ROHM has developed its 5th Generation SiC MOSFETs under the EcoSiC brand, delivering approximately 30% lower ON resistance during high-temperature operation compared to its 4th Generation devices. The comparison is at Tj=175°C with equivalent breakdown voltage and chip size—meaning the reduction comes from structural enhancements and manufacturing process optimization, not geometry scaling.

Lower on-resistance at high operating temperatures matters directly to traction inverter design. SiC MOSFET on-resistance rises with temperature, and devices run hottest under peak load—exactly when losses are most critical. A 30% reduction at Tj=175°C means less conduction loss per switching cycle, which supports either smaller packaging or higher continuous output from the same chip area, or some combination of both.

Target applications include xEV traction inverters, OBCs, DC-DC converters and electric compressors. ROHM’s 4th Generation—which began sampling in June 2020—has been broadly adopted in automotive and industrial applications; the 5th Generation targets the same segments with improved high-temperature efficiency. ROHM says it began the world’s first mass production of SiC MOSFETs in 2010.

ROHM has been shipping 5th Generation bare dies since 2025 and completed full device development in March 2026. Discrete device and module samples are scheduled for July 2026, with additional breakdown voltage and package options planned.

Source: ROHM Semiconductor