Across 400‑V and 800‑V electric vehicle platforms, traction inverters employ Silicon (Si) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) power modules as OEMs balance efficiency, cost, and performance. Yet, packaging decisions—substrate, attach, interconnect and cooling—can swing the cost of a module as much as performance. This applied talk benchmarks several representative automotive module architectures and links their technology choices to manufacturing flow, yield risk and cost. The benchmark includes: Semikron‑Danfoss eMPack® 1200 V SiC module and Bosch PM6 module‑on‑cooler, among other power modules. Using reverse‑costing grounded in teardowns, cross‑sections and process reconstruction, we quantify how design choices—SiN AMB vs. Al2O3 DBC, Sn‑solder vs. Ag‑sinter die attach, Al wire/ribbon vs. flex/pressed contacts, pin‑fin copper baseplates vs. aluminum coolers—translate into $/kW, $/cm² of active area, assembly step count and yield exposure. We also synthesize practical guidelines for selecting the 'good‑enough' package for different inverter power classes, balancing die utilization, thermal path, parasitics and manufacturability. The talk delivers actionable benchmarks and cost sensitivities that engineering and sourcing teams can apply immediately.
