A little history
Wide bandgap semi-conductors : the silicon carbide domain (SiC)

For over a century, silicon carbide was known to the general public only as "Carborundum ^® ". Its industrial applications were then limited to exploiting its exceptional mechanical properties (hardness close to that of diamond) to make abrasive powders, and its resistance to temperature and corrosive chemicals to make ceramic coatings. Meanwhile, despite its great potential, its use as a semiconductor material had never materialized. However, its ability to emit light under electrical injection had been known since 1907, making it one of the oldest (if not the first) known semiconductors ...