Power Semiconductor Devices and Technology

This course starts by covering the device physics and technology of current silicon power semiconductor devices including power MOSFETs, IGBTs, and Thyristors. Wide bandgap materials, especially GaN and SiC are potential replacements for Si power devices because of their fundamentally better properties. This course explores what is possible in these new materials, and what the remaining challenges are for wide bandgap materials to find widespread market acceptance in power applications. Future clean, renewable energy systems and high efficiency power control systems will critically depend on the higher performance devices possible in these new materials. Prerequisites: EE 116 or equivalent.