Abstract: Progress in power electronics has been driven over the last 60 years by new concepts for power semiconductors, corresponding circuit topologies and modulation/control schemes, and the introduction of integrated circuits and microprocessors. We are now in the midst of another highly dynamic phase of development, and it is interesting to reflect on the driving forces, in other words, to identify the “x-technologies” and “x-concepts” that will shape the field in the next decade. After a brief review of x-technology candidates such as monolithic bidirectional GaN switches, 3D packaging, and ML-supported multi-objective design optimization, the talk identifies key x-concepts, namely modularization, hybridization, synergetic association, functional integration, and decentralization, and demonstrates/verifies their capabilities using latest research results from the Power Electronic Systems Laboratory at ETH Zurich. Finally, the urgency of transitioning from today’s linear economy to a circular economy and/or of life cycle assessments, embodied energy analyses, and design for repair, reuse, and recyclability are highlighted as important “beyond tomorrow” topics for power electronics research to facilitate that the widely accepted net-zero CO2 target for 2050 is achieved on a sustainable basis.

Biography: Johann W. Kolar is a Fellow of the IEEE, a Member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, and a Full Professor / the Head of the Power Electronic Systems Laboratory at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich. He has proposed numerous novel converter concepts incl. the Vienna Rectifier and the Sparse Matrix Converter, has spearheaded the development of x-million rpm motors, and has pioneered fully automated multi-objective power electronics design procedures. He has graduated 90+ Ph.D. students, has published a large number of IEEE Transactions and conference papers, and is named as inventor in numerous granted patents. He has received 50 IEEE Transactions and Conference Prize Paper Awards, the 2016 IEEE William E. Newell Power Electronics Field Award, and 2 ETH Zurich Golden Owl Awards for excellence in teaching. The focus of his current research is on ultra-compact/efficient WBG converter systems, ANN-based design procedures, Solid-State Transformers, ultra-high speed drives, bearingless motors, and the life cycle assessments of power electronic converter systems.

Abstract: Gallium Oxide is the new kid on the block for power electronics – a wider bandgap than SiC, lower costs than SiC – though less mature. Can Gallium Oxide replace SiC ? Trench Schottky Barrier Diodes (TSBDs) with breakdown voltages in excess of 3kV have been demonstrated; when combined with NiO breakdown voltages in excess of 8kV have been achieved. Many material challenges remain though, including solutions to overcome its low thermal conductivity, also the lack of workable p-conductivity. Latest advances in Gallium Oxide devices will be reviewed, also showing that when used in converters it can potentially outperform SiC; initial reliability and failure data will be discussed.

Biography: Professor Martin Kuball is Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies and Director of the UKRI Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC) REWIRE at the University of Bristol, United Kingdom. He is Fellow of IEEE, MRS, SPIE, IET and IoP. He obtained his PhD from the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Physics in Stuttgart, Germany and joined the University of Bristol from Brown University, USA; his research group, the Centre for Device Thermography and Reliability, innovates power and RF electronics using wide and ultrawide bandgap semiconductors, also establishes new packaging solutions.

Abstract: The electrification of the automotive industry (with the trend of battery systems shifting from 400V to 800V), its peripherals and the increasing trend toward clean energy & storage have catapulted the demand for SiC products into overdrive. Such large demand for a relatively young technology is coupled with both technical and supply chain challenges. This presentation will centre around those challenges and future perspectives on how to manage the growing demand for SiC technology.

Biography: Amr Darwish has over 18+ years of experience in the technology and semiconductor fields. Previously during his time at Integrated Device Technology (IDT), Amr served in various Product Marketing and Technical roles, which spanned over North America, Europe, and Asia. Amr was a Cofounder of MaxPower Semiconductor, where he served as the COO. MaxPower was acquired by Vishay Siliconix in October 2022, where Amr is now the Senior Director of Product Marketing & Market Development for the Silicon Carbide division of Vishay. With a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) and a Master in Business Administration (MBA), Amr has been able to use his blend of disciplines to create effective corporate & sales strategies and key strategic relationships, which have proliferated MaxPower’s (now Vishay’s) products into consumer, industrial, and automotive marketplaces. In addition, Amr currently serves as the Chair of the Santa Clara University (SCU) Graduate Business Program Board, is a lead-investor and board member of several technology companies, serves as a start-up advisor in the Bronco Venture Accelerator, and is a Partner in the Bronco Venture Capital Fund.

