Jason Lomberg, North American Editor, PSD
In the U.S., November’s the month we traditionally give thanks (while gorging ourselves on turkey and carbs and trampling each other to death in search of doorbusters).
But all kidding aside, and with geopolitical tensions at an all-time high, we have plenty to be thankful for. We’re thankful to be one of the few industries that barely wavered during the pandemic and has continued strong, three years later.
Speaking of which, we’re thankful to not be stuck inside anymore, something we completely took for granted at the beginning of this decade.
And of course, we’re thankful to you, the reader, and all the love and support you’ve tossed our way. To the intrepid designers toiling away on workbenches, the marcom managers spreading the good word, and our wonderful PSDcast guests and feature contributors who keep our industry ticking, we’re eternally grateful.
Keep up the great work and making our jobs that much more enjoyable!
And to express our thanks this month, we’re going back to basics with a topic that practically defines our publication – Power Semiconductors.
Of course, by picking that topic, we had a good idea which direction it would trend towards. What’s on the tips of everyone’s lips, one of the most pervasive subjects of the last decade or so? That’s right, wide bandgap semiconductors.
We start with Navitas Semiconductor and a double whammy of a theme, with “A New Generation of GaN Devices to Meet AI Server Power Demands.”
We’re all familiar with the recent proliferation of AI tools – OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Bing with AI, plus Google’s Bard and Deep Mind Gemini. We’ve even integrated artificial intelligence with our own website.
And as Tao Wei, with Navitas, points out, as these AI tools new and more powerful, purpose-designed AI processors into data center servers, the server power demands will skyrocket.
“Designers now face an even tougher challenge to satisfy the demands for greater power delivery and significantly higher efficiency within the CRPS form factor,” he said.
On the SiC side, Wolfspeed’s Eric Schulte notes how “Silicon Carbide Enables PFC Evolution.”
And the biggest driver of SiC is the same industry that’s taking over roads.
“The move to electric drive by the automotive industry has recently driven growth in SiC use as well as in design engineer attention toward the benefits of the technology in wider application areas,” says Eric.
As per usual, be sure to check out our PSDcasts, with recent topics including early failure rates, community solar, battery management systems, and a lot more!
And of course, we have our usual assortment of general-purpose Technical Features.
Enjoy the November issue!
Best Regards,
Jason Lomberg
North American Editor, PSD
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