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

The 750 V automotive traction bare die is available now, with additional voltage offerings up to 1200 V expected beginning in 2027.

Rhea-AI Summary

onsemi (ON) introduced EliteSiC M4, its fourth-generation silicon carbide platform, for power systems in electric vehicles, AI data centers and energy infrastructure. The platform uses a trench architecture. The company reports up to 30% higher power density and 35% lower losses compared with the previous generation.

The 750 V bare die for automotive traction inverters is available now; additional offerings at voltages up to 1200 V are expected beginning in 2027. Reported improvements over the previous generation include a 20%–50% reduction in specific on-resistance, a measure of resistance relative to chip area. Switching figures of merit—measures used to assess switching performance—improve by 67% in hard-switching and 50% in soft-switching. The platform supports existing packages, including top-side-cooled surface-mount packages and high-power modules.

Key Figures

Higher power density: Up to 30% Lower losses: 35% Specific on-resistance reduction: 20%–50% +4 more

Higher power density

Up to 30%

Compared with the previous generation

Lower losses

35%

Compared with the previous generation

Specific on-resistance reduction

20%–50%

EliteSiC M4 improvement

Hard-switching figures of merit improvement

67%

EliteSiC M4

Soft-switching figures of merit improvement

50%

EliteSiC M4

Qualification temperature

185°C and above

Platform qualification

Product voltage availability

750 V available now; options up to 1200 V expected beginning in 2027

Automotive traction bare die and additional product offerings

Key Terms

silicon carbide, bare die, specific on-resistance, traction inverter

4 terms

silicon carbide technical

"fourth-generation silicon carbide (SiC) platform built on a trench architecture"

Silicon carbide is a hard, durable material made from silicon and carbon, often used in industrial applications like cutting tools and electronics. Its ability to withstand high temperatures and conduct electricity efficiently makes it valuable in manufacturing advanced electronic devices. For investors, companies working with silicon carbide are seen as key players in the growing market for high-performance electronics and energy-efficient technologies.

bare die technical

"EliteSiC M4 750 V bare die for automotive traction inverters is available now"

A bare die is an individual integrated circuit chip that has been removed from, or never placed into, a protective package; it is the silicon piece containing the electronic circuitry and bond pads but without the external casing, leads, or substrate that packaged chips include. Because it lacks packaging, a bare die must be mounted, electrically connected (for example by wire bonding or flip‑chip solder bumps), and protected by the buyer or manufacturer before use; it is more fragile, thermally and mechanically sensitive, and requires specialized handling and assembly compared with packaged components.

specific on-resistance technical

"Improvement in specific on-resistance (RSP)"

Specific on-resistance is the electrical resistance a power transistor presents when switched on, measured relative to the device’s active area. Think of it like the resistance to flow in a pipe per square inch: lower values mean less energy lost as heat for the same current, so products with lower specific on-resistance run cooler, use less power and can be smaller or cheaper—factors that affect product performance, manufacturing cost and competitiveness for investors.

traction inverter technical

"More compact, efficient traction inverters can help automakers improve vehicle range"

A traction inverter is a power-electronics device that converts direct current (DC) from a battery or DC link into controlled, variable-frequency alternating current (AC) to drive an electric traction motor, thereby regulating vehicle speed and torque. It also manages regenerative braking by converting motor-generated AC back into DC for charging, and typically contains semiconductor switches (e.g., IGBTs or MOSFETs) plus control software to shape voltage and frequency; it is specific to propulsion systems (electric cars, buses, trains, trams) and is distinct from auxiliary or grid-tied inverters used for non-propulsion purposes.

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Fourth-generation silicon carbide platform based on a trench architecture reduces losses while enabling more compact power systems across AI, EV and energy applications

Summary
onsemi introduced EliteSiC™ M4, its fourth-generation silicon carbide platform built on a trench architecture, delivering up to 30% higher power density and 35% lower losses compared with the previous generation. By advancing conduction and switching performance, EliteSiC M4 enables more efficient, power-dense systems for AI data centers, electric vehicles and energy infrastructure.

