Semiconductor maker onsemi has introduced an Embedded Power Platform designed to pack more electrical capacity into smaller spaces for electric vehicles and artificial intelligence data centers. The architecture combines silicon, silicon carbide, and gallium nitride devices within a single package, using wafer-level redistribution layers instead of traditional wire bonds.
The platform promises three to five times higher power density than current solutions, meaning more power delivery in less physical space. For engineers designing EVs and AI infrastructure, this density improvement addresses a core challenge: delivering adequate electrical performance while managing heat, weight, and installation constraints.
onsemi emphasizes that the platform treats power design as a system problem from the start, not an afterthought. Rather than selecting individual semiconductor components and later figuring out how to package and cool them, design teams can evaluate integrated configurations that optimize electrical, thermal, and mechanical performance together. The company claims this approach shortens development cycles through simulation and digital-twin modeling, allowing engineers to test and refine designs before hardware is finalized.
How The Platform Combines Different Semiconductor Technologies
The core innovation lies in integrating multiple power device types within one package. Silicon, silicon carbide, and gallium nitride each serve different roles in power electronics, and onsemi is positioning the platform as a way to bring these technologies together with drivers and controllers in configurable combinations.
The shift from wire bonds to wafer-level redistribution layers offers practical benefits. Redistribution layers create more direct electrical pathways inside the package, which can reduce parasitic inductance, unwanted energy delays that slow switching speeds. This design change potentially enables faster switching frequencies and more reliable performance in high-density applications.
Subaru’s Early Involvement Signals Automotive Interest
Subaru is the first strategic technology engagement partner working with onsemi on this platform. The automaker has received early access to engineering samples, simulation models, and technical expertise to evaluate applications in future electrified vehicles.
This partnership reflects serious interest in solving automotive power challenges. For EV developers, integrating power devices and control functions while respecting tight space and weight constraints is crucial. Subaru’s involvement is at the evaluation stage, the company has not yet confirmed deployment in specific production vehicles or timelines.
The collaborative approach differs from traditional component procurement. Rather than simply purchasing semiconductors off the shelf, Subaru can work with onsemi’s engineering team to assess how integrated power design affects efficiency, development timelines, and overall vehicle architecture.
Data Center Infrastructure As A Second Target
Beyond automotive, onsemi targets AI infrastructure as an early application area. The company described a potential use case involving 800VDC racks that would employ smaller, digitally controlled power solutions instead of larger electromechanical breaker-style hardware.
This approach makes sense for modern data centers. High-performance AI systems demand substantial power, but physical space is scarce and heat dissipation is difficult. Compact, intelligent power modules that are easier to cool, control, and monitor could enable denser server and networking installations.
Like the automotive partnership, these are examples of intended applications rather than confirmed deployments. Real-world performance in data center environments depends on thorough system evaluation and customer compatibility assessments.
What Changes For System Design And Procurement
The platform may reshape how engineering and procurement teams approach power components. Traditionally, individual devices, controllers, and thermal solutions are selected separately and pieced together. onsemi’s integrated approach allows these decisions to be evaluated together from the design phase forward.
Digital-twin and simulation tools become central to this process, enabling early testing of thermal, electrical, and mechanical factors before hardware is finalized. Design teams might evaluate different combinations of power devices, drivers, and controllers as complete packages rather than selecting pieces independently.
The potential outcome is faster development cycles. While onsemi did not specify time savings, the idea is that earlier evaluation through modeling supports quicker iterations. For EV developers, this could accelerate efforts to optimize space and efficiency. For data center operators, it might enable development of smaller, better-cooled power modules for denser environments.
Current Status And Next Steps
The announcement describes an architecture and early partnership, not a confirmed commercial product. Subaru’s early access reflects evaluation, not mass production deployment. Real-world performance and adoption timelines remain unknown and will depend on engineering assessments, competitive compatibility, and customer adoption decisions.
What is clear is that power delivery, efficiency, cooling, and packaging are increasingly interconnected in both vehicle and data center design. onsemi’s platform represents one vendor’s answer to that convergence, offering a more integrated approach to high-density power systems. Whether the platform delivers on its three-to-five-times density promise and achieves market adoption will emerge through actual implementation and competitive comparison.
