About the Debate (RAP) Sessions
Every year, the APEC Committee handpicks a handful of hot topics and brings together a panel of distinguished experts to engage in a dynamic exchange of views. The Debate Sessions, formerly called RAP Sessions, are structured around pivotal questions designed to spark debate, ensuring a representation of diverse perspectives. Kickstarting the session with introductory remarks from our panelists, we then open the floor to you—our audience of specialists—to weigh in with your insights, challenge the experts, and steer the conversation with your questions. Get ready for an invigorating exchange of ideas that is as informative as it is animated and walk away with a deeper understanding of the latest trends and controversies in power electronics.
APEC 2025 Debate Sessions
The APEC 2025 Debate Sessions continue APEC’s long history of presenting the most important current topics in power electronics. Leading engineers and researchers each present their thoughts on where power electronics is headed and then the audience is invited to join the discussion. This is a unique opportunity to learn about the leading edge in power electronics engineering.
Date: Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Time: 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Location: Various (see below)
Debate Session 1
SiC vs GaN – Which will lead in power conversion?
Location: Room A411
Chair: Maurizio Di Paolo Emilio, Editor & Technical Writer, AspenCore Power Electronics News
Panelists:
- Kevin Speer, Technical Director, Microchip Technology
- Guy Moxey, Vice President of Power Marketing, Wolfspeed
- Alex Lidow, CEO, EPC
- Mrinal Das, Senior Director of Technical Marketing, Advanced Power Division, onsemi
Abstract: This session will delve into the evolving dynamics between Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN), two transformative wide bandgap technologies in power conversion. The growing overlap in their applications as GaN moves to higher voltage ranges will be the key point of discussion. We will discuss important and contentious issues, such as determining which technology offers superior figures of merit, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. We will also address critical factors such as the differences in substrate materials and manufacturing complexities, which significantly influence performance, scalability, and cost. During this session, we will examine various points to uncover the challenges and opportunities for SiC and GaN in sectors like renewable energy, industrial applications, and automotive, and how these factors will shape the future of power electronics.
Debate Session 2
Magnetics vs Capacitors – Which presents the lesser obstacle to advancing power electronics?
Location: Room A412
Chair: George Slama, Senior Application and Content Engineer, Würth Elektronik
Panelists:
- Jim Marinos, Executive VP Engineering, Payton Planar Magnetics
- Charlie Sullivan, Professor, Dartmouth University
- Peter A. Blais, Senior Director, Yageo
- Jerry Zhai, President, MaxEpic
Abstract: During the past, several decades we have seen the power density of power supplies increase by orders of magnitude. Operating at higher frequencies has brought the greatest reduction but seems to be running out of steam. Apart from topology, the specific devices that have limited reduction have been either magnetic components, capacitive components, or semiconductors. Today, with bandgap (GaN & SiC) switching devices, the focus is on controllers, topologies and low parasitic in passive components. When magnetics is small, the area used by the capacitors usually increases. Some designs show small magnetics on one side of the board but not the sea of capacitors on the other. High frequency has made inductance values at the same level as previous parasitic inductances. Inductors appear to be merely a loop of wire with a core. Small ceramic capacitors have large swings in value with applied voltage negating their size advantage. One promising area of development is transient load voltage regulation (TLVR), where magnetics is employed to reduce the number of capacitors required for fast transient response. This reflects an ongoing “tug of war” between magnetics and capacitors in power supply design.
Debate Session 3
The power or peril of AI-driven designs – Will they light up the power supply landscape or will they go up in flames?
Location: Room A404/A405
Chair: Robert Pilawa, Professor, University of California, Berkeley
Panelists:
- Grant Pitel, CTO, Magna-Power Electronics
- Babak Fahimi, Professor, University of Texas at Dallas
- Dragan Maksimović, Distinguished Professor, University of Colorado – Boulder
- Laszlo Balogh, Distinguished Member Of Technical Staff, Texas Instruments
Abstract: Recently there has been a significant adoption of Artificial intelligence in magnetics design, power supply design, power system control and failure prediction. Given this rapid adoption many controversial questions arise. For example, does using AI result in less or more optimal design, does it compromise or enhance system reliability, does it improve design time or does it hinder new engineers learning basic skills? In this dynamic debate the industry leading expert panel, together with you will discuss the pros and cons of using AI for power systems design. Come and join this session to learn how to best use this technology to your advantage and how to avoid its perils.