Professional Education Seminars

APEC 2023 attendees who registered for the 2023 Professional Education Seminars can download the seminar presentations here.

The APEC 2023 Professional Education Seminars once again offered an outstanding opportunity to learn from distinguished power electronics professionals like Professor Johann Kolar, Steve Sandler, and Michael Schutten. While the APEC 2024 committee works on developing the APEC 2024 seminar program take a look below at the seminars that were offered in 2023.

S01: Power Electronics in Electrified Powertrain: From Electrical Vehicle Market to Semiconductor Selection Guidance

Abstract

This seminar will provide an overview of power semiconductors in typical automotive xEV applications such as traction inverter, on-board charger and DC/DC with the focus on the main inverter.

The intention is to give a general picture starting from the highest level (OEMs & the Car Market) and going down stepwise to the Semiconductor itself touching Driveline Architectures as well as Semiconductor Power Packages.

• OEM & Car Market
• Driveline Architectures & Power Applications
• Semiconductor Power Packages
• Semiconductors (Silicon: IGBT + diodes, RC-IGBTs & Wide Band Gap devices: SiC MOSFETs, GaN transistors)

After presenting the typical characteristics of the different semiconductor solutions, design measures for optimizing Silicon as well as SiC will discussed

• Optimization measures for Si and SiC devices

leading to some guidance which devices could be used in which application.

• Selection Criteria

Having a device selected does not mean that it can be easily bought (chip crisis). Therefore, the presentation will also address the chip market and the wafer supply and a method how to maximize the number of chips coming from a SiC raw wafer will be presented.

• Market & Supply

The tutorial will give engineers and managers a good insight into several topics:

1. Which semiconductor is suitable for a certain application and why?
2. What are the trade-offs and the selection criteria for a specific semiconductor type? And
3. How could the market evolve over the next few years?

Presenter(s)

Dr. Andre Christmann is a lead principal for high power Semiconductor Products at Infineon Technology AG and he has over 18 years’ experience in this area. After completing his Ph. D. degree in 2000, Dr. Christmann worked for 3 years at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems (IMS Duisburg, Germany) in the area of power semiconductor development. From 2004 – 2011, he was responsible for the development of power semiconductor modules for hybrid-electric vehicle applications at Infineon Technologies AG (Warstein, Germany). During this time, he designed HybridPACK™1 module, which became an industry wide standard footprint for automotive power module. In 2011, he transferred to Infineon North America where he took over a position as System Application Engineer. Since 2019, he is working as a Product Definition Engineer for power semiconductors at Infineon’s headquarter.

Dr. Christmann is author/co-author of multiple publications, lead classes in seminars/tutorials and gave presentations on international conferences like APE (France), PCIM (Germany), ITEC (USA), ECCE (USA) and APEC (USA, 2018). He also holds patents on power module design.

S02: Core Loss Measurement Data for Everyone

Abstract

This seminar provides a practical look at the various methods used to measure core loss based on the work of the PELS SA committee ETTC which is updating IEEE 393 Standard for Test Procedures for Magnetic Cores to meet the needs of magnetic design for modern power supplies operating at high frequencies. A core loss data file exchange format for use on an open-source database is proposed to help everyone share and get the data they need.

Presenter(s)

George Slama is the current chair of the PELS ETTC and member of IEC TC51. He has been designing and working with transformers and inductors over his entire career. His design experience covers everything from inductors small enough to pass through the eye of a needle to three phase control transformers and most types in between. His work has included quality control, automated production and testing plus manufacturing engineering management in Canada and the United States. Mr. Slama has worked in all aspects of switch mode power supply design and development. He has given design seminars at various conferences and private companies. Currently he is a senior application and content engineer at Würth Elektronik developing application notes, seminars and software tools to help engineers use magnetics effectively.

S03: Switch Mode Power Concepts

Abstract

Today’s switch-mode power converters are extraordinary devices converting power with efficiencies approaching 100% and power conversion densities into the 100’s of watts per cubic inch. Just how do they do that? This seminar is a look “under the hood” of switch mode power converter. Imagine looking under the hood of a car at the engine with a mechanic. Themechanic would describe all of the various parts, like pistons and fuel injectors, and how they work together to create the power to drive the car. This seminar is a “look under the hood” of switch mode power converters. The goal is to present the principles and concepts needed to understand how switch mode converters work without a deep technical dive into the details.
The first half of the seminar will focus on the circuits (“topologies”) used to convert power. The various building blocks, such a switching devices and inductors will be described. Then the key principle of switch mode power will be presented to show how an ideal switch mode converter can convert at 100% efficiency. This introduces the buck converter which is explored in some detail. The workings of other key topologies such as the boost, buck-boost, flyback, and SEPIC converter are also shown to expand the understanding.
In the second half, the basics of controlling a switch mode power converter are explained. A quick review of systems and feedback starts the discussion. A detailed example of designing a control loop for a voltage mode controlled buck converter shows how the theory reduces to practice. The seminar concludes with an overview of current mode control.
This seminar is suited for those wishing to know how a switch mode power converter works without being drenched in technical details, such as those new to switch mode power conversion or those working in sales, marketing, or application support of switch power converters or components used in switch mode power converters.

Presenter(s)

Bob White, Chief Engineer, Embedded Power Labs has broad experience in designing power supplies, dc-dc converters and power systems for electronic equipment. He is widely recognized as an expert in power systems architecture and digital power management. Bob is the principal author of the PMBus™ specifications. He is a well-known speaker and author who has presented many papers and seminars at conferences such as the IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference (IEEE APEC), the European Power Electronics Conference (EPE), the IEEE International Telecommunications Energy Conference (INTELEC) and the IEEE International Congress on Power Electronics (CIEP). In more than 30 years of professional experience, Bob has worked for Emerson Network Power/Artesyn Technologies/Zytec Corporation, AT&T Bell Labs/Power Systems, the Digital Equipment Corporation and General Electric.

