Onsemi introduces smart power modules based on silicon carbide to reduce energy consumption and overall system costs

     Onsemi introduces the first generation of its SPM 31 smart Power module (IPM) family based on 1200V silicon carbide (SiC) metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). The EliteSiC SPM 31 IPM offers superior energy efficiency and power density in an ultra-compact package size compared to the use of 7th generation Field Cut-off (FS7) IGBT technology, resulting in a lower overall system cost than other leading solutions on the market. These IPMs improve thermal performance, reduce power consumption, and support fast switching speeds, making them ideal for three-phase variable frequency drive applications such as AI data centers, heat pumps, commercial heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, servo motors, robotics, variable frequency drives (VFDS), and electronic commutator (EC) fans in industrial pumps and fans.

     The EliteSiC SPM 31 IPM complements the On IGBT SPM 31 IPM portfolio, which covers low currents from 15A to 35A, offering a wide range of current ratings from 40A to 70A. On Semiconductor currently offers industry-leading, broadly scalable, flexible integrated power module solutions in a compact package.

     As electrification and AI applications grow, especially as the construction of more AI data centers increases energy demand, reducing the energy consumption of applications in this area becomes increasingly important. In this transition to a low-carbon world, power semiconductors that can efficiently convert electrical energy play a key role.

     As the number and size of data centers continue to grow, the demand for EC fans is expected to increase as well. These cooling fans maintain an ideal operating environment for all equipment in the data center and are essential for accurate and unerrant data transfer. SiC IPM ensures that EC fans operate reliably with higher energy efficiency.

     Like many other industrial applications such as compressor drives and pumps, EC fans require higher power density and energy efficiency than existing larger IGBT solutions. By switching to the EliteSiC SPM 31 IPM, customers will benefit from smaller size, higher performance, and a simplified design due to high integration, resulting in shorter development times, lower overall system costs, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. For example, compared to system solutions using the current IGBT Power Integration Module (PIM), the power loss is 500W at 70% load, while the adoption of the efficient EliteSiC SPM 31 IPM can reduce the annual energy consumption and cost of each EC fan by 52%.

     The fully integrated EliteSiC SPM 31 IPM includes a separate upbridge gate driver, low voltage integrated circuit (LVIC), six EliteSiC MOSFETs and a temperature sensor (voltage temperature sensor (VTS) or thermistor). Based on industry-leading M3 SiC technology, the module is optimized for hard switching applications with reduced bare chip size and improved short circuit withstand time (SCWT) using the SPM 31 package for industrial variable frequency motor drives. MOSFET adopts three-phase bridge structure, and the lower bridge arm adopts independent source connection, which fully improves the flexibility of selecting control algorithm.