New high temperature polymer thin coating for power electronics

The application of artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly growing in the power electronics (PEs) industry. This recent surge in growth in AI underscores the industry’s shift towards application-driven innovation. Unlike methods-driven research, which often falls short in real-world tasks, the integration of AI with practical challenges in PEs is fostering broader innovations in the field. This white paper explores the mainstream application of AI in PEs, expanding beyond the use of performance metrics alone, to consider the energy implications of such AI methods and the data quality requirements to achieve high performance at a reasonable economic and energy cost. This work also emphasizes the importance of explainable AI, considering both data quality and predictions, but notes that PEs as a field requires dependency on multiple independent and interdependent inputs, due to inherent cross-coupling effects. This article also advocates the use of physics-informed machine learning, which combines theoretical mechanisms with data to balance domain knowledge and data-driven predictions. This approach is particularly effective in offline settings but faces challenges in online environments without relevant high-quality data. The discussion extends to the energy demands of AI, emphasizing the need for sustainable design and implementation to avoid over-dimensioned models that consume excessive energy. In addition, this article provides a number of case studies across various applications of AI using different methodologies to illustrate the challenges in achieving high quality performance and consideration of energy as a metric. Finally, this article proposes a framework for application-driven AI innovations in PEs, addressing common deficiencies in deployment-scale assessments and concluding with the environmental sustainability of AI applications in this field.

Silicon Carbide is rapidly growing in the power electronics industry. This is fueled to a great degree by the adoption of electric cars and power electronics needed both inside the vehicle and to support the charging infrastructure. This attention from automotive industry comes with a clear spotlight on the cost, quality, and efficiency of SiC power devices. This in turn results in intense pressure and scrutiny to improve yields and reduce defects in every part of the manufacturing chain. There is a wide release and proliferation of Diode and MOSFET devices from various companies in the marketplace. Several companies are investing billions of dollars in capacity expansions driving exponential growth of wafers and devices.In this review, we will discuss the steps and processes of fabricating a SiC wafer including crystal growth, wafering, epitaxy and device fabrication. The process challenges associated with the steps unique to SiC will be highlighted with a perspective on scaling up volumes and the transition to 200mm wafers. New innovations at some of the steps are enabling higher efficiency and output. The impact of these innovations will be presented. In addition, defects at each step of the process will be reviewed along with how they interact with the following steps [1]. Finally, the effect of various processes and defects on devices and reliability will be presented [2,3].

The usage of various inverters in various industries has gained considerable attention in the power electronics industry in recent years. The harmonic distortion that is induced by various renewable energy sources, along with the growing use of nonlinear loads and power electronic devices, has a significant impact on the distribution system. This is because of the rise in penetration of various renewable energy sources and the usage of nonlinear loads and power electronic devices. In addition, distributed generation (DG) units with inverters (such as solar (PV) and wind turbines) that are integrated into distribution networks are viewed as significant harmonic producers that have substantial adverse effects on power quality. The power quality in the system suffers because of these generators. This study proposes a method of harmonic mitigation for addressing power quality problems that are present in distribution systems as a solution to the challenges that have been found. These concerns have been brought to light as a result of previous research. The standard two-level and three-level inverters were the basis for the development of the multilevel inverter (MLI), which was meant to address their shortcomings. One of the effective technologies that can maintain constant performance is the hybrid power generating system. A hybrid energy system has several benefits, including high dependability, cheap cost and minimal emissions. When used in a hybrid power production system, the reduction of total harmonic distortion (THD) becomes absolutely necessary (HPGS). In this context, the research provides a novel approach for high-performance quantum computing called quantum coyote optimization algorithm-based THD reduction (QCOA-THDR). The QCOA-THDR approach that has been presented has been tested with several converters, including SEPIC, buck–boost and Cuk converters. Additionally, the proportional as well as the integral gain variables of the proportional integral (PI) controller are set in order to achieve decreased total harmonic distortion (THD). In addition, the QCOA system is formed by combining the ideas of quantum computing (QC) with the traditional COA. This is how the QCOA system comes to exist. A limited number of simulations were run, and the results are being analyzed from a variety of perspectives in order to investigate the improved effects that the QCOA-THDR approach has on data. The QCOA-THDR method was shown to have superior results than the more modern techniques, as shown by the comparison research.