Bob has a BSEE from MIT (1980) and a MSEE from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (1991). He is a Fellow of the IEEE, in which he has been active for more than 35 years. He was elected to the Power Electronics Society’s executive committee three times, served two terms as the Society’s Technical Vice President. Bob is well known for his key role in developing and supporting the IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC). Bob was awarded the IEEE Third Millennium Medal in 2000 and the IEEE Power Electronic Society’s Distinguished Service Award in 2002. The Power Sources Manufacturers Association (PSMA) recognized Bob in 2005 for his contributions to and leadership of the PSMA and APEC.

S04: Switching losses associated with output-capacitance hysteresis: Now you see me in power devices!

Abstract

Increasing the switching frequency brings opportunities to reduce the size and weight of power converters. At high-frequencies, soft-switching converters are ubiquitous in adapters, datacenters, EV/HEV, and PV inverters. In optimal soft-switching conditions, it is often assumed that the energy stored in the output capacitance of power devices (Coss or Cak) is completely recovered. In the past ten years, disruptive studies evidenced the existence of an energy loss associated with Coss hysteresis due to displacement currents in the absence of channel and diode conduction.

This seminar provides in-depth coverage of Coss hysteresis losses. We will provide a background showing early experimental evidence. Also, we will show Coss losses can dominate at MHz, even when using WBG. We will describe the circuits used to test hysteresis loss in semiconductors over a vast range of voltages and frequencies (Sawyer- Tower circuit, non-linear resonance). We will discuss the physical origins Coss loss in different devices, including diodes and transistors, in Si, SiC, and GaN. We will describe how to simulate and model the Coss loss using FEA and SPICE. Lastly, we will provide insight into the JEDEC action toward standardizing testing procedures.

We expect it to interest professionals working on devices, testing and application fields.

Presenter(s)

Prof. Juan Rivas-Davila (Stanford University) is an Associate Professor in Stanford’s Electrical Engineering department. Before, he served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan and worked for GE Global Research in the high-frequency power electronics group. He has experience designing dc-dc power converters working at MHz frequencies. He has published peer-reviewed work on power converters reaching up to 100 MHz using Si and WBG devices. He obtained his Master's (2003) and a doctoral degree from MIT (2006). He received his undergraduate degree from the Monterrey Institute of Technology, Mexico City campus, in 1998. His research interests include power electronics, resonant converters, resonant gate drive techniques, high-frequency magnetics, and finding new applications for power converters.

Dr. Jaume Roig (Member of the Technical Staff at Onsemi), received the B.S. degree in physics and the Ph.D. degree in microelectronics engineering from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain) in 1999 and 2004, respectively. He joined LAAS/CNRS (Toulouse, France) as a post-doc in 2005 and moved to ON Semiconductor (Oudenaarde, Belgium) in 2006. Since then, he has supported and managed projects devoted to the development of power ICs and discrete devices in Silicon, Silicon Carbide and Gallium Nitride technologies. Today in Onsemi, he leads a program for heuristic simulations to investigate device-system interaction in power electronic circuits. He has authored and co-authored more than 130 articles and holds 28 issued and 8 pending US patents. He is currently serving as a co-chair in the JC-70 JEDEC taskgroup for test and characterization of GaN power devices and in the PSMA Semiconductor Committee.

Prof. Elison Matioli is an associate professor in the institute of electrical engineering at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). He received two B.Sc. degrees in applied physics and applied mathematics from Ecole Polytechnique (Palaiseau, France) and in electrical engineering from the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil), followed by a Ph.D. degree from the Materials Department at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) in 2010. He was a post-doctoral fellow in the EECS department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) until 2014. He has received the UCSB Outstanding Graduate Student - Scientific Achievement Award for his Ph.D. work, the 2013 IEEE George Smith Award, the 2015 ERC Starting Grant Award, and the 2020 Latsis Prize. His research interests include semiconductor devices for power and RF applications, power electronics and thermal management.

S05: Gate-Drive Circuit Design for Wide-Bandgap Power Transistors

Abstract

The adoption-rate of GaN and SiC power transistors continues to grow in modern power electronic circuits. These Wide-Bandgap devices can have high transconductance, gain-bandwidth product and fast switching. While the fast switching characteristics offer improved converter performance, they can also create challenges for the design and implementation of the gate drive circuit, including its power and isolation. These system challenges are shared not only by discrete transistors, but also those with co-packaged or integrated gate drive functions. In addition, designers today often want to enable multi-sourced transistor options, yet in many cases, the specifications, requirements and footprints are not the same between manufacturers. And finally, the system partitioning and PCB layout of the gate drive, its power and isolation circuits can be particularly challenging due to the fast slew-rates (dv/dt) that can occur in wide-bandgap power converters. Even small parasitic capacitances can cause common-mode currents that induce unexpected behavior, resulting in increased EMI, instability, or even failures.

This seminar addresses all of these topics, and is designed to provide a clear, concise overview of the commonly available transistor types on the market today, and what their gate-drive requirements are. Then we will cover the common output-stage topologies for gate drivers, Isolation technologies, and system partitioning, followed by methods for powering the high and low-side drivers. Then we cover best-practices examples, PCB layout recommendations, and testing/troubleshooting measurement techniques.

The seminar covers transistors in the 600 – 650 V class, and is intended for power levels from 50 W up to about 5 kW (will not cover higher voltage, high-power SiC modules).

Presenter(s)

Eric Persson is a 40+-year veteran of the power electronic industry. His career spans 19 years of hands- on power converter and inverter design, followed by 22 years of applications engineering in the semiconductor industry at Infineon Technologies (formerly International Rectifier). He is a Senior Principal Engineer for wide-bandgap semiconductor applications.

