Melexix has announced a “game changer” for SiC power modules
Melexis has announced the MLX91299, a silicon-based RC snubber designed to enhance the performance of silicon carbide (SiC) power modules. It supports automotive and industrial high-voltage power applications by helping engineers mitigate voltage spikes and oscillations to improve system reliability and efficiency.
Operating at fast switching speeds and elevated voltages, SiC devices are inherently susceptible to voltage transients, high-frequency oscillations, and parasitic effects. These issues risk generating motor load leakage currents, localised heating, and electrical stress that severely impact module reliability and system efficiency. Integrating an RC snubber mitigates these effects, and early measurements from Melexis show the RC snubber can reduce switching losses by up to 50%. This supports improved system efficiency, optimised power density, better thermal management, and reduced Bill of Materials (BOM) cost.
Melexis’ RC snubber is a silicon-based protective device integrating both a resistor and a capacitor, providing high-voltage transient protection in a compact form. Designed for seamless assembly within high-voltage power modules, it follows standard integration approaches compatible with SiC devices. Its material and form factor enable precise integration with existing power module layouts, improving manufacturability, reducing assembly complexity, and ensuring consistent performance across devices.
Functionally, the RC snubber mitigates high-speed effects inherent to wide-bandgap semiconductors, including voltage transients and parasitic oscillations, while improving electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). This prevents localised voltage overshoots that could stress the SiC devices, enabling long-term reliability at higher switching frequencies. Its compact integration within power modules, featuring backside metallisation compatible with sintering and soldering processes, allows it to leverage the same thermal dissipation channels as SiC components, minimising hotspots and maintaining consistent module performance even at SiC junction temperatures up to 200 °C.
With a breakdown voltage of >1,500 V, it is suitable for traction inverters, onboard chargers, DCDC converters, and other high-voltage automotive and industrial applications. Its design can reduce cooling and material requirements by lowering heat dissipation for a given power output, or alternatively allow higher power density and optimise transistor count within the same thermal budget, maintaining reliable electrical and thermal performance.
