IEEE Power Electronics Magazine - June 2020 - 41

The Future of Power
Electronics Circuits
New technologies and managed complexity will drive the future
by Robert Pilawa-Podgurski

In the first session, Prof. Kolar presented his vision for
he field of power electronics advances through
identifying and addressing important development of power
a number of different innovations, ranging from
electronics core technologies. His presentation focused on
new and better semiconductors (e.g., power
the five areas of topology, components, control, design, and
MOSFET, insulated-gate bipolar transistor, galmanufacturing. Following a discussion on
lium nitride, silicon carbide),
the required performance improvements
to improved passive components en Thanks
to
digital
in power density, costs, failure rates, and
abled through material science breakmore, Prof. Kolar provided a brief historithroughs. Moreover, through improved
control and
cal review of the key technologies that have
integration and packaging, higher perimproved simulayielded dramatic improvement in power
formance and more complex circuits
electronics (Figure 1). The key question discan be implemented. Thanks to digital
tion tools, new circussed in this session was what new techcontrol and improved simulation tools,
cuit topologies
nology or solution will bring another 10×
new circuit topologies that better utilize
improvement in performance ("moon-shot"
the active and passive devices can be
that better utilize
technologies). Wide bandgap (WBG) power
implemented in practical designs. At the
the active and
semiconductors appear to be one such
10th IEEE Future of Electronic Power
promising technology, but the increased
Processing and Conversion (FEPPCON X),
passive devices
switching speed also brings significant
several invited speakers and particican be implementchallenges in packaging and electromagpants presented viewpoints and disnetic interference, making WBG technology
cussed ideas in the session "Future of
ed in practical
a double-edged sword. A key message of
Power Electronics Circuits." The two
designs.
this presentation was that to fully reap the
invited speakers were Prof. Johann
benefits of faster devices, more advanced
Kolar of Power Electronic Systems Labdesigns must be considered that mitigate
oratory at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, and
some of the drawbacks of higher di/dt and dv/dt.
Prof. David Perreault of the Power Electronics Research
Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, CamAnother approach that may bring significant performanbridge. The session also included two invited panelists,
ce improvements is the general concept of series and parDr. Isik Kizilyalli of the Advanced Research Project
allel interleaving. Examples of multilevel and multiphase
Agency for Energy (ARPA-E), Washington, D.C., and Prof.
designs were discussed to highlight the performance benCian O'Mathuna of Tyndall Institute, University College
efits, with examples from the Google Little Box Challenge
Cork, Ireland. In addition, Prof. Yan-Fei Liu of Queen's
supporting this case. It was also noted that much of the cost
University, Canada, served as note-taker and panelist.
and power-density improvement relies on advanced packFinally, serving as session organizer and panelist was
aging, and that 3D packaging and heterogeneous integraProf. Robert Pilawa-Podgurski of the University of Calition are important technologies for future research direcfornia, Berkeley.
tions, with some questions of how research in this area
should best be carried out in university laboratories.
Prof. Perreault's presentation highlighted how the requireDigital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPEL.2020.2988078
Date of current version: 16 June 2020
ments for future power electronics vary with applications,
2329-9207/20©2020IEEE

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