Eric has presented more than 90 tutorials and papers on topics related to applications and practical design aspects of power electronic circuits. He is a regular lecturer for power electronic short-courses at UW Madison for 22 years. Mr. Persson holds 16 patents, and is a recipient of the IEEE Third Millennium Medal. He has a BSEE degree from the University of Minnesota.

S06: Simplified Universal Analysis Techniques For DC-DC Switching Power Converter Feedback Loops Using Matrices and Spreadsheets

Abstract

This seminar presents a detailed step-by-step analytical method of closing switch-mode power converter feedback regulation loops. The hand derivation and solution of the pertinent converter equations is typically error-riddled and difficult for higher order converters (e.g., SEPIC), or if parasitics are added. Therefore, the method presented here circumvents this problem by using a spreadsheet program such as Mathcad or Excel to do the for the calculations. In particular, the state equations of the averaged and linearized power stage are formulated in matrix form, to allow for the system transfer functions to be evaluated using Cramer’s Rule, thereby greatly reducing errors. A universal system block diagram that automatically caters for both voltage and current mode control is used as a framework for investigating the closed-loop system behavior. All the calculations are done by the spreadsheet program. The target audience is intermediate to advanced power supply designers.

Presenter(s)

Loveday Haachitaba Mweene obtained his Bachelor of Engineering degree from the University of Zambia in 1984, and the Master of Science and Doctor of Science degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1988 and 1992, all in Electrical Engineering. From 1992 to 2000 he worked for AT&T Bell Labs (later renamed Lucent Technologies) on high power ac-dc rectifiers, custom dc-dc converters and telecommunications bricks. After a brief stop in a start-up company designing telecommunications converters, he worked from 2003 to 2010 for National Semiconductor as the technical leader and later manager of the Power Applications Design Center for the Americas. In this position he headed or was involved in the delivery of several hundred power supply design solutions for customers in a diverse range of application areas. After National was acquired by Texas Instruments he was an independent consultant for several years, until he joined Atmel Corporation in 2013. At Atmel he developed microcontroller driven LED drivers and ac-dc converters. In 2016 after Atmel was acquired by Microchip, he became the Chief Technical Officer of the start-up company GV Semiconductor, leading the development of GaN HEMT based chargers and LED drivers. Upon the closure of GV Semiconductor in 2020, he became a Power Systems Architect at Nebula Microsystems, also a start-up, defining and developing gate drivers for GaN HEMTs. Since May 2022 he has been a Senior Systems Engineer at Nexperia Semiconductor. During his career he has not only been involved in a wide range of design activities, but he has reviewed papers for industry conferences, written for trade publications, and is the author of several granted and pending patents. He is an expert in the craft of practical power supply design, including feedback loop optimization, power magnetics design, circuit simulation and spreadsheet computation.

S07: Practical Considerations for the Application of High Power Si and SiC Modules

Abstract

This seminar will discuss the issues a designer must deal with in using large, high power (high current and/or high voltage) IGBT and SiC modules including interpretation of device ratings, gate drive requirements, and providing device and system protection. The intent of this seminar is to aid the designer in choosing and applying a high power module to a new product or transitioning a design from Si to SiC. Questions and concerns a designer might have will be addressed by the various techniques and circuit examples that will be presented. Chip technology and packaging options will be discussed with special attention to the tradeoffs between silicon and silicon carbide. The practical application of SiC power devices today and in the future will be discussed. The attendee should leave the course with a better understanding of the power module, specifically as a device and how it functions in an application. The goal will be to impart an understanding of desirable features, characteristics, and limitations. This will include the application in power circuits, protection from internal and external disturbances, and an understanding of thermal design, handling, and reliability considerations. The seminar should resolve confusing and conflicting information on device data sheets.

Presenter(s)

John F. Donlon received the B.S. degree with high honors in Electrical Engineering from the Lowell Technological Institute and the M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University. He is Senior Application Engineer at Mitsubishi Electric US and has been involved in the rating, evaluation, and application of power semiconductors for over 40 years. He has been active in the publication of over eighty technical papers, articles, and application notes describing the characteristics and proper application of power semiconductors.

Eric R. Motto is Chief Engineer with Mitsubishi Electric US. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Saint Vincent College. From 1987 to 1990 Eric worked as a design engineer at Lutron Electronics in Coopersburg Pennsylvania developing circuits for the control and stabilization of electronic dimming ballasts. From 1990 to 2017 Eric was with Powerex, Inc. in Youngwood Pennsylvania providing technical support for users of Mitsubishi power semiconductor devices in North America. He is now with Mitsubishi Electric in the same capacity. Eric has written and presented more than forty technical papers at industry conferences and published numerous application notes and magazine articles related to the design and application of IGBT and Intelligent Power Modules.

Michael J. Rogers is a member of the IEEE, holds a BSEE from Pennsylvania State University, and has worked in the power electronics field since 2011. He is a Power Module Applications Engineer for Mitsubishi Electric US Inc. and provides technical support for users of power semiconductor devices. Michael authored industry sessions and exhibitor seminars related to high power IGBT and SiC devices at the 2016 through 2023 APEC conferences.

Mark Steiner is an Electrical Engineer with experience in semiconductor and device applications. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering with honors from the Pennsylvania State University and has worked for a combined 7 years with Mitsubishi Electric US and Powerex Inc. He is an applications engineer with a focus on IGBT and SiC-MOSFET power modules for the automotive, locomotive, and high-voltage industries. He has assisted in the publication of several technical papers, presentations, and application notes, presenting material at past conferences including APEC, ECCE, The Battery Show, and ITEC.

