SiC Reliability Studies, Energy Storage, GaN Solutions, Gallium Oxide, Low-Power Design, Fusion and much more!
Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio
Content Editor & Technical Writer | Ph.D in Physics | Power Electronics, Wide Bandgap, Renewable Energy, Embedded Systems, Quantum Computing
Dear Friends, It has been an important year where I have been trying to highlight the main power electronics technologies and related news. I hope you enjoyed them. So many articles and news await us in the coming year, and I look forward to sharing them with you. Thank you for your interest. I wish you a wonderful new year filled with health, happiness, and prosperity! Stay tuned to discover the wonderful world of electronics! A big hug to you all. See you soon! Happy Holidays!
The superior performance of silicon carbide MOSFETs in high-power switching applications has led to its widespread usage in some key growth areas, such as in the control of industrial motor drives. One of the key performance metrics for power semiconductor devices in this application is their short-circuit (SC) withstand capability. The harsh environment that motor drives operate in can result in overcurrent levels from fault conditions like inverter shoot-through events and insulation breakdown in the motor windings. Hence, SC capability is one of the reliability tests that device manufacturers perform on their parts. The test is unique because the device is subject to high voltage and high current for particular stress intervals with the gate pulsed on.
Professor Agarwal and his team at The Ohio State University have been at the forefront of conducting reliability studies on various aspects of SiC devices.1–5?In this article, we will review some of the findings from their work and highlight some improvements in SC capability by various groups.
SiC Power Devices Enabling Better Energy Storage
By Sonu Daryanani
In this article we will highlight a presentation made by Guy Moxey, Senior Director Power Marketing, Wolfspeed at the recent Electronica 2022 Power Forum. Wolfspeed is a world leader in silicon carbide (SiC) power device technology.
Gallium Oxide, a New Generation of Semiconductor Material for Power Devices
By Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio
In the past decade, gallium oxide has seen fast technical development, propelling it to the forefront of semiconductor technologies. The major targeted application space is power electronics, in which gallium oxide’s intrinsic material properties — high critical field strength, widely tunable conductivity, low mobility, and melt-based bulk growth — promise to deliver the required high performance at low cost.
Putting the Power Supply User in Control
By Caleb Lander
Traditionally,?AC/DC power supply?designs could only be optimized for specific load and line conditions. This stems from classic analog control and simple pulse-width–modulation techniques at a fixed frequency that has been commonly used, and those constraints typically result in higher component stresses at the extremes of operating ranges.
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eGaN FETs Enable More Than 4-kW/in.3 Power Density for 48-V to 12-V Power Conversion
By Alejandro Pozo
This article will show the key design parameters and components to achieve beyond 4 kW/in.3?of power density in a 48-V to 12-V LLC converter using eGaN FETs. This work is an evolution of Reference 2 and was first introduced in Reference 1, demonstrating 96.3% peak efficiency and 93.8% when delivering 1 kW into a 12-V load and with module dimensions of 17.5 × 22.8 × 7.7 mm.
A Novel Efficient Step-Down Converter Design for Low-Power Applications
By Stefano Lovati
Low-power applications, such as wearables and smart devices, require an efficient power-conversion system, typically a step-down converter. In the case of ultra-low–power devices, with average load current of hundreds of microamps, losses are mainly due to the control system, whose power absorption shall be minimized and adapted to the load condition.
This article will propose an innovative control architecture that maximizes efficiency by achieving low bias current (tens of nanoamps) and a frequency-dependent power consumption that is proportional to the load demands.
Sonic Lift-Off Tech Aims to Reduce Semiconductor Costs
By Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio
An innovative device lift-off and substrate reuse technology based on the power of sound, under development at Crystal Sonic, Inc., aims to lower per-device manufacturing costs substantially.
Transphorm Releases New GaN FET Reliability Ratings, Now Segmented by Power Level
By Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio
The most recent reliability ratings for its GaN power FETs were released by Transphorm, a pioneer and leading global supplier of high reliability, high performance?gallium nitride?(GaN) power conversion solutions.
National Ignition Facility Hits Fusion Milestone
By Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio
Scientists at the world’s largest nuclear fusion facility have achieved the phenomenon known as ignition, or the creation of a nuclear reaction that generates more energy than it consumes.
Semiconductors make our lifes easier, safer, and greener. There are a lot of stories to be told.
2 年Have a wonderful Christmas. Stay healthy!
Maurizio, your articles are inspiring and your effort to spread the news around WBG is invaluable. See you in 2023