A questionnaire-based survey was carried out to determine the customers’ requirements and the future expectations of multiphysics simulation software (MPSS) based on the finite element method in various applications of power electronics. For this survey, several responses was collected from MPSS users in the power electronic industry and academia. Based on the survey, the current features of MPSS are analyzed, and the recent advancements made are ascertained. Also, the drawbacks of the current MPSS offerings are discussed from academic and industrial perspectives. Different user groups have highlighted the need to significantly enhance the sophistication of MPSS. It is concluded that the current limitations to MPSS are simulation speed and accuracy and there are bottlenecks in the software interface. Some suggestions are given to overcome the current drawbacks of MPSS.

4H-SiC is one of the promising wide bandgap material that attracts considerable attention in power electronics industry. Several applications have benefited from the improved performances of devices made of 4H-SiC in terms of its higher breakdown fields, efficiency and reliability as well as excellent physical properties. However, the widespread commercialization of this material is still being hindered by the various defects introduced during the crystal growth which is found to degrade the device performance and lifetime. Stacking faults, for example, have been considered to be one of the most detrimental structural defects. It has been predicted theoretically that high nitrogen doping concentration level (above 2 x 1019cm-3) inside 4H-SiC crystal will increase propensity for formation of stacking faults. These can create quantum wells which can lower the free energy of the whole crystal once the barrier for partial dislocation motion is overcome by thermal energy (achieved by annealing above 1000o C) [1-2]. Moreover, from a perspective of high power electronic applications, other severe issues, such as inhomogeneous resistivity and a large {0001} surface roughness of substrate are characteristic of heavily nitrogen doped SiC crystal [3]. It is known that, the nitrogen incorporation kinetic is anisotropic in different crystallographic directions during PVT growth of SiC. Therefore, better understanding the nitrogen doping distribution inside the material is important. In our experiments, we conducted X-ray topographic contour mapping [4] using synchrotron monochromatic X-ray beam by rocking the heavily doped wafer surface successively with a fixed angular step size around the near-surface diffraction vectors 0008 and -0008 respectively. From these measurements, a strain map can be derived by deconvoluting the lattice parameter variations from the lattice tilt. The nitrogen doping concentration can be calculated from the isotropic lattice strain due to the incorporation of dopants according to the equation from H. Jacobson [5]. [1] Y. Yang, J. Guo, Ouloide Goue, B. Raghothamachar, M. Dudley, G. Chung, E. Sanchez, J. Quast, I. Manning, and D. Hansen, J. Crystal Growth, 452, 32 (2016). [2] T.A. Kuhr, J. Liu, H. J. Chung et al., Journal of Applied Physics,92, 5863 (2002). [3] N. Ohtani, M. Katsuno, M. Nakabayashi, T. Fujimoto et al., J. Crystal Growth, 311, 1475 (2009). [4] S. R. Stock, Haydn Chen and H. K. Birnbaum, Philosophical Magzine A, 53(1), 73(1986). [5] H. Jacobson, J. Birch, C. Hallin, A. Henry, R. Yakimova, T. Tuomi, E. Janzén, and U. Lindefelt, Applied Physics Letters 82 (21), 3689 (2003). Figure 1

Optimum heat source position offset in welding of dissimilar Al-Cu metals using a theoretical approach

Organic materials have played significant role in advancing sensor & display technologies for the past couple of years. Reliability and protection of various electronic components that are used in aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecraft for communications, navigation and the display and management of multiple systems are becoming more challenging due to their long-term performance requirements. In the recent years, organic polymers, particularly those deposited through vapor phase polymerization, have found an increasing role in the fabrication of display devices (including LED, OLED and FOLED), sensors, MEMS and optical windows and enhancing their overall reliability. Para-xylylene family of vapor phase polymers, particularly fluorinated Parylene (Parylene HT) offers unique characteristics for sensor, optical windows and display applications that are not available by other polymeric materials. This presentation describes a new development in the area of Parylenes and its role to advance the effectiveness of various types of LEDs, sensors, optical windows and display electronics. In addition, it highlights some characteristics for protection of various LEDs, sensors and their packaging components from solvent, gasoline, corrosive vapors, moisture and other harsh environmental effects including high temperature environments.

This paper describes advances in the vapor phase insulating polymers and their possible applications for wafer level packaging. Through comparison with existing Parylene and other polymers, it highlights some key attributes of a relatively new RoHS compliant, halogen free (per IEC-60754-2), thin, insulating polymer film or coating, commercially available as Parylene HT®, offering solutions to many challenges that exist in the wafer level packaging technology including reliability and protection from harsh and corrosive environments.

