EPE Association: EPE 2009 - 'Keynote Speeches'

EPE 2009 - 'Keynote Speeches'
You are here: EPE Documents > 01 - EPE & EPE ECCE Conference Proceedings > EPE 2009 - Conference > EPE 2009 - 'Keynote Speeches'

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   State of the Art and the Future of Wide Band-Gap Devices
By Nando KAMINSKI [View]
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Abstract: Silicon as a semiconductor material is well established and first choice for the vast majority of devices. However, due to continuous device optimisation and improvements in the production process, the material properties are more and more the limiting factor. Workarounds like the super junction stretch the limits but usually at substantial cost. So a lot of effort is spent into the more straight forward approach, i.e. changing the semiconductor material. For power devices, wide band-gap semiconductors are most attractive because of low conduction and switching losses, high temperature capability, and high thermal conductivity. Despite some material and process issues back then, the first wide band-gap device, a silicon carbide Schottky-diode, was commercialised eight years ago and found a reasonable market niche. In the meantime significant progress has been made in terms of material quality and cost. However, the silicon carbide Schottky-diode is still the only wide band-gap device on the market and, in particular, there is no wide band-gap switch commercially available yet. Of course, the material cost is still two orders of magnitude higher than for silicon and there are still some material defects that lead to degradation of bipolar devices, but in general the material quality and wafer size is no longer a road block on the way to commercialisation of further devices and the device concepts are there also. So it became rather an economical than a technological question – and silicon is a strong competitor, as the case of the super junction MOSFET shows. On the other hand silicon is not just a competitor but also a strong ally, when it comes to the development of packaging suited for higher operation temperatures, frequencies, and switching speeds. So at the end the question remains: Which additional wide band-gap devices will be able to find and sustain their respective market positions.

   The More Electrical Aircraft – Why Aerospace needs Power Electronics
By Pat WHEELER [View]
[Download]

Abstract: The slides of the presentation: The More Electrical Aircraft – Why Aerospace needs Power Electronics

   Hybrid Electric Vehicle, Heavy Duty, Fuel Economy, Hybridization Factor
By Hans-Georg HERZOG [View]
[Download]

Abstract: The EPE 2009-team regrets to inform you that this full paper (or in case of invited lectures: presentation) was not uploaded before the deadline of our conference.

   Extreme High Efficiency PV-Power Converters
By Bruno BURGER, Dirk KRANZER [View]
[Download]

Abstract: Photovoltaic (PV) inverters convert the DC current of solar generators into AC current and feed it into the grid. There are three basic inverter topologies: inverters with low frequency (50/60 Hz) transformer (LF), inverters with high frequency transformer (HF) and transformer-less inverters (TL). The European market is dominated by transformer-less types (80\%), in Japan approx. 50\% of the inverters are transformer-less and in USA up to now mostly transformer based inverters are used due to national standards. The efficiency of the transformer-less inverters is up to 98\% in series products and in research 99\% efficiency has been reached. Such extreme high efficiencies can be achieved with three level or multilevel inverter topologies and new power semiconductors like Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN).

EPE 2009 - 'Keynote Speeches'
You are here: EPE Documents > 01 - EPE & EPE ECCE Conference Proceedings > EPE 2009 - Conference > EPE 2009 - 'Keynote Speeches'
	[return to parent folder]

	State of the Art and the Future of Wide Band-Gap Devices By Nando KAMINSKI	[View] [Download]
Abstract: Silicon as a semiconductor material is well established and first choice for the vast majority of devices. However, due to continuous device optimisation and improvements in the production process, the material properties are more and more the limiting factor. Workarounds like the super junction stretch the limits but usually at substantial cost. So a lot of effort is spent into the more straight forward approach, i.e. changing the semiconductor material. For power devices, wide band-gap semiconductors are most attractive because of low conduction and switching losses, high temperature capability, and high thermal conductivity. Despite some material and process issues back then, the first wide band-gap device, a silicon carbide Schottky-diode, was commercialised eight years ago and found a reasonable market niche. In the meantime significant progress has been made in terms of material quality and cost. However, the silicon carbide Schottky-diode is still the only wide band-gap device on the market and, in particular, there is no wide band-gap switch commercially available yet. Of course, the material cost is still two orders of magnitude higher than for silicon and there are still some material defects that lead to degradation of bipolar devices, but in general the material quality and wafer size is no longer a road block on the way to commercialisation of further devices and the device concepts are there also. So it became rather an economical than a technological question – and silicon is a strong competitor, as the case of the super junction MOSFET shows. On the other hand silicon is not just a competitor but also a strong ally, when it comes to the development of packaging suited for higher operation temperatures, frequencies, and switching speeds. So at the end the question remains: Which additional wide band-gap devices will be able to find and sustain their respective market positions.

	The More Electrical Aircraft – Why Aerospace needs Power Electronics By Pat WHEELER	[View] [Download]
Abstract: The slides of the presentation: The More Electrical Aircraft – Why Aerospace needs Power Electronics

	Hybrid Electric Vehicle, Heavy Duty, Fuel Economy, Hybridization Factor By Hans-Georg HERZOG	[View] [Download]
Abstract: The EPE 2009-team regrets to inform you that this full paper (or in case of invited lectures: presentation) was not uploaded before the deadline of our conference.

	Extreme High Efficiency PV-Power Converters By Bruno BURGER, Dirk KRANZER	[View] [Download]
Abstract: Photovoltaic (PV) inverters convert the DC current of solar generators into AC current and feed it into the grid. There are three basic inverter topologies: inverters with low frequency (50/60 Hz) transformer (LF), inverters with high frequency transformer (HF) and transformer-less inverters (TL). The European market is dominated by transformer-less types (80\%), in Japan approx. 50\% of the inverters are transformer-less and in USA up to now mostly transformer based inverters are used due to national standards. The efficiency of the transformer-less inverters is up to 98\% in series products and in research 99\% efficiency has been reached. Such extreme high efficiencies can be achieved with three level or multilevel inverter topologies and new power semiconductors like Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN).