Power Devices for Efficient Energy Conversion

The growth of power electronics, centering on inverters and converters as its key system topology, has accelerated recently due to the demand for efficient power conversion. This growth has also been backed up by several evolutionary changes and breakthroughs achieved in the areas of power semiconductor device physics, process technology, and design. However, as power semiconductor technology remains a highly specialized subject, the literature on further research, development, and design in related fields is not adequate. With this in view, two specialists of power semiconductors, well known for their research and contributions to the field, compiled this book as a review volume focusing on power chip and module technologies. The prime purpose is to help researchers, academia, and engineers, engaged in areas related to power devices and power electronics, better understand the evolutionary growth of major power device components, their operating principles, design aspects, application features, and trends. The book is filled with unique topics related to power semiconductors, including tips on state-of-the-art and futuristic-oriented applications. Numerous diagrams, illustrations, and graphics are included to adequately support the content and to make the book extremely attractive as a practical and user-friendly reference book for researchers, technologists, and engineers, as well as a textbook for advanced graduate-level and postgraduate students.

Gourab Majumdar received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, India, in 1977 and his PhD in engineering from the Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT), Fukuoka, Japan, in 2005. He started his career at Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Japan, in 1980 in a special on-the-job program. Since 1983, he has worked in the company's units responsible for advanced power semiconductor development, design, and applications. Since 2012, he has been the executive fellow in the Semiconductor and Device Group. Dr. Majumdar has published and co-authored many technical papers and books on power devices and holds several patents in related fields. He received the prestigious National Invention Award in Japan in 2005 for inventing the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) fundamental concept and the Monozukuri Nihon Taishou (Japan Craftsmanship Grand Prix) award from the honorary Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry in 2013 for contributing to the development and commercialization of various generations of IPM devices. He served as the general chairman of ISPSD 2013 and has participated as a member of both the PCIM's Advisory Board and the ISPSD's Advisory Committee. He has also been a visiting lecturer of advanced power semiconductor devices at both Kyushu University and Tokyo Institute of Technology for several years. In 2016, he was bestowed with an honorary professorship by Amity University, India. Ikunori Takata received his bachelor's and master's degrees in physics from Kobe University, Kobe, Japan, in 1972 and 1974, respectively. He joined Mitsubishi Electric Corporation in 1974 as an engineer at the company's Kita-Itami Works. He developed the first transistor power module chips and solved the second breakdown phenomena of bipolar junction transistors. Later, he moved to the company's corporate research center and was charged with managing the trench IGBT and very-high-voltage IGBT (several thousand volts rating) device development. In the last 10-year period of his career with Mitsubishi, he moved to the device simulation area and did research on the operating limits of IGBTs and basic operations of pin diodes and BJTs. After retiring from Mitsubishi in 2010, he was a visiting lecturer of advanced power devices at Tokyo Institute of Technology (TIT) until 2016. Gourab Majumdar received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, India, in 1977 and his PhD in engineering from the Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT), Fukuoka, Japan, in 2005. He started his career at Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Japan, in 1980 in a special on-the-job program. Since 1983, he has worked in the company's units responsible for advanced power semiconductor development, design, and applications. Since 2012, he has been the executive fellow in the Semiconductor and Device Group. Dr. Majumdar has published and co-authored many technical papers and books on power devices and holds several patents in related fields. He received the prestigious National Invention Award in Japan in 2005 for inventing the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) fundamental concept and the Monozukuri Nihon Taishou (Japan Craftsmanship Grand Prix) award from the honorary Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry in 2013 for contributing to the development and commercialization of various generations of IPM devices. He served as the general chairman of ISPSD 2013 and has participated as a member of both the PCIM's Advisory Board and the ISPSD's Advisory Committee. He has also been a visiting lecturer of advanced power semiconductor devices at both Kyushu University and Tokyo Institute of Technology for several years. In 2016, he was bestowed with an honorary professorship by Amity University, India. Ikunori Takata received his bachelor's and master's degrees in physics from Kobe University, Kobe, Japan, in 1972 and 1974, respectively. He joined Mitsubishi Electric Corporation in 1974 as an engineer at the company's Kita-Itami Works. He developed the first transistor power module chips and solved the second breakdown phenomena of bipolar junction transistors. Later, he moved to the company's corporate research center and was charged with managing the trench IGBT and very-high-voltage IGBT (several thousand volts rating) device development. In the last 10-year period of his career with Mitsubishi, he moved to the device simulation area and did research on the operating limits of IGBTs and basic operations of pin diodes and BJTs. After retiring from Mitsubishi in 2010, he was a visiting lecturer of advanced power devices at Tokyo Institute of Technology (TIT) until 2016.

Introduction. Basic technologies of major power devices. Applied power device family - Power Modules and Intelligent Power Modules. Future prospects.