The guardian of the "heart" of new energy vehicles - How ceramic substrates support the on-board power modules?

In the process of the new energy vehicle industry moving towards high-quality development, the on-board power module, as the "core hub" of the vehicle power system, its performance and reliability directly determine the power output, energy consumption control and safety operation level of the entire vehicle. And the ceramic substrate, as the key basic component of the on-board power module, with its excellent physical and chemical properties, becomes the core support for ensuring the stable operation of the module. With the continuous breakthroughs in industry technology and the acceleration of domestic substitution, an industry event focusing on the development of the ceramic substrate industry is about to arrive - on November 7, 2025, the 6th 2025 Ceramic Substrate and Industry Chain Application Development Forum will be grandly held at Jinling Yada Hotel in Suzhou, providing an important platform for technical exchanges, results sharing and cooperation connection for the industry, and helping the on-board ceramic substrate industry reach new heights.

I. Technical Requirements and Performance Advantages of Ceramic Substrates for Vehicle Power Modules

The on-board power module is akin to the "power center" of an electric vehicle, responsible for converting the DC electricity from the battery into the AC electricity required by the drive motor, while also controlling the speed and torque of the motor, directly determining the vehicle's power performance and energy consumption level. During this process, the power module generates a large amount of heat. According to industry test data, the temperature of mainstream IGBT power chips can instantly rise above 150℃ when operating. If the heat cannot be promptly conducted and dissipated, it will lead to a decline in the module's performance, and in severe cases, may cause safety hazards such as circuit short circuits and component burnouts. Therefore, extremely high requirements are placed on the heat dissipation performance of the substrate and the environmental adaptability. Compared with traditional organic substrates, ceramic substrates demonstrate irreplaceable technical advantages in the vehicle-mounted scenario, mainly reflected in the following three aspects:

1. Ultra-high thermal conductivity

Take the commonly used silicon nitride ceramic substrate as an example. Its thermal conductivity can reach 90-120 W/(m・K), which is 2-3 times that of alumina ceramics. It can quickly transfer the heat generated by the chip to the heat dissipation structure, ensuring that the power module always operates within the safe working temperature range and effectively avoiding performance loss caused by overheating.

2. Excellent high-temperature stability

Ceramic substrates (such as alumina, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride) can withstand low temperatures ranging from -100℃ to 1000℃ and high temperatures, fully meeting the usage requirements of all terrains for new energy vehicles.

3. Strong insulation and corrosion resistance

The breakdown voltage of the ceramic substrate can reach over 10kV. It can effectively isolate the high-voltage circuits within the power module and withstand the oil and water vapor erosion in the vehicle environment, ensuring the long-term reliable operation of the module.

II. Technical Barriers and Industry Standards Requirements for Vehicle-mounted Ceramic Substrates

Given the stringent requirements of the vehicle-mounted application, the ceramic substrates for vehicles need to meet technical standards far exceeding those of industrial-grade products. The core thresholds lie in three dimensions: the balance of performance parameters, the precision of the preparation process, and the verification of reliability.

(1) Precise matching of performance parameters

The vehicle-mounted ceramic substrate needs to balance thermal conductivity, mechanical strength and thermal expansion coefficient.

(2) High-precision control of preparation process

The preparation of vehicle-mounted ceramic substrate involves multiple steps such as powder synthesis, molding, sintering, and metallization. Each step requires precision control at the millimeter or even micrometer level.

(3) Rigorous Reliability Verification System

According to industry standards, before leaving the factory, the vehicle-mounted ceramic substrates must undergo multiple rounds of reliability tests. The core test items include:

Cold and Hot Cycling Test: Cycled through -40℃ to 150℃ for more than 1000 times, the substrate must remain free from cracking and delamination;

Vibration and Impact Test: Simulating vehicle driving bumps and collisions, with an impact acceleration of over 1000G, the performance should not be degraded;

Humidity and Temperature Aging Test: Operating continuously in a 125℃ high-temperature and 85% relative humidity environment for 5000 hours, the insulation performance must meet the standard requirements.

The above testing standards have set strict entry requirements for domestic enterprises to enter the field of automotive ceramic substrates. Achieving compliance requires long-term technological accumulation and investment in equipment. Moreover, how to further optimize the technical threshold will also become the key focus of in-depth exchanges among enterprises, research institutions and industry experts at the Sixth Ceramic Substrate and Industry Chain Application Development Forum.

III. Acceleration of Domestic Replacement: The "Breakthrough Battle" of Automotive Ceramic Substrates

In the past, the global market for automotive ceramic substrates was almost monopolized by Japanese companies such as Kyocera and NGK. Domestic new energy vehicle manufacturers not only had to bear high procurement costs but also faced long delivery cycles and lagging technical support, posing challenges to the autonomy and control of the industrial chain. In recent years, with the increased efforts in technological research and development by domestic enterprises, the process of domestic substitution for automotive ceramic substrates has significantly accelerated and achieved phased breakthroughs. Take Guocelam Materials' subsidiary Guocelam SaiChuang as an example. The silicon nitride ceramic substrates it developed have passed the strict verification of a leading new energy vehicle manufacturer. In tests such as cold and heat cycles and vibration impact, their performance is on par with that of Kyocera's products, and the cost has been reduced by 20% to 30%. Currently, they have achieved batch supply, with monthly shipments exceeding 100,000 pieces.

The breakthrough of domestic vehicle-mounted ceramic substrates holds significant industrial value. It not only reduces the manufacturing costs of new energy vehicles, but also significantly enhances the security level of the industrial chain and supply chain, avoiding the impact of international situation changes on the supply of core components, and providing a guarantee for the high-quality development of China's new energy vehicle industry.

IV. Development Trends and Future Directions of Vehicle-mounted Ceramic Substrate Technology

As new energy vehicles evolve towards higher voltages, higher power, and lighter weights, the vehicle-mounted ceramic substrate technology will be iteratively optimized along the following three major directions:

Size miniaturization: By reducing the thickness of the substrate, the volume of the power module is compressed, providing more installation space for the battery pack and facilitating lightweight design of the entire vehicle.

Function integration: Promoting the integrated design of ceramic substrates with heat dissipation fins and circuit wiring, forming an "substrate - heat dissipation - circuit" integrated component, reducing the assembly steps of the power module, and improving system reliability and production efficiency.

Material greening: Develop lead-free soldering materials and recyclable ceramic powders, optimize production processes to reduce energy consumption and pollutant emissions, promote the development of the automotive ceramic substrate industry towards green manufacturing, and align with the environmental protection concepts of the new energy vehicle industry.

The realization of these cutting-edge trends cannot be achieved without the collaborative innovation among the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain. And on November 7, 2025, the 6th Ceramic Substrate and Industrial Chain Application Development Forum will bring together resources from the entire industrial chain, including material suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and vehicle enterprises. Through activities such as technical discussions and supply-demand matchmaking, it will accelerate the industrialization of cutting-edge technologies and promote the formation of a "technology - product - application" virtuous cycle in the automotive ceramic substrate industry.

As the core supporting component of the "power center" of new energy vehicles, the technological breakthrough and domestic substitution of on-board ceramic substrates are an important part of the autonomous control of China's new energy vehicle industry chain. Currently, domestic enterprises have made significant progress in technological research and development and industrialization applications. The convening of the 6th Ceramic Substrate and Industry Chain Application Development Forum will further inject development momentum into the industry and help enterprises break through key process bottlenecks, improve product performance and quality stability.