onsemi signed a strategic agreement with Volkswagen AG to provide modules and semiconductors that enable a complete electric vehicle (EV) traction inverter solution for VW’s next-generation platform family. The semiconductors are part of an overall system optimization and provide a solution that will support the front and rear traction inverters in the VW models.

As part of the agreement, onsemi will deliver in a first step its EliteSiC 1200 V traction inverter power modules. The EliteSiC power modules are pin-to-pin compatible to scale the solution to different power levels and types of motors easily. Teams from the two companies have been collaborating for more than a year on the optimization of the power modules for the next generation platform, with pre-production samples under development and evaluation.

With 19 wafer fabrication and packaging manufacturing sites, onsemi provides VW with more than 500 different devices—including IGBTs, MOSFETS, image sensors and power management integrated circuits (PMICs). In addition to its versatile portfolio, onsemi has a vertical silicon carbide (SiC) production chain, which includes volume boule growth, wafering, substrate, epitaxy, device fabrication, best-in-class integrated modules and discrete package solutions, that supports a secured supply chain.

The inverter solution for EVs consists of onsemi’s EliteSiC 1200 V 3x Half-Bridge Modules, and this system solution supports both axle inverters covering a wide range of power.