S08: Modeling, Measurement and Suppression of Conductive, Near-Field and Radiated Electromagnetic Interference in Power Electronics Systems

Abstract

Within the last 20 years, especially with the adoption of wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor devices, the switching speed and switching frequencies of power conversion systems have significantly increased to achieve high power densities. On the other hand, high switching speed and high frequencies have generated high electromagnetic interference (EMI) not only in the conventional conductive EMI frequency range but also in radiated EMI frequency range, which has not been fully investigated. Furthermore, high power density designs lead to strong near magnetic and electric field couplings which can transform into both conductive and radiated EMI noise. This further complicates the EMI suppression design.

This seminar will help power electronics researchers and engineers to understand and solve the EMI issues in power electronics systems by introducing the modeling, measurement, and suppression techniques across the conductive, near field, and radiated frequency domains. The seminar will introduce the basic EMI theories, the EMI measurement and diagnostic approaches, and various EMI suppression techniques for power electronics systems in depth. These theories, approaches, and techniques were based on the technical development of the presenter in the last more than 20 years in power electronics EMI/EMC. The seminar is good for all levels of engineers and students.

Presenter(s)

Shuo Wang received his Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Center for Power Electronics Systems at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, in 2005. He is currently a full professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. Dr. Shuo Wang has more than 20-year research experience in the development of modeling, measurement, and suppression techniques for electromagnetic interference (EMI) generated in power electronics systems. He has published more than 200 IEEE journal and conference papers and holds around 30 pending/issued US/international patents. Before he joined the University of Florida, he had been a research assistant professor at Virginia Tech, a senior design engineer of electrical power systems at GE Aviation Systems in Ohio, and a professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

He received the Best Transaction Paper Award from the IEEE Power Electronics Society in 2006, two William M. Portnoy Awards for the papers published in the IEEE Industry Applications Society in 2004 and 2012, respectively, and the Distinguished Paper Award from IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy in 2022. He is an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications and IEEE Transactions on Electromagnetic Compatibility. He is also the Chair of the Power Electronics EMI/EMC special committee of IEEE EMC society and an instructor of IEEE Clayton Paul Global University. He was a technical program Co-Chair for the IEEE 2014 International Electric Vehicle Conference. Dr. Wang is a recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2012 and was elevated to IEEE Fellow in 2019.

S09: Common Mistakes in Power Supply Designs

Abstract

This presentation will summarize common mistakes an engineer could make when designing power supplies. The presentation will be conducted in an interactive way by first showing an issue with an actual measurement (phenomenon) and then letting the audience brainstorm and comment on what could be wrong. After that, we reveal the root cause of the issue, how to avoid the issue, and related design suggestions. Common mistakes in three key areas – non-isolated DC-DC converter, AC-DC Flyback converter, and power supply layout will be discussed. Ten common mistakes on each area will be discussed. After 30 common mistakes are discussed, we will extend the discussion to where engineers need to take extra care of when designing with wide bandgap devices (such as gallium nitride (GaN) FETs) that have high dV/dt.

Presenter(s)

Dr. Sheng-Yang Yu received the M.S. degree and the Ph. D. degrees from the University of Texas at Austin in 2010 and 2012, respectively. Since 2010, he has been a system and application engineer at power design services (PDS) in Texas Instruments (TI) and he is now Senior Member Technical Staff and a system manager in PDS aiming high power power supply reference designs.

Through his research work both in academy and industry, he has published over 20 papers in IEEE journals, conference proceedings, and TI Power Supply Design Seminar. He also has 4 US patents. Sheng- Yang’s specialty is at PFC rectifiers, isolated DC-DC converters, soft- switching techniques, digital and analog power supply designs.

Dr. Fei Yang received the M.S. degree from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA, in 2017, and the Ph. D. degree from the University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA, in 2020, all in electrical engineering. Since 2020, he has been a system and application engineer at GaN product line in Texas Instruments, and he is now the system manager in GaN product line.

Through his research work, he has published 49 papers in IEEE journals and conference proceedings, and 5 patents. He is serving as the guest associate editor for IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics, and active reviewers for other power electronics journals. He is the recipient of the 2021 PELS Ph.D. Thesis Talk Award. His research interests include wide bandgap semiconductor device’s application, reliability, and power module package/integration.

Mr. Brian King is a Systems Manager and Senior Member Technical Staff at Texas Instruments. He has over 26 years of experience in power supply design, specializing in isolated AC/DC and DC/DC applications. Brian has worked directly with customers to support over 1300 business opportunities and has designed over 750 unique power supplies using a broad range of TI power supply controllers with a focus on maximizing efficiency and minimizing solution size and cost.

He has published over 45 articles related to power supply design, and since 2016 is the lead organizer and content curator for the Texas Instruments Power Supply Design Seminar (PSDS) series, which provides training to thousands of power engineers world-wide on a regular basis. Brian received a MSEE (1996) and BSEE (1994) from the University of Arkansas.

Pradeep Shenoy leads Texas Instrument’s Power Design Services team focused on the automotive market. Pradeep has served in several roles in the IEEE Power Electronics Society including Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, Ad-Com Member- at-Large, Young Professionals Chair, Industry Advisory Board, Chapter Chair, and Regional Chair. He is active in the Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC) organizing committee and served as a DC-DC Converter Track Chair for several years.

Pradeep obtained the B.S. degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He received various awards including the Illinois International Graduate Achievement Award in 2010, the Jack Kilby Award for Innovation in 2015, and Richard M. Bass Outstanding Young Power Electronics Engineer Award in 2020.

S10: Silicon is Still Here: A Refresher on the Narrow BandGap Power MOSFETs

Abstract

Since their introduction in the early 1980s, silicon Mosfets have been the mainstay of power conversion technology, in particular for high frequency switching power convertors. The device technology has evolved over the decades, from planar to split gate trench and superjunction platforms. Far from being obsolete or stagnant, innovations continue steadily in silicon technology.

