In 2024, we generated about 30,000 TWh of electricity globally [1], and we used it in a broad spectrum of applications—residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation. With home and vehicle electrification, data centers and nascent artificial intelligence, the demand for electricity is rising and the need for small, efficient and low-cost power converters is key.
Today most converters employ switch-mode topologies. At their core, power transistors switch on and off at high frequency and contribute to a significant portion of power losses. Innovation in device technology is key for continuous efficiency improvement. After the IGBTs in the 1980s and the superjunction in the 1990s, we are witnessing a leap ahead in the 2020s thanks to wide bandgap materials like silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN).
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