There has been a need for bi-directional power semiconductor devices for a range of power electronic applications, including but not limited to matrix converters, advanced multilevel converters, Vienna rectifiers, and solid-state circuit breakers. Bi-directional semiconductor switches are conventionally made of back-to-back connected unidirectional devices, thus doubling the power loss and component cost. The power semiconductor industry and research community have been trying to develop more cost-effective all-integrated bidirectional power devices, such as bidirectional silicon IGBTs, SiC MOSFETs, GaN four-quadrant switches, and reverse-blocking IGBTs or IGCTs in the past decade. However, the bidirectional device application and market have yet to reach a critical mass. During this session, we will examine the market pull and technology push factors of the field, and how these factors will shape the future of power electronics.
.jpg "Qinghong Yu, PhD (he/him/his) photo")