This seminar will cover characteristics of state of the art, high performance Mosfets using their datasheets as reference. Instead of explaining away datasheet numbers line by line, we will be grouping them functionally, explain how they are characterized by the manufacturers and how they should be interpreted for real world applications. Unique features such as extremely nonlinear capacitances and body diode behavior will be discussed in depth. Mosfet datasheets carry a number of legacy parameters, specifically those relating to current and power ratings, that are no longer relevant in today’s design environments. These will be highlighted during the course.

Recently there has been an explosive growth in power applications other than high frequency switching, such as motor control and automotive electronics. The seminar is aimed at Mosfet users in all these application areas and will be useful to engineers both at the beginner and intermediate levels.

Presenter(s)

Sanjay Havanur has a Master’s degree in Power Electronics from IIT Bombay, India. He has been working in the field of power conversion for over forty years now. Initially he worked as a power supply designer for various companies in India and USA. Since 2002 he has moved to application engineering, first in the field of power ICs and for the last 15 years has worked extensively on power Mosfet characteristics and applications. He has authored several papers, application notes, and holds nine patents relating to power ICs, silicon as well as GaN technologies

David Grey has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of Sussex in England. Most of his career has been spent working with power semiconductors and their applications. This began as a design engineer in the defense systems and automotive industries followed by a move into applications engineering supporting Power MOSFETs and IGBT’s. Since moving to the USA in 2001 David has held several marketing positions focusing on product definition and technology roadmap development. Currently he leads Vishay’s automotive MOSFET Business Unit.

S11: Silicon Carbide power semiconductors: Characterization, modelling and advanced gate drivers

Abstract

To fully exploit the benefits of SiC technology for designing high-performance power electronic converters, three key aspects emerge, namely, accurate device characterization, modeling, and advanced gate drivers designs. The first two aspects allow for fast validation of converter designs, reducing development and prototyping effort. Advanced gate drivers are integral components for manipulating the switching performance of SiC power devices. This professional education seminar will provide an overview of static and dynamic characterization of SiC metal oxide semiconductor field- effect transistors (MOSFETs) in 1.2-3.3-kV classes. Besides, the development process of accurate SiC MOSFETs models for both traditional and real-time simulations will be presented. Moreover, the design, operation, and system-integration principles of adaptive voltage-source and current-source gate drivers for SiC MOSFETs will be analyzed. The main benefit of this seminar is the dissemination of knowledge concerning the design of high-performance converters by integrating and operating SiC MOSFETs. The seminar content is based on the research conducted by the power electronics group at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). The intended audience is design engineers, PhD students, senior researchers and professors dealing with design of SiC-based power converters.

Presenter(s):

Dimosthenis Peftitsis is Professor of Power Electronics in the Department of Electrical Power Engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway since May 2016. He received his Diploma degree in electrical and computer engineering from Democritus University of Thrace, Greece in 2008. In 2008 he spent six months in ABB Corporate Research, Västerås, Sweden, writing his thesis. He completed his Ph.D. degree at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Stockholm, Sweden) in 2013.

Dimosthenis was a Postdoctoral Researcher at KTH Royal Institute of Technology (2013-2014). He also worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Lab for High Power Electronics Systems, ETH Zurich (2014- 2016). His research interests lie in the area of power converters design using WBG devices including device modeling and adaptive drive circuits, as well as reliability assessment and lifetime modelling of high-power semiconductor devices.

He has published more than 80 journal and conference papers; he is the co-author of one book chapter and the presenter of 5 conference tutorials. Dimosthenis is a member of the Outstanding Academic Fellows Programme at NTNU, a member of the EPE International Scientific Committee and currently serves as the Chairman on the Norway IEEE joint PELS/IAS/IES Chapter.

Daniel Alexander Philipps is a Ph.D. candidate in the field of Power Electronics in the Department of Electrical Power Engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway since February 2020. He received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in electrical engineering, information technology and computer engineering from RWTH Aachen University, Germany, in 2016 and 2019 respectively.

His research interests include adaptive gate driver design, wide-bandgap power device testing, characterization, and modeling, and high bandwidth measurement technology.

S12: How Power Integrity is Changing the World of Power Electronics

Abstract

Power delivery to high-speed digital loads has a growing set of challenges as dynamic loads demand power from DC to GHz frequencies while at the same time power rail voltages are dropping below 1 volt to drive 1000’s of amps. Design margins are narrowing and even the small parasitics of the PCB and package interconnects must be EM simulated to avoid late in the design noise ripple and EMI failures. This tutorial will take a deep dive into the Power Integrity world of designing with Target Impedance and takes it a step further to show how designing in the frequency domain can be expanded to “hack” the end-to-end power delivery eco-system.

This tutorial covers the basic entry level concepts of power integrity by analyzing power delivery in both the frequency domain and the time domain to show the advantages of designing for flat target impedance. Intermediate concepts will cover the latest in state-space behavioral modeling of switched mode power supplies. Learn how a few simple measurements of a regulator’s output impedance can enable a sophisticated behavioral model that enables simulation of an end-to-end power delivery ecosystem for even the most advanced multi-phase designs using wide bandgap SiC and GaN technologies.

Presenter(s)

Heidi Barnes, Keysight Technologies: Senior Application Engineer for High-Speed Digital applications in the EEsof EDA Group of Keysight Technologies. Her recent activities include the application of electromagnetic, transient, and channel simulators to solve signal and power integrity challenges. Author of over 20 papers on SI and PI and recipient of the DesignCon 2017 Engineer of the Year. Past experience includes ATE, RF/Microwave microcircuit packaging, and aerospace instrumentation. Heidi graduated from the California Institute of Technology in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. She has been with Keysight EEsof since 2012.

