As SiC adoption accelerates in automotive power electronics, packaging materials must support higher switching speeds, elevated operating temperatures, and stringent reliability requirements. At the same time, recent rising and volatile silver prices are increasing material costs across solder, sinter, and active-metal-brazed substrates. In 2025 alone, silver prices increased by approximately 160%, from $933/kg to $2,470/kg. This creates a critical design challenge: how can manufacturers reduce silver dependency without compromising module performance or automotive-grade reliability?
This presentation evaluates practical low- and zero-silver packaging options for SiC power modules. For substrates, it introduces Condura®.ultra, Heraeus Electronics’ silver-free active metal brazing technology. Its brazing material contains 0% silver while delivering performance comparable to conventional silver-containing AMB substrates. Comparative temperature-cycling data will demonstrate its behavior under demanding automotive conditions.
For solder interconnects, the presentation compares SAC305, SAC105, standard Innolot, and IL 2.0. Moving from SAC305 to SAC105 reduces silver content from 3.0% to 1.0%, but with a corresponding performance tradeoff. IL 2.0 was developed to provide a more balanced alternative: 1.5% silver compared with 3.8% in standard Innolot, while maintaining high-reliability performance. At current silver prices, IL 2.0 outperforms and offers a lower material cost than SAC305.
The session will compare voiding, crack propagation, temperature-cycling performance, and other reliability tests across the solder alloys and substrate technologies.
Join us to gain a clearer understanding of where silver reduction is technically viable, which tradeoffs must be considered, and how material selection can reduce exposure to precious-metal volatility while preserving the reliability required for next-generation automotive electronics.
Sep 15, 2026, 9:30 am EDT
Register now—it’s free!
See the complete session list for the Virtual Conference on EV Engineering here.
Broadcast live from September 14 to 17, 2026, the conference content will encompass the entire EV engineering supply chain and ecosystem, including motor and power electronics design and manufacturing, cell development, battery systems, testing, powertrains, thermal management, circuit protection, wire and cable, EMI/EMC and more.
