CTE-Matched Si₃N₄–SiC Stack Cuts 800 V E-Drive Interface Failures by 90%
2026-01-12
On 800 V platforms, SiC devices run at high temperatures and high dI/dt, significantly amplifying thermal stress at package interfaces and causing early power-module failures.
Si₃N₄ substrates feature a coefficient of thermal expansion of about 3.2×10⁻⁶/°C, closely matching SiC at ~4.0×10⁻⁶/°C. Thermal cycling tests show that replacing legacy substrates with Si₃N₄ reduces solder-crack and interface-delamination failures by around 90%, greatly extending power cycling lifetime.
For EV brands pushing 800 V architectures, this CTE matching at the material level reduces the need for aggressive derating and allows engineers to unlock more power margin in the same package size while maintaining reliability over the vehicle warranty period.
When migrating from 400 V to 800 V, it’s not enough to focus only on SiC device parameters. Substrate choice must be revisited with CTE compatibility, interface reliability and thermal performance evaluated together.