ULIS stands out for its extremely low parasitic inductance—the inherent electrical resistance that slows how quickly current can change and remains a major bottleneck in power conversion. Compared with today’s leading silicon carbide power modules, ULIS cuts parasitic inductance by seven to nine times. This dramatic reduction allows the module to switch current far more rapidly and efficiently, enabling it to draw significantly more usable power from the same electrical supply and positioning it as a promising solution to growing global energy demands.

Figure 1. Tiny Power Module, Big Answer to the Energy Crisis.

“This is a genuine breakthrough,” said Faisal Khan, NREL’s chief power electronics researcher and lead investigator on the project. “ULIS is a future-ready, ultrafast power module that will make the next generation of power converters smaller, more efficient, and more affordable.” Figure 1 shows Tiny Power Module, Big Answer to the Energy Crisis.

Khan added that ULIS is particularly well suited for high-stress applications such as aviation and military systems. Beyond its high power and lightweight design, the module continuously monitors its own health and can predict component failures before they occur. For aircraft flying at 30,000 feet or military vehicles operating in active combat zones, this built-in reliability can be mission-critical.

ULIS Introduces a Novel, Cost-Effective Design

Conventional power modules typically stack semiconductor devices inside bulky, brick-like packages. ULIS breaks from this model by arranging its circuitry in a flat, octagonal layout. This disk-like structure allows more components to be packed into a smaller footprint, resulting in a module that is both lighter and more compact. At the same time, its innovative current-routing strategy maximizes magnetic flux cancellation, producing a cleaner electrical output with minimal energy loss—key to the module’s ultrahigh efficiency.

Zhao noted that early concepts ranged from a flower-like layout, with semiconductors placed at the end of each “petal,” to a hollow cylindrical design with components mounted along the inner surface. However, these ideas proved either too costly or too complex to manufacture. The breakthrough came when the team abandoned fully three-dimensional designs and instead flattened the structure into an almost two-dimensional form. Sarwar Islam, another NREL power electronics researcher, proposed the 2D architecture—striking the right balance between performance, manufacturability, and cost.

The team ultimately struck a delicate balance between the superior electrical performance of a fully three-dimensional design and a flatter layout that could be manufactured efficiently—unlocking ULIS’s full potential.

A second major departure from convention lies in the materials themselves. Traditional power modules conduct electricity and shed excess heat by bonding copper sheets to rigid ceramic substrates—an effective but inflexible solution. ULIS instead bonds copper to a flexible polymer known as Temprion, creating a design that is thinner, lighter, and far more adaptable.

Because Temprion bonds to copper using only heat and pressure, and because its components can be machined with widely available equipment, ULIS can be produced rapidly and at a fraction of the usual cost. Manufacturing expenses are measured in the hundreds of dollars rather than the thousands.

A third breakthrough enables ULIS to operate wirelessly as a fully isolated unit, allowing it to be controlled and monitored without external cables. This modular, Lego-like capability means ULIS can be easily integrated into systems ranging from data center servers to advanced aircraft and military vehicles. A patent is pending for the low-latency wireless communication protocol, led by NREL power electronics researcher Sarwar Islam.

Finally, while ULIS currently relies on state-of-the-art silicon carbide semiconductors, the team deliberately designed the platform to be future-proof. The architecture can scale to support next-generation materials such as gallium nitride and even gallium oxide—a promising semiconductor that has yet to reach commercial deployment.

Together, these innovations serve a single goal: delivering reliable, efficient power in a world that increasingly depends on uninterrupted access to electricity.

Source: SciTECHDaily

Cite this article:

Priyadharshini S (2025), A Miniature Power Module Could Be Key to Tackling the Global Energy Crisis, AnaTechMaz, pp. 441