Technical Features

    March 2021
    Eliminating the EMI Design Cycle in High-Voltage Defense Power Systems

    Figure 1: CE102 limits for MIL-STD-461. From the limits shown for 28V systems, we can see that at 500kHz and above, the limit is 1mV into 50Ω

    ­Today's defense electronics need high-voltage-to-SELV conversion at unprecedented power levels and board densities. The specific challenge is converting 270V to a 28V or 48V bus while still meeting MIL-STD-461 conducted emissions limits (EMI), a requirement that is both a technical problem and a program schedule
    Date:
    10/28/2026
    No More Pitfalls in GaN Driving

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    Figure 1: Switching waveforms using a moderate switching speed of ca. 5-10ns and a fast switching speed of ca. 1-2ns for 48V to 3.3V conversion at 300kHz

    Since the introduction of the first gallium nitride (GaN) transistors over ten years ago, their advantages in power electronics over silicon MOSFETs have become well-known. Indeed, the material properties of GaN offer lower parasitic capacitances for a given on-resistance, inherent fast switching transients, la
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    Date:
    03/03/2021
    Modeling Common Topologies with Silicon Carbide MOSFETs

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    Figure 1: Ideal double-pulse test simulation switching loss results are about 45% lower than those in the datasheet for the DUT, U2

    Beyond the basic design principles common between SiC and Si, and the need to keep in mind SiC’s different characteristics, capabilities and advantages, engineers must model and simulate to ensure they will meet their design goals. As with Si, SiC now has optimized tools and models available from various s
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    Date:
    03/03/2021
    Gallium Nitride: Catalyst for the Next Generation of Power

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    Figure 1: Smartphone screen-size and battery capacity has increased over 3x in 10 years. As new platforms have been released with faster charging rates, OEMs have moved to adopt gallium nitride (GaN) chargers for both accessory and ‘in-box’ options. Source: GSMArena, Navitas as of January 2021

    Smartphone screens, batteries and increased 5G features with intensified data processing and transmission rates and volumes have put a spotlight on charging speeds and the size, weight and cost of leading-edge travel adapters. At the same time, the introduction of a single, flexible charging platform (hardware an
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    Date:
    03/03/2021
    Can EVs Overheat?

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    Compared to the internal combustion engine (ICE), the electric vehicle (EV) has many different sub-systems. The main focus of EV development is the vehicle's range, which is dependent on making the batteries longer lasting and sub-systems more efficient. There are design considerations for protecting the electric mot
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    Date:
    03/03/2021
    Negative Linear Regulator Features 0.8 µV RMS Noise at 1 MHz

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    Figure 1. −3.3 V output low noise solution

    Low dropout (LDO) linear regulators have been widely used in noise-sensitive applications for decades. Nevertheless, noise requirements have become tougher to meet as the latest precision sensors, high-speed and high-resolution data converters (ADCs and DACs), and frequency synthesizers (PLLs/VCOs) challenge con
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    Date:
    03/01/2021
    Powering Medical Systems

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    Figure 1 - Isolation Transformers provide galvanic Isolation between two (or more) windings called the Primary and Secondary

    Power supplies for medical systems not only need to meet all the efficiency and safety standards imposed on other electrical appliances, but also need to conform to additional requirements and standards in light of the unique environment in which they are used and the particularly delicate tasks that they are of
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    Date:
    03/01/2021
    NTC Temperature Control for IGBT and Power MOSFET Modules

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    Figure 1: Boost Converter with Thermal Management

    Although some MOSFETs are equipped with an internal temperature sensor (body diode), there are other ways to monitor and control temperature. A semiconductor silicon PTC resistor can be used with well-defined current control or a Pt- or Ni-based resistance temperature detector (RTD) with moderately low resistance va
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    Date:
    03/01/2021
    Redefining Power Conversion with Gallium Nitride ICs

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    Figure 1: Performance comparison of GaN discrete (blue line) and GaN monolithich half bridge (green line) in a 12 V input, 12 V output buck converter operating at 1 MHz.

    Beyond just performance and cost improvements, the most significant opportunity for GaN technology to impact the power conversion market comes from the intrinsic ability to integrate multiple devices on the same substrate. This capability will allow monolithic power systems to be designed on a single chip in a
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    Date:
    03/01/2021
    How to Choose GaN or SiC Devices for High Voltage Switching

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    Figure 1: Appropriate operating regimes for various devices types

    Every engineer wants a perfect switch that flips between On and Off states instantaneously and which doesn’t suffer losses in either state. To achieve the lowest possible losses when switching between the two states relies on the switch having a number of characteristics. It needs to have an infinite breakdown vo
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    Date:
    03/01/2021
    Silver Sintering Improves Thermal Conductivity
    The die area of power transistors is effectively dictated by their power rating. For a given thermal dissipation, smaller just means higher junction temperatures and potential reduction in reliability, especially with power cycling. For that reason, minimizing the thermal resistance from die to case and ambient is
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    Date:
    03/01/2021
    Archive

    Eliminating the EMI Design Cycle in High-Voltage Defense Power Systems

    Oct 28,2026
    Josh Gertz, VP of Engineering at Northwest Power, a Vicor company

    Low-Loss Inductors for High-Efficiency Power Converters

    Sep 29,2026
    Annika Frankemölle; Editor: Gerhard Stelzer, Würth Elektronik

    Gate Driver Choices for High Power Density Intermediate Bus Converters in AI Servers

    Aug 31,2026
    Jeffrey Cumabig, Product Application Engineer, and Lei Song, Product Definition Engineer, both for gate drivers at Infineon Technologies AG

    Silicon Carbide Semiconductors: Gaining Widespread Adoption

    Jul 30,2026
    Jens Baringhaus, Chief Expert for Wideband Gap Technology and responsible for Bosch's SiC technology roadmap

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