Steve Sandler, Picotest.com: Steve Sandler has been involved with power system engineering for more than 40 years. Steve is the founder of PICOTEST.com, a company specializing in power integrity solutions including measurement products, services and training. He frequently lectures and leads workshops internationally on the topics of power, PDN and distributed systems and is a Keysight certified expert for EDA software. Steve frequently writes articles and books related to power supply and PDN performance and his latest book, Power Integrity Using ADS was published by Faraday Press in 2019. Steve founded AEi Systems, a well-established leader in worst case circuit analysis and troubleshooting of high reliability.

Benjamin Dannan is the Chief Technologist at Signal Edge Solutions, a senior member of IEEE, and an experienced signal and power integrity (SI/PI) design engineer, advancing high-performance ASICs and high-speed digital designs. He is a Keysight Certified Expert in ADS and holds a certification in cybersecurity. He has a BSEE from Purdue University, a Master of Engineering in Electrical Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University, and graduated from the USAF Undergraduate Combat Systems Officer training school with an aeronautical rating. Benjamin is a trained Electronic Warfare Officer in the USAF with deployments on the EC-130J Commando Solo in Afghanistan and Iraq, totaling 47 combat missions, and a trained USAF Cyber Operations Officer. In addition, he has co-authored multiple peer-reviewed journal publications on SI/PI-related topics and received the prestigious DesignCon best paper award in 2020.

S13: The Essence of Solid-State Transformers

Abstract

This seminar introduces participants to the Solid-State Transformer (SST) concept in a comprehensive and easy-to-follow fashion. After a brief review of transformer basics, the SST concept history, and the various intended SST application areas, main SST technology concepts and key design aspects are discussed. These include, e.g., medium-frequency (MF) power conversion, power electronic interfaces connected to medium voltage (MV), key SST topologies, MF transformer design, and isolation coordination.

The second half of the tutorial then showcases latest SST concepts and demonstrator systems from University and Industry R&D activities to establish an overview on the state of the art and the most relevant developments. Based on recent industrial SST realizations, we then discuss benefits and challenges for SST applications in datacenter power supply systems and high-power EV charging by providing a comparative evaluation against alternative approaches (e.g., solutions based on low- frequency transformers and highly efficient low-voltage SiC converters).

Based on this comparative evaluation, the remaining challenges, the most promising SST and Power- Electronic-Building-Block-(PEBB)-based realization concepts and their application potentials, and finally the future research vectors are identified. The tutorial closes with an outlook on future performance targets beyond efficiency/power density, i.e., compatibility with future sustainable circular economy concepts.

Presenter(s)

Johann W. Kolar is a Fellow of the IEEE, an International Member of the US NAE and a Full Professor and 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, has spearheaded the development of x-million rpm motors and has pioneered fully automated multi-objective power electronics design procedures. He has graduated 80+ Ph.D. students, has published 900+ research papers, 4 book chapters, and has filed 200+ patents. He has served as IEEE PELS Distinguished Lecturer from 2012 - 2016. He has received 40+ IEEE Transactions and Conference Prize Paper Awards, the 2014 IEEE Power Electronics Society R. David Middlebrook Achievement Award, the 2016 IEEE PEMC Council Award, the 2016 IEEE William E. Newell Power Electronics Award, the 2021 EPE Outstanding Achievement Award and 2 ETH Zurich Golden Owl Awards for excellence in teaching. The focus of his current research is on ultra-compact/efficient WBG PFC rectifier and inverter systems, ultra-high BW switch-mode power amplifiers, multi-port converters, Solid-State Transformers, multi-functional actuators, ultra-high speed / motor-integrated drives, bearingless motors, ANN-based multi-objective design optimization and Life Cycle Assessment of power electronics systems.

Jonas Huber received the MSc (with distinction) degree and the PhD degree from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland, in 2012 and 2016, respectively. Since 2012, he has been with the Power Electronic Systems Laboratory, ETH Zurich and became a Post-Doctoral Fellow, focusing his research interests on the field of solid-state transformers, specifically on the analysis, optimization, and design of high-power multi-cell converter systems, reliability considerations, control strategies, and applicability aspects. From 2017, he was with ABB Switzerland Ltd. as an R&D Engineer designing high-power DC-DC converter systems for traction applications, and later with a Swiss utility company as a Business Development Manager. He then returned to the Power Electronic Systems Laboratory as a Senior Researcher in 2020, extending his research scope to all types of WBG-semiconductor-based ultra-compact, ultra-efficient or highly dynamic converter systems. Since 2015, he has co-presented 9 tutorials at major IEEE conferences (e.g., ECCE, APEC).

S14: Improving EMC Performance for Switch-Mode Power Converters

Abstract

This seminar is intended as a comprehensive introduction for engineers wanting a fundamental understanding of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) issues associated with switch-mode power converters, and experienced engineers desiring a detailed understanding of electromagnetic interference (EMI) causes and fixes for power converters.

The seminar begins with an introduction to noise coupling mechanisms and their properties. The concept of impedance mismatch is presented as a basis for understanding filtering concepts. Differential-mode (DM) and common-mode (CM) separation and filtering approaches are derived, and measurement and separation techniques presented. DM & CM measurement and EMI reduction techniques are presented for an experimental flyback converter. Converter layout techniques and principles are derived, and experimentally verified. The seminar provides an emphasis on how DM and CM currents are created in power converters, and layout and construction techniques to minimize the need for costly filtering. Several practical EMI reduction techniques and construction methods are provided throughout the presentation. Frequency-domain and time-domain comparisons are presented for silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon (Si) power semiconductors.

