Power knowledge library

Market/Technology focused

Putting Power First - Powering Space 2.0

From a technology perspective, we have come a long way since the first lunar missions. Space is being commercialised in ways the pioneers could have only imagined. There are now almost 10,000 satellites in orbit around Earth. Tourism may be the next frontier.  

The demand for more processing capability on the edge of space is pushing the limits of power design. Making power supplies radiation-tolerant and more efficient will help keep the satellite industry launching.

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Putting power first - The power management behind AI Vision

It’s not surprising that the power-related and power-intensive components contribute considerably to the complexity and total costs of an AI-based video security system. These include the cost of purchasing and the ongoing operational cost. The semiconductor industry, Avnet Silica and its supplier partners are addressing this. Power is now a critical factor for any application. There is no doubt that the general trend is a net increase in the amount of power we consume. This is balanced by the development of more energy-efficient solutions.

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Si, SiC & GaN

The Road Ahead for Wide Bandgap Power Devices

We look at the roadmap for SiC and GaN technologies in power applications from both a technology and a supply chain perspective. How will the landscape change over the next few years – will there be even better devices? And can capacity keep up with fast-growing demand?

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Maximising GaN Performance with Advanced Digital Control for Power Electronics

The benefits brought by Gallium Nitride (GaN) also introduce challenges in control and optimisation. Programmable digital control offers a solution to these challenges by enabling dynamic adjustments. Combining GaN with digital control is enabling highly efficient, reliable, and scalable power. Rising global demand is driving the need for better power electronics in applications ranging from consumer to e-mobility, data centres, and industrial.

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Mitigating Increased Power Demands with Better Power Devices

Can we mitigate the environmental effects by focusing on the positive contribution that developments in power electronics are making? According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global electricity demand will rise by an average of 3.4% annually over the next three years. This is mostly due to an improved economic outlook, with roughly 85% of this growth coming from developing countries — China, in particular.

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Megatrend Applications that Depend on Innovative Power Solutions

Regardless of what the end-product looks like, most power system engineers need similar features from their power supplies: small, reliable, efficient, and able to provide excellent power density and thermal performance. Stating the requirements for power supplies is easy, but meeting these requirements can be extremely difficult. Consumers are always looking for improvements in their devices, such as the latest AI-driven features but with longer battery life. The ever-growing demands on power systems come from booming applications — such as AI and electric vehicles (EVs). We look at some of the technology megatrends that are moulding the world around us.

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Efficiency Gains of SiC Modules

Silicon carbide’s advantages over IGBTs including lower conduction losses. The linear characteristics of SiC and switching frequency are key to its value. We look at these figures of merit as they apply to SiC modules available now.  

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Accurate Loss Calculation for SiC Devices

Loss calculations are a critical part of power design. These include conduction and switching losses, and the impact of thermal losses. We look at the tools and methodologies available to help engineers find the right design selection.  

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Five Ways SiC MOSFET Technology Differs from IGBTs

IGBTs have evolved over time and are still viable and preferred in many applications. In fact, the market for IGBTs is still expanding, with a CAGR of around 10%. So, what are the differences that make one or the other technology suitable for a particular design? The Avnet Silica Power Specialists consider five aspects and how they affect your choice. 

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Five Things to Consider Before Switching to SiC in Power Conversion

SiC MOSFETs are often presented as an attractive upgrade to older technologies such as IGBTs and Silicon MOSFETs. Although in some limited cases, SiC can be a drop-in replacement, to get maximum benefit, the system should be considered as a whole. To explain more, the Avnet Silica Power Specialists discuss five example areas which affect your design approach. 

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Power trends and the choice between Si, SiC and GaN

For power switching and supply applications, when should designers choose a WBG alternative, and how can they evaluate the trade-offs compared to silicon devices? There is no single answer, and in practice it depends on the requirements and commercial considerations of each use case. Some design engineers may be reluctant to adopt WBG devices, but the benefits often outweigh any disadvantages.

In this article, we will examine these issues, and the design challenges of some of the most critical power applications – and why you might choose silicon or WBG devices in each case.

