Onsemi (NASDAQ:ON) has introduced EliteSiC M4, its fourth-generation silicon carbide power semiconductor platform, designed to improve energy efficiency and power density across electric vehicles, artificial intelligence data centres and energy infrastructure applications.
The Scottsdale, Arizona-based semiconductor manufacturer said the new platform uses a trench-based architecture and delivers up to 30% higher power density and 35% lower power losses compared with its previous generation of silicon carbide technology.
According to the company, EliteSiC M4 also offers improvements in electrical resistance and switching performance, while maintaining compatibility with existing semiconductor packaging formats.
Onsemi said its fourth-generation platform incorporates a trench architecture intended to improve the electrical characteristics of silicon carbide power devices.
The company reported that EliteSiC M4 reduces specific on-resistance by between 20% and 50% compared with the preceding generation.
Lower on-resistance can reduce conduction losses in power semiconductor devices, contributing to improved energy efficiency.
The platform also delivers improvements in switching figures of merit, with a reported 67% improvement in hard-switching applications and a 50% improvement in soft-switching applications.
These performance measures are relevant to power conversion systems, where electrical losses and switching characteristics influence efficiency and thermal management.
Onsemi stated that the combined improvements enable power density increases of up to 30% and reductions in power losses of up to 35%.
The figures represent performance improvements reported by the manufacturer relative to its previous-generation technology.
EliteSiC M4 is intended for applications requiring efficient conversion and management of electrical power.
In electric vehicles, silicon carbide semiconductors are used in traction inverters, which convert electrical power from the battery into the form required by electric motors.
Improvements in power density and efficiency can influence the size, thermal characteristics and energy consumption of these systems.
The platform also targets artificial intelligence data centres, where electrical infrastructure must support computing equipment with substantial power requirements.
Energy infrastructure applications represent another intended market, including systems that require high-efficiency power conversion.
Onsemi said the new platform is designed to support operating temperatures of 185°C and above, allowing it to be used in applications involving elevated thermal conditions.
Onsemi designed EliteSiC M4 to work with existing packaging formats, including top-side-cooled surface-mount packages and high-power modules.
Packaging compatibility can allow manufacturers to incorporate newer semiconductor technologies into established product designs without necessarily requiring changes to every component of the surrounding system.
The platform’s thermal and electrical characteristics are intended to support applications where available space, power losses and operating temperatures are important design considerations.
The company indicated that these features could provide customers with additional options when developing power electronics for automotive and industrial applications.
Achyut Shah, Group President of Onsemi’s Power Solutions Group, discussed the company’s experience with silicon carbide technology in automotive applications.
“With more than 16 billion miles of proven silicon carbide operation in vehicles around the world, EliteSiC M4 is combining that foundation of reliability with the performance customers need to rethink the balance among power, efficiency, size and cost,” Shah said.
The statement refers to Onsemi’s reported operational experience with silicon carbide devices installed in vehicles globally.
The company is positioning the fourth-generation platform as an extension of its existing silicon carbide product portfolio, incorporating changes intended to improve electrical performance and system design flexibility.
Automotive supplier Schaeffler AG also commented on the potential applications of the technology in electric vehicle powertrains.
Harald Hartel, Vice President of BU eMotor Controls at Schaeffler, discussed the relationship between semiconductor performance and traction inverter design.
“Higher efficiency and power density can give us greater flexibility to optimize the traction inverter for range, thermal performance and packaging, which are increasingly important as electrified powertrains become more demanding,” Hartel said.
Traction inverter performance can influence the efficiency of electric vehicle powertrains and the requirements for cooling and component packaging.
The comments reflect Schaeffler’s assessment of how improvements in semiconductor characteristics may provide additional flexibility in the design of electric propulsion systems.
Onsemi confirmed that the EliteSiC M4 750-volt automotive traction bare die is currently available.
The initial product is intended for automotive traction applications, where power semiconductors are used to manage electrical energy supplied to vehicle motors.
The company plans to expand the EliteSiC M4 portfolio with additional products covering voltage ratings of up to 1,200 volts.
These additional offerings are expected to become available beginning in 2027.
The planned expansion would extend the platform’s supported voltage range and provide further product options for customers developing power electronics systems.
Onsemi’s introduction of EliteSiC M4 adds a fourth-generation silicon carbide platform to its power semiconductor portfolio, with reported improvements in power density, electrical resistance and switching performance.
The technology is intended for electric vehicles, AI data centres and energy infrastructure, where power conversion efficiency and thermal management are important operating considerations.
The initial 750 V automotive product is available, while further products rated up to 1,200 V are scheduled for introduction beginning in 2027.
Future adoption will depend on customer design requirements, product qualification and the integration of the new platform into commercial applications.
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