Power-Semiconductor Devices and Components for New Power Converter Developments: A key enabler for ultrahigh efficiency power electronics

In a world with an increasing penetration of widebandgap (WBG) semiconductor technology, the FEPPCON 2015 Session on New Power Devices and High Temperature focused on power-semiconductor devices and passive components (magnetic and dielectric materials) up through integration, for the purpose of refining appropriate power-electronics converters by 2025. An important goal was to identify those markets and applications where silicon technology will remain the preferred choice. The semiconductors are rarely the predominant failure mechanisms even in silicon modules; the failure mechanisms are usually either the passive components or the packaging. Thus, higher power densities afforded by using WBG semiconductors require those passives capable of operating at high temperatures and having high reliabilities. Presenters addressed the state of the art and future directions for magnetic cores, dielectric materials, and electronic packaging/integration. Finally, potential additional frontiers that merit research in a WBG world (such as new markets, capabilities, circuit architectures, and applications) were evaluated. The session was divided into four main groups: "WBG Technologies," "Silicon Technologies," "Passive Technologies," and "Power-Integration Technologies."