Presenter(s)

Dr. Michael Schutten received his Ph.D. and Master’s degrees in Electric Power Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and his M.S.E.E and B.S.E.E. from Marquette University. From 1983 to 1987 he worked for General Electric Medical Systems where he developed high frequency X-ray and CT generators. From 1987 to 2020 he has been a member of the technical staff at General Electric Global Research Center in upstate New York. He presently works as a consultant specializing in electromagnetic interference issues, with an emphasis on SiC power converter issues.

He is actively involved with industrial, commercial, and military EMI topics. Mike is a former member of the CISPR 11 U.S. working group. His experience includes development of novel EMI testing and injection equipment to isolate, quantify, decouple, and improve electronic system EMI performance. Mike has developed several high density, low noise power converters for consumer, industrial and military applications. His areas of expertise include electromagnetic interference, power electronics, nonlinear control theory, and analog electronics. Mike has 34 issued patents, with several additional pending.

S15: PMBus™: What, How and Why

Abstract

Since being introduced at APEC in 2005 the PMBus™ power management protocol has been widely adopted and is the accepted standard for digital power management. With the introduction of security features in PMBus 1.5 and the Secure VR Application Profile, use of PMBus is expected to grow broadly across the market. However, 17 years after it’s introduction, common problem and misconceptions about what PMBus is and isn’t abound. This professional development seminar is intended to build attendee’s basic understand of the PMBus 2-wire serial protocol. How it is similar to, and different from I2C and SMBus and provide them with useful guides and functions to build systems leveraging the capabilities of PMBus.

The first half of the seminar reviews the basics of the 2-wire SMBus including the electrical interface and how bits, bytes, and complete messages are transferred from one device to another. Comparing and Contrasting with I2C, and how to use an I2C controller peripheral to build PMBus transactions. PMBus specific features such as CONTROL, ALERT# and the ALERT RESPONSE ADDRESS (ARA) are also reviewed. Next a summary the organization of the PMBus command language and numerical formats, setting and adjusting the output voltage, fault management, and status reporting.

The second half of the seminar takes a deeper look at how PMBus features can be used in different stages of the Power Supply and Product Life-Cycle. From shortening the product development cycle by eliminating schematic dependencies through in-circuit programming, improving product verification, qualification and reliability testing through in-circuit test, margin and warnings, to in-field diagnostics and update capabilities.

Presenter(s)

Peter Miller is a Senior Applications Engineer for Texas Instruments Buck Switching Regulators product line and Senior member of TI’s technical staff. Since 2001, Peter has worked in the Power Semi-conductor industry spanning the disciplines of Analog IC Design, Power IC product definition, and Direct Customer Support of Analog and Digitally controlled power products including both Hardware and Firmware PMBus implementations. Peter is also the current Chair of the PMBus Standards workgroup.

S16: Is SiC High Performance Technology Reliable Enough For Your Application?

Abstract

Silicon Carbide (SiC) devices improve the power density of various converters by shrinking the size of passive components and improving the power conversion efficiency; and most importantly, only proper SiC device design can guarantee the level of reliability required by most professional, industrial or hi-rel. applications. This seminar presents an in-depth summary of SiC devices and their applications to help converter designers at different levels to achieve the full benefits, and face the challenges found, when using SiC devices; additionally, proper design guidelines are needed to extract the maximum benefit from using SiC devices.

The presentation will begin with an introduction of SiC technology status. A summary of internal device structure and principle of operation will be discussed to understand the potential benefits achievable with devices built on SiC technology’s reliable design. Detailed static and dynamic characteristics, thermal performance and device ruggedness will be discussed with related datasheet parameters to also assess the superior performance of SiC devices over Si. Optimal implementation of SiC MOSFETs will be discussed in detail: starting from driving voltage selection, driving circuit design and advanced driving concepts to then cover converter level optimization aspects such as thermal management and EMI noise control. This will provide power converter designers with the design guidelines to implement SiC devices appropriately and ensure their maximum benefits. Specific design examples in real applications such as EV chargers and DC Solid State Circuit Breakers will be presented with real hardware and test results to verify the benefit of using SiC devices in system size, weight and cost reduction compared with Si devices.

Presenter(s)

Dr. Xuning Zhang received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, in 2007 and 2009 respectively, and his PhD degree from CPES- Virginia Tech in 2014. Currently Dr. Zhang is a Senior Technical Staff Application Engineer at Microchip Inc. focusing on the application of SiC devices and strategic planning of SiC power products. Prior to Microchip, Dr. Zhang worked at Littelfuse and Monolith Semiconductor in application engineering manager roles, and worked at CPES, Virginia Tech as a research scientist focused on high efficiency high power density converter design and optimization with wide-band-gap devices. His research interests include high efficiency, high power density converter design, system EMI modeling and filter optimization, interleaving and multilevel converters, SiC device characterization and driving scheme optimization, high frequency system integration, and passive component design and optimization. Dr. Zhang has authored and co-authored more than 50 papers on journals and leading international conferences. He has also presented several tutorial seminars during international conference including APEC 2017, ITEC-AP 2017 and PEAC 2018, APEC 2019.

Ing. Cesare Bocchiola received the Dr. Ing. Degree in Nuclear Engineering at the University Politecnico of Milano, as well as the Italy Government Professional Qualification in 1985. Currently Ing. Bocchiola is a Principal Embedded Solution Engineer at Microchip Technology EMEA, focusing on Power Electronic applications, including SiC devices, as well as analog and power management. Prior to Microchip, Ing. Bocchiola covered different Application Management positions at International Rectifier Corp., senior R&D researcher at Whirlpool Corp and Project Management positions at FIAR Space Division (now Leonardo), dealing with the development of high voltage power supplies for Space Ion Propulsion. His research interests cover almost all aspects of power electronics and power semiconductor devices. Ing. Bocchiola has authored or co-authored more than 20 papers on journals and leading international conferences and holds about 20 patents in various fields of power electronics and its applications.

