onsemi's EliteSiC M4 Pushes Power Density Higher as Energy Demands Grow

(NASDAQ:ON) onsemi has introduced EliteSiC™ M4, its fourth-generation silicon carbide (SiC) platform, which is built on a trench architecture and is designed to set a new performance benchmark for next-generation power systems. EliteSiC M4 offers industry-leading conduction and switching performance, enabling customers to increase power density and efficiency by up to 30% and lower losses by 35%. The platform is targeted at applications across electric vehicles (EVs), AI data centers, and industrial systems. Achyut Shah, Group President of the Power Solutions Group at onsemi, stated that EliteSiC M4 builds on more than 16 billion miles of proven silicon carbide operation in vehicles globally, combining reliability with enhanced performance. The product addresses the challenge of delivering more power without proportional increases in size, energy losses, and cooling requirements, giving customers greater flexibility to scale AI infrastructure, EVs, and industrial systems. In AI data centers, EliteSiC M4 enables higher-density power conversion, maximizing compute capacity per megawatt and reducing supporting infrastructure. For electric vehicles, the platform allows for more compact and efficient traction inverters, which can improve vehicle range. In energy infrastructure, EliteSiC M4 supports more efficient, higher-density power conversion, reducing conversion losses in solar, energy storage, and other high-voltage systems. Harald Hartel, Vice President, BU eMotor Controls at Schaeffler AG, commented that higher efficiency and power density from EliteSiC M4 provide greater flexibility to optimize traction inverters for range, thermal performance, and packaging. Key technical improvements over the previous generation include a reduction in specific on-resistance (RSP) by 20% to 50%, faster switching, improved switching figures of merit by 67% in hard-switching and 50% in soft-switching, and broad packaging flexibility supporting top-side-cooled surface-mount packages and high-power modules. The platform is qualified for demanding operating environments, supporting temperatures of 185°C and above, making it suitable for high-voltage automotive and space applications. The EliteSiC M4 750 V bare die for automotive traction inverters is available now, with additional product offerings for voltages up to 1200 V expected to be available beginning in 2027.