The common-mode (CM) noise at the output of ac/dc power adapters can interfere with touchscreen's normal operation in consumer electronic products. Existing power adapter's output CM voltage measurement used in power electronics industry does not align with the touchscreen's sensitivity test used by touchscreen manufacturers. This paper first reviews existing measurement setups and identifies the technical issues in the tests. The CM noise source impedance of ac/dc power adapters and the characteristics of touchscreens are investigated. A new measurement setup is proposed based on both the characteristics of CM noise source of power adapters and touchscreens. A CM voltage limit is also proposed with industry companies. A measurement device is developed for the proposed measurement setup and procedure. The experimental results validate the proposed techniques.

The power electronics industry is adopting Gallium Nitride (GaN) devices for use in switching power converters, and engineers need to understand how GaN HEMTs perform in-circuit. Given that dynamic resistance varies with operating conditions, in-circuit characterization provides an invaluable measurement tool. Aerospace has developed a method that works independently of the power stage topology, using inexpensive and widely available measurement hardware. Instead of the traditional clamp, the circuit actively controls the open-loop power-stage and directly senses the on-state voltage. This approach enables measurement in the application’s power stage, which includes the true current-voltage loci and parasitic elements, providing more insight than pulsed IV or double pulse measurements.

The paper describes a newly designed knowledge based protection system for the Power Semiconductor Devices (PSDs), as applied to inverters and converters for the Variable Speed AC and DC Drives. This novel intelligent system covers the protection against the Over as well as Under voltages, Over-current, Surges and Current Limiters. The intelligent system has been designed, developed and tested in the Laboratory. Rigorous tests conducted on the Inverter fed Variable Speed Drive using the newly designed inverter system have delivered very impressive results. The laboratory tests thus conducted have been reported, which confirm the reliability of this intelligent protection system. Further work on this research is in progress. It is hoped that this intelligent protection system will find a very effective application in Power Electronics Industry.

The distributed voltage in intermediate bus architectures (IBAs) is by no means standardized in the power electronics industry. This paper investigates the efficiency of both the front-end converter and the point-of-load (POL) converter commonly used in IBAs, when implemented with various distributed voltage levels and MOSFETs with different device parameters

It has been three decades since pulsating heat pipes were first introduced and garnered more attention due to their uncom-plicated structural design and superior heat transfer capabilities. The pulsating heat pipe of the original design is strongly affected by space orientation, which is connected with the influence of gravity. Even though more turns will hold pulsating heat pipe operational in any orientation, more space is needed to handle pulsating heat pipes, limiting its potential in space and the power electronics industry. This paper aims to present a comprehensive review of pulsating heat pipe's progress based on the most recent findings of both experimental and theoretical investigations of parametric influence on pulsating heat pipe thermal performance in horizontal and top heating modes. It aims to identify research gaps in pulsating heat pipe functioning in different orientations. Additionally, a comparative analysis of pulsating heat pipe design features described in the existing literature is conducted to determine the most promising designs for orientation-independent pulsating heat pipe systems. It is concluded that the integration of design attributes, encompassing an uneven-turn design, a channel struc-ture featuring alternating shapes and size of cross-section, and the utilization of nanofluids and binary mixtures as heat carriers are expected to serve as the basic reference for researchers aiming to achieve a stable pulsating heat pipe operation devoid of gravitational influences.

For the safety and well-being of the participants, this year the in-person IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE2020) was not held in Detroit due to the continued resurgence of COVID-19 in the city and the State of Michigan. Instead, the organizing committee of the twelfth ECCE moved the conference to a fully virtual event from 11-15 October, 2020. The event was sponsored by the IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS) and Industry Applications Society (IAS), and the exhibiting vendors ROHM Semiconductor, EGSTON, How2Power.com, OPAL-RT, ON Semiconductor, and Wiley.

On behalf of the Organizing Committee of the three events of IEEE Conference on Open Systems (ICOS 2010), the International Conference on Computer Applications and Industrial Electronics (ICCAIE 2010) as well as the International Conference on Science and Social Research (CSSR 2010), it gives me great pleasure in welcoming all delegates to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The event is held from 5 to 7 December 2010 at the Seri Pacific Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The event also incorporates the Colloquium on Humanities, Science and Engineering Research (CHUSER 2010). The event is sponsored by the IEEE Malaysia, the IEEE Malaysia Power Electronics (PEL)/Industrial Electronics (IE)/ Industrial Applications (IA) Joint Chapter, the IEEE Malaysia Computer Chapter and co-organised with the Research Management Institute and Centre of Computer Engineering Studies, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.