S17: Design & Integration of Solid-State Circuit Protection

Abstract

This seminar targets designers responsible for integrating solid-state protection at the circuits and systems levels, and is a comprehensive tutorial that shows, with examples, how fundamental design of a Solid-State Circuit Breakers (SSCB) scales in lower voltage to MV applications. Topics include design of all-solid-state and hybrid breakers, fundamentals of I2t trip curves, use of bidirectional GaN and SiC devices for <1200V applications, and use of high- voltage and supercascode switches for MV (6.5kV to >25kV). Also included are applicable standards, design of sensing and control circuits for ultra-fast response or slow RMS overload response, design of peripherals such as currents sensors, and electrothermal design of high transient energy absorbing components such as high-thermal mass packaged semiconductors and MOVs. The attendee is provided brief tutorials in heat transfer and mechanics to understand what is behind maximum operating limits and reliability drivers, and provided procedures to iterate an electrical-physical design. Actual SSCB design demonstrations are given that incorporate back-to-back GaN 450V/25A, SiC monolithic BiDFET (Bi-Directional FET)1200V/25A, and 6.5kV/100A supercascode devices. The 6.5kV application is compared to an off-the-shelf mechanical breaker.

Presenter(s)

Professor Douglas C. Hopkins, Ph.D., has been with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at North Carolina State University since 2011, directs the Laboratory for Packaging Research in Electronic Energy Systems (PREES), is an affiliate faculty with the Center for Additive Manufacturing and Logistics (CAMAL), and received his Ph.D. from Virginia Tech (1989). He has held Visiting Faculty appointments with the Army, NASA, Lawrence Livermore, and the Ohio Space Institute, was a reviewer with the Nat’l Academy of Sciences, co-founded DensePower, LLC as president and CTO, and has published over 150 journal, conference articles. His early career was at the R&D centers of General Electric and Carrier Air-Conditioning companies. His primary research is in very high frequency, high density power electronic systems. Dr. Hopkins founded/cofounded the: IEEE EPS/PELS joint Power Packaging Committee (1994), Int’l Wksp on Integrated Power Packaging (IWIPP, 1998), IEEE/IMAPS/PSMA “Int’l Symp. on 3D Power Electronics Integrations and Manufacturing” (3D-PEIM, 2016), and the IMAPS “International Symposium on Advanced Power Electronics Packaging (APEPS, 2021). He received the IMAPS Outstanding Educator Award (2013), is an IMAPS Fellow (2007) and member of the IMAPS Executive Council (2019). He also chairs the EPS Power & Energy TC (2022).

S18: Three-Level Neutral-Point-Clamped Converters: State-of-the-art and Recent Advances in Control Solutions and Reliability

Abstract

The three-level neutral-point-clamped (3L-NPC) converters have been widely applied in several applications including motor drives and grid integration such as wind and solar energy systems. Key performance metrics of the 3L-NPC converters like power quality, efficiency, power density and reliability are strongly affected by the used control methods. Therefore, different control methods have been proposed for the 3L-NPC topology to address certain aspects.

This seminar aims to address basic concepts and control design challenges of NPC converter applications. It will start with basic operating principles of the topology and their control challenges such as neutral point voltage balancing and thermal stress distribution. Then, two different control approaches will be presented: 1) carrier-based PWM techniques and 2) model predictive control techniques. For each control technique, basic concept and step-by-step implementation guideline will be provided, followed by more application-oriented examples and implementation challenges.

An approach to analyze the reliability of power electronics converters will also be introduced, which includes thermal stress modeling, lifetime prediction, and reliability evaluation (Monte Carlo simulation). It will be demonstrated that control algorithm selection has a major impact on the reliability of semiconductor devices and DC-link capacitors in NPC converters.

Presenter(s)

Frede Blaabjerg was with ABB-Scandia, Randers, Denmark, from 1987 to 1988. From 1988 to 1992, he got a Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering at Aalborg University in 1995. He became an Assistant Professor in 1992, an Associate Professor in 1996, and a Full Professor of power electronics and drives in 1998. In 2017 he became a Villum Investigator. He is honoris causa at University Politehnica Timisoara (UPT), Romania, and Tallinn Technical University (TTU) in Estonia.

His current research interests include power electronics and its applications such as in wind turbines, PV systems, reliability, harmonics, and adjustable speed drives. He has published more than 600 journal papers in the fields of power electronics and its applications. He is the co-author of four monographs and editor of ten books in power electronics and its applications.

Ariya Sangwongwanich received the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degree in energy engineering from Aalborg University, Denmark, in 2015 and 2018, respectively. Currently, he is working as an Assistant Professor at the AAU Energy, Aalborg University. He was a Visiting Researcher with RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany from September to December 2017. His research interests include control of grid-connected converter, photovoltaic systems, reliability in power electronics and multilevel converters. In 2019, he received the Danish Academy of Natural Sciences’ Ph.D. prize and the Spar Nord Foundation Research Award for his Ph.D. thesis.

Mateja Novak received the M.Sc. degree in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology from Zagreb University, Croatia, in 2014 and the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from Aalborg University, Denmark, in 2020. She is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at AAU Energy, Aalborg University, Denmark. In 2018 she was a visiting researcher at the Chair of Power Electronics, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany. Dr. Novak is the recipient of EPE Outstanding Young EPE Member Award for the year 2019 and 2nd price winner of 2021 IEEE-IES Student and Young Professional Competition. Her research interests include model predictive control, multilevel converters, deep learning, statistical model checking, reliability of power electronic systems and renewable energy systems.