow of light means which defect. A Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) team examined 104,439 faults across 207 wafers and settled a key case: the standard fault shines at 459 nanometres, work published in Acta Materialia and accepted without revision requests. Lead researcher Na received an Honorable Mention in the 2026 HORIBA Masao Award — the first for a Korean-institute researcher since the awards began in 2004. Better defect maps mean better chips, traced back to their causes.

SDG 9 · Industry, innovation and infrastructure — Mechanism: tech innovation