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Combining GaN and SiC for cost-effective power conversion

Make no mistake, SiC and GaN can outperform silicon, but they do have limitations and discrete devices are currently more expensive than their silicon counterparts. There are operating conditions when they do outperform silicon, and where SiC is better than GaN (or vice versa). Knowing why becomes an important consideration.

There are practical difficulties with using wide bandgap devices to make cost-effective and reliable products. For the best overall result, OEMs should consider combinations of the technologies, even including silicon in the mix. This article evaluates some of the issues and solutions.

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When GaN is too fast for your application, consider SiC

In the world of semiconductor power switches, there is a belief that faster is better. Right now, Gallium Nitride (GaN) devices are the front-runners, with switching rates of over 100V/ns and 1A/ns. At these speeds, slewing from zero to, say, 400V in a typical power converter application takes just a few nanoseconds.

Using SiC MOSFETs at relatively low frequencies instead of GaN can make sense as dynamic losses are low anyway, especially if the circuit is a resonant type. In this case, the absence of reverse recovery losses in GaN is also not of value. Both GaN and SiC will have higher and approximately equal body conduction losses in reverse compared with a Si-MOSFET. SiC will also need some effort to slow down and control edge rates – it is still much faster than silicon – but it will be easier to tame.

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Practical GaN and SiC differences for EV onboard chargers

The debate continues around choosing wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors over standard silicon, particularly in power conversion applications. The main advantage put forward is the higher switching efficiency of gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) devices.

As average selling prices approach parity, the main consideration may become the practical implementation. Is it viable to design power converters using both device types, and what would that do to the overall system cost?

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Choosing Power Components for Maximum Lifetime Value

This article explores the essential factors in selecting power components that maximise lifetime value. From material innovations like wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors to robust design and environmental resilience, these considerations are essential for reducing field failures and ensuring sustained performance in demanding environments.

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Automotive Applications of GaN Power Semiconductors

Silicon is the incumbent semiconductor material for power applications, but in our cars, it’s being replaced by wide bandgap (WBG) materials that offer improved efficiency and greater power density.

The two most commonly used WBG materials are gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC). Although it offers excellent performance, GaN is typically only suited for applications up to around 650 V.

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Applications of Gallium Nitride Power Semiconductors

In power electronics, gallium nitride (GaN) is emerging as a significant player alongside the established silicon-based technologies. With manufacturers increasingly incorporating GaN — not only in consumer products like smartphone chargers, but also in industrial applications where power density and reliability are critical — it's clear this material is making substantial inroads due to its compelling advantages.

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Gallium Nitride Power Semiconductors: An Overview

While silicon has been the most important material in power electronics for decades, silicon-based devices are now reaching their material’s physical limits.

In response to the ever-growing demand for efficiency, as well as greater power density, the industry is turning to new semiconductor materials to replace silicon. Wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors, such as gallium nitride (GaN), have many advantages over silicon, enabling lower losses and smaller devices.

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Applications of Silicon Carbide Power Semiconductors

In this article, we look at the applications using SiC devices, such as MOSFETs and Schottky diodes, and review why SiC is a good fit.

Silicon carbide is a wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor, and this larger bandgap gives it some major advantages over silicon. Perhaps the most important is improved efficiency – while SiC can also operate at higher temperatures and voltages than silicon, and enable greater power density. Silicon IGBTs are still a good option for many power applications up to around 1200V, but for higher efficiency as a result of higher frequency operation, SiC is taking over.

In this article, we look at the applications using SiC devices, such as MOSFETs and Schottky diodes, and review why SiC is a good fit.

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Silicon Carbide Power Semiconductors: An Overview

The practical result of having a wider bandgap is properties that become extremely useful for power electronics, including reduced conduction and switching losses, allowing for faster switching and better efficiency. Due to its wide bandgap, SiC can also operate at temperatures and voltages higher than silicon. Correspondingly, a SiC power IC delivers the same performance as a silicon power IC in a smaller and lighter package.

In this article, we provide an overview of SiC and its advantages for power electronics applications.

