Power Semiconductor Devices: From Silicon to Wide Bandgap [Women in Electron Devices]

The reduced availability of traditionally abundant fossil fuels, their increased cost, and the need to address the issue of dangerously high carbon emission levels is, more than ever before, increasing the demand for a more effective usage of energy supplies. Electrification and carbon neutrality are the answers to this problem, but they put additional pressure on energy loss reduction and electrical energy processing efficiency. Power electronics are widely recognized as a critical enabling technology for all electrification-related applications. Power devices form the fundamental building blocks of any power electronic system, serving as the interface between electrical systems and enabling the control of power flow. They are therefore key components for efficiently and reliably delivering and managing power to electronic and electromechanical systems. As switching devices in inverters and converters, power semiconductor devices provide high-bandwidth, efficient power conversion.