News Highlights:

• EliteSiC™ M4 delivers higher power density and lower losses enabling customers to increase performance and efficiency while optimizing system size and managing cooling requirements
• Extends onsemi’s proven SiC leadership, building on more than 16 billion miles of real-world operation
• EliteSiC™ M4 750 V automotive traction bare die available now, with additional voltage options up to 1200 V expected in 2027
  

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Nov. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- onsemi (Nasdaq: ON) today introduced EliteSiC™ M4, its fourth-generation silicon carbide (SiC) platform built on a trench architecture and designed to set a new performance benchmark for next-generation power systems. With industry-leading conduction and switching performance, EliteSiC M4 gives customers greater design freedom to increase power density and efficiency up to 30% and lower losses by 35%, enabling more efficient, power-dense systems across EVs, AI data center and industrial applications.

“Power requirements are rising faster than the physical infrastructure around them. The next generation of power systems will require the ability to deliver more power, more efficiently and in less space,” said Achyut Shah, Group President of the Power Solutions Group at onsemi. “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.”

Delivering More Power Within Real-World Constraints

The growth of AI, electrification and energy infrastructure is creating a common challenge for power-system designers – delivering significantly more power without proportional increases in size, energy losses, and cooling requirements. EliteSiC M4 addresses that challenge by expanding the power and efficiency available within existing system constraints, giving customers greater flexibility to scale AI infrastructure, electric vehicles and industrial systems.

Across its key markets, EliteSiC M4 translates these technology advances into distinct system-level benefits:

• AI Data Centers: Scaling compute without scaling power infrastructure at the same rate. Higher-density power conversion helps data centers get more compute from every megawatt, maximizing capacity while reducing the supporting infrastructure required per unit of compute
• Electric Vehicles: Getting more performance from the electric drivetrain. More compact, efficient traction inverters can help automakers improve vehicle range
• Energy Infrastructure: Making more of every unit of energy. More efficient, higher-density power conversion helps solar, energy storage and other high-voltage systems reduce conversion losses
  

“As vehicle power levels increase, traction-inverter design becomes a tighter balancing act between efficiency, thermal performance, power density and reliability,” said Harald Hartel, Vice President, BU eMotor Controls at Schaeffler AG. “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.”

A New Architecture for Higher Power Density and Efficiency

EliteSiC M4 improves conduction and switching performance without compromising reliability. Key improvements over the previous generation include:

• Improvement in specific on-resistance (RSP): Reduces specific RSP between 20% - 50%, while enabling faster switching
• Lower switching losses: Improves switching figures of merit by 67% in hard-switching and 50% in soft-switching, supporting compact power-supply designs
• Broad packaging flexibility: Designed to support existing packages, including top-side-cooled surface-mount packages and high-power modules
• Ruggedness for demanding applications: The platform is also designed for demanding operating environments, with qualification supporting temperatures of 185°C and above, enabling use in high-voltage automotive and space applications

Availability

The EliteSiC M4 750 V bare die for automotive traction inverters is available now. Additional product offerings for a range of voltages up to 1200 V are expected to be available beginning in 2027.

More Information:

• Learn More about EliteSiC Solutions
• Media Assets: onsemi M4 Platform
• White Paper: Advancing Power Density with EliteSiC M4
  

About onsemi
onsemi (Nasdaq: ON) delivers intelligent power and sensing technologies that enable electrification, energy efficiency, safety, and automation across automotive, industrial, and AI data center end-markets. With a highly differentiated and innovative product portfolio, onsemi helps customers solve complex challenges to achieve higher efficiency, improved performance, and lower system cost, while supporting a safer, cleaner, and more energy-efficient world. The company is part of the S&P 500^® index. Learn more at www.onsemi.com.

onsemi and the onsemi logo are trademarks of Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC. All other brand and product names appearing in this document are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders. Although the Company references its website in this news release, information on the website is not to be incorporated herein.

Contact:

onsemi
Michael Mullaney
Senior Manager, Public Relations
838-289-7314
Michael.Mullaney@onsemi.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

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