The driving force for the use of SiC in high voltage switches is the potential benefit from considerably reduced static losses and reduced number of devices in serial connection compared with Si-IGBTs. As an appropriate design for high voltage applications we choose a bipolar normally-on JFET structure (so called BIFET, Bipolar injection FET), which promises additional advantages in a serial connection in a "supercascode" circuit. Simulations of such BIFETs for an aimed blocking voltage of 4.5 kV and minority carrier lifetimes between 0.5 mus and 5 mus demonstrate a reduction of the static loss by more than 25% compared to the unipolar JFET for the same blocking voltage. Experimentally achieved forward characteristics of BIFETs show a forward voltage of less than 6 V at 70 A/cm(2) and T-j = 150degreesC. The breakdown of these first BIFETs exhibits an avalanche-like behaviour at 2.5 kV, i.e. approximately 70% of the planar breakdown. The dynamic performance was investigated in a cascode configuration in a chopper circuit with a clamped inductive load.