Onsemi has released its latest generation of EliteSiC M3e MOSFETs, which are designed to reduce carbon emissions and increase the use of renewable sources in the global energy transition.
“What onsemi brings to the table is to really enable this movement toward more electrification and the movement toward using renewable energy instead of the fossil fuels, leading to a more sustainable healthier planet that we can leave for our posterity,” Mrinal Das, Senior Director of Technical Marketing for the Advanced Power Division with onsemi, told EEPower in a press briefing.
EliteSiC M3e MOSFET. Image used courtesy of onsemi
Understanding Silicon Carbide
Diamond is completely carbon. Silicon carbide is much like diamond, except it is 50% carbon. It’s a diamond with some silicon, alternating layers of silicon and carbon.
While diamond has phenomenal electrical properties like high dielectric breakdown strength for low resistance and high thermal conductivity for more current flow, so does SiC. However, silicon carbide can be manufactured similarly to silicon, allowing higher voltages and efficiencies.
“This is the powerful impact of silicon carbide. You get the benefit of a next-generation semiconductor while still having the manufacturability of today’s incumbent,” Das said. “So, very rare combination, which is why silicon carbide is the leading next-generation semiconductor to replace silicon. The combination of these two material properties really delivers a lot of value at the system level, which is why the silicon carbide is such a prominent player as a next-gen semiconductor.”
Onsemi’s 3rd Generation SiC MOSFETs
The EliteSiC M3e MOSFETs, or M3e as they are called, join M3S and M3T as a 1200 V, 11 mΩ SiC MOSFET, which is a bare dye for traction inverters in electric vehicles.
Compared to previous generations, conduction losses are reduced by 30%, enabling a traction converter with 20% more power and improving power density, while switching losses can be lowered by up to 50%—all in a planar MOSFET.
“These are not trench MOSFETs. The advantage of staying on planar is that you can still connect to the legacy of work that has been done on that planar topology so that there’s been 40 years of work done in R&D and 15 years of field-proven demonstration of quality and reliability,” Das said. “And it is truly the technology of today.”
Image used courtesy of onsemi
M3E is rated for short-circuit withstand capability, meaning that the motor can survive short-circuit events in applications with a motor and load.
The M3e MOSFETs also offer the industry’s lowest specific on-resistance (RSP) with short circuit capability, according to onsemi, critical for traction inverters. Packaged in onsemi’s state-of-the-art discrete and power modules, the 1200 V M3e die delivers substantially more phase current than previous EliteSiC technology, resulting in 20% more output power in the same traction inverter housing. Conversely, a fixed power level can now be designed with 20% less SiC content, saving costs while enabling the design of smaller, lighter, and more reliable systems.
A Look at the Future
The EliteSiC M3e MOSFETs are fundamental to enabling the performance and reliability of next-generation electrical systems at a lower cost per kW and will influence the adoption and effectiveness of electrification initiatives. Operating at higher switching frequencies and voltages while minimizing power conversion losses makes this platform essential for various automotive and industrial applications, such as electric vehicle powertrains, DC fast chargers, solar inverters, and energy storage solutions.
EliteSiC M3e wafer. Image used courtesy of onsemi
Onsemi is leading innovation across its silicon carbide roadmap—from die architectures to novel packaging techniques—that will continue to address the industry demand for increased power density.
With each generation of silicon carbide, cell structures will be optimized to push more current through a smaller area efficiently, increasing power density. Coupled with onsemi’s advanced packaging techniques, performance is maximized, and package size is reduced. By applying the concepts of Moore’s Law to silicon carbide development, onsemi intends to develop multiple generations in parallel and accelerate its roadmap to bring several EliteSiC products to market through 2030.