Abstract: Inefficient heat extraction in high power and high frequency devices is a major obstacle to the full exploitation of materials like GaN. Current GaN devices based on SiC substrates have demonstrated excellent device performance but are still somewhat thermally limited. Replacing the SiC (k_SiC ~ 360 – 490 W/m K) substrate with diamond (k_Diamond ~ 2100 W/m K) is one possibility for increased heat spreading and thus improved power handling. However, the heterogeneous integration of diamond is a complicated issue. Wafer bonding of diamond is limited by the ability to polish it to within 0.5 nm rms over large areas and is mostly limited to single crystal material (for direct bonds). Epitaxial growth of either diamond on non-diamond materials or vice versa largely results in polycrystalline materials.Direct diamond growth on other materials is severely limited by differences in surface energy, sticking coefficient of precursors and the anomalously low thermal expansion coefficient of diamond. In most cases, the Chemical Vapour Deposition of diamond is initiated by a seeding or nucleation step. Predominantly this is done by coating the substrate with the highest possible density of diamond nanoparticles. These nanoparticles are deposited from colloids and the surface charge of both the substrate and particles must be carefully controlled in order to drive electrostatic self-assembly to the substrate. In this work we will demonstrate approaches to nucleate diamond on Silicon, GaN, Ga₂O₃, LiNbO₃/LiTaO₃, SiN and AlN. New advances in Chemical Mechanical Planarization of diamond as a route to larger area wafer bonding will also be discussed. The resulting heterostructures have applications in Surface Acoustic Wave devices, Micro-Electromechanical Systems, thermal management of Compound Semiconductors etc which will be demonstrated in this keynote.

Biography: Oliver Williams completed his PhD on the electronic properties of diamond at University College London in 2003. In 2004 he joined the Institute for Materials Research in Belgium, an affiliated lab of IMEC vzw. He developed nanocrystalline diamond growth, specialising on the nucleation of ultra-thin diamond films and control of diamond electrical conductivity from intrinsic to superconducting. He then received the Fraunhofer Attract award to move to the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Research in Freiburg and develop Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems from nanocrystalline diamond. In 2011 he moved to Cardiff as a Reader in Experimental Physics and Marie Curie Fellow. Here he established Cardiff Diamond Foundry, the largest diamond growth group in the UK. His group focuses on MEMS, superconductivity, single photon sources, high-frequency filters, thermal management and anything that exploits the extreme materials properties of diamond. He currently holds a Personal Chair in Experimental Physics.

Abstract: The power devices field has seen tremendous changes in the last decade. The traditional power MOSFET has been largely replaced by a new class of power devices based on Split Gate ( for lower voltages) and the Silicon Superjunction concept (for higher voltages), while the Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) are now fabricated on 12 inch wafers and have access to the latest thin wafer/trench/fine dimension technologies. However most of the innovation and excitement in the field comes from the emergence of Wide Band Gap semiconductors – and in particular the Gallium Nitride and Silicon Carbide. This talk will cover power devices based on these two materials and the extraordinary advances in performance and reliability, conquering new territories in diverse applications such as data center, motor control (including traction drivers), photovoltaic inverters. On the part of the talk reserved for Silicon-Carbide we will discuss new device concepts such as Superjunction and FinFET. Integrated and multiple channel technologies for Gallium Nitride will be discussed in the part of the talk reserved for Gallium-Nitride. The talk will finish with putting both together them together in figures of merits (FOMs) and understanding the complementarity and overlaps between these two tremendous technologies.

Biography: Florin Udrea is a professor in semiconductor Engineering at University of Cambridge and the CTO and the co-founder of Cambridge GaN Devices Ltd.  He has worked on power devices for over three decades with specific research on wide bandgap materials since 1997. He has published over 600 papers in journals and international conferences and is an inventor of 200+ patents) in power semiconductor devices and sensors.  Prof. Florin Udrea founded five companies, Cambridge Semiconductor (Camsemi) in power ICs – sold to Power Integrations, Cambridge CMOS Sensors (CCS) in the field of smart sensors – sold to ams, Cambridge Microelectronics in Power Devices, Cambridge GaN Device in high voltage GaN technology and Flusso in Flow and temperature sensors.  For his ‘outstanding personal contribution to British Engineering’ he has been awarded the Silver Medal from the Royal Academy of Engineering. In 2015 Prof. Florin Udrea was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. In 2023 he was inducted in the ISPSD Hall of Fame “for inspiring a generation of engineers to excel in power device and his numerous contributions to the field”.