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Advantages of Wide Bandgap Power Semiconductors

In this article, we focus on the advantages of WBG devices and what that means for power system designers. We start by briefly looking at the material properties of WBG semiconductors and their advantages in power applications. We then discuss how these material properties give WBG components their advantages at a device level and how this leads to benefits at a board and system level.

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Why are WBG Technologies Reshaping the Power Electronics Landscape?

Wide bandgap semiconductors are defined by their larger bandgap energy compared to silicon, enabling them to operate at higher voltages, frequencies, and temperatures. This enhanced performance enables opportunities for applications in electric vehicles (EVs), renewable energy systems, industrial motors, and aerospace technologies. This article explores how WBG technologies reshape the power electronics landscape, their strategic implications for businesses, and the potential for differentiation and innovation.

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WBG Power Semiconductors: An Overview

Wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors are steadily becoming more common in power electronics applications, replacing existing silicon alternatives. They have several key advantages over silicon — notably, their ability to handle greater switching frequencies, which can improve conversion efficiency, and to operate at higher temperatures and higher voltages.

That’s the elevator pitch, but what actually is a wide bandgap?

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Applications of Wide Bandgap Power Semiconductors

Compared to silicon, WBG devices have some important advantages: improved power efficiency, higher operating temperatures, and a smaller die, to name just a few. Various WBG devices are available, including SiC MOSFETs, SiC Schottky diodes, and GaN FETs, enabling design engineers to choose the right option for their application.

In this article, we’ll examine some of the most popular uses for WBG semiconductors, including automotive, industrial, and telecoms. We’ll also discuss why WBG devices have an advantage over silicon in each case.

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Advantages of SiC Power Semiconductors

What makes SiC and GaN more appropriate for high-power and high frequency power applications? They are wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors, which gives them several desirable electrical and thermal properties for power applications. This has led to the development of many different SiC-based power components, including Schottky diodes and PiN diodes, as well as metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), junction FETs (JFETs), static induction transistors (SITs) and bipolar junction transistors (BJTs).

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Automotive Applications of SiC Power Semiconductors

Millions of electric vehicles (EVs) are already being sold every year, but their technology is still developing rapidly — it’s clear that EV technology can still be improved, resulting in increased performance, reliability, and range, which will serve to attract even more customers.

Achieving these technology goals relies, in large part, on the power electronics within our EVs. Incumbent silicon-based devices have done a solid job, but now silicon carbide (SiC) promises substantial improvements for the automotive industry.

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Advantages of GaN Power Semiconductors

Silicon has traditionally been the semiconductor material of choice and still commands a dominant share of the market. However, gallium nitride (GaN) is emerging as a strong contender for many applications, offering significant advantages over silicon. As a result, GaN is increasingly being chosen for a broad spectrum of power designs and is also making inroads into RF and optoelectronics.

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Whitepaper: GaN or SiC devices in High-Voltage switching technologies

“What do GaN and SiC bring to power electronics systems, that IGBT, MOSFET and Super Junction MOSFET don’t?”

This and "which type of WGB or module typology do I use most appropriately with which high-voltage switch technology in my application?" are probably the most frequently asked questions these days.

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Power Packaging

Mastering Thermal Management in Power Electronics

Maintaining thermal management in electronics is a moving goal. It’s possible that any practical measure taken could become insufficient as chip design moves to the next iteration of smaller and / or faster integrated circuits. System designers will also want to reduce the size of the next generation product. Power density is an ongoing thermal design problem, demanding more robust cooling solutions.

The issue is compounded by the global trend toward higher-power operation. The automotive sector is a prominent example — electric vehicles (EVs) are moving from 400V architectures to 800V architectures.

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Advancements in Power Packaging Technologies for SiC Semiconductor Cooling

Packaging is playing an increasingly important role in power semiconductor performance, particularly when looking at wide-bandgap materials that deliver higher power in a smaller footprint. Discover the latest advancements in packaging technologies for silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors, addressing thermal management and enhancing performance and reliability in electric vehicles (EVs).

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