Six Reasons to Rethink Power Semiconductor Packaging

Six Reasons to Rethink Power Semiconductor Packaging
by Alex Lidow on 06-12-2016 at 8:00 pm

In my 40 years’ experience in power semiconductors I have visited thousands of customers, big and small, on every continent except Antarctica. When the issue invariably turns to the packaging of the power semiconductor – transistor, diode, or integrated circuit – the requests for improvement fall into six categories:
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Is GaN Disruptive? Revisiting the Criteria

Is GaN Disruptive? Revisiting the Criteria
by Alex Lidow on 06-07-2016 at 12:00 pm

In March 2010 Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) proudly launched our GaN technology at the CIPS conference in Nuremberg, Germany. Parts and development kits were readily available off-the shelf and therefore designers could immediately get started with a new state-of-the-art semiconductor technology.
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Reflections on a Trade Show, and a Turning Point for Silicon

Reflections on a Trade Show, and a Turning Point for Silicon
by Alex Lidow on 03-30-2016 at 7:00 am

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This past week over 5,000 people converged on the AppliedPower Electronics Conference (APEC) in Long Beach California to understand the state-of-the-art and the future of the electronics that powers things such as servers, electric cars, white goods, factories, medical implants, as well as drones. The conference, which is… Read More


Let’s Reduce Wasted Energy in Server Farms

Let’s Reduce Wasted Energy in Server Farms
by Alex Lidow on 02-05-2016 at 4:00 pm

With the growth in streaming video and the promises of 50 billion IoT gadgets making our lives oh-so-much better, there is an alarming demand for online computational horsepower and bandwidth.

Why alarming? In 2014, data centers in the United States consumed approximately 100 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy. According
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Seven Predictions for 2016

Seven Predictions for 2016
by Alex Lidow on 01-07-2016 at 7:00 am

Wireless Power Will Become Mainstream:
Wireless power will continue to gain traction with increased consumer demand charged by new products and applications. There are two different standards vying for consumer adoption; Qi and Rezence, but the consumer need not worry about a standards war because companies like Hewlett Packard
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Tis the Season to be kWh Wasteful!

Tis the Season to be kWh Wasteful!
by Alex Lidow on 12-16-2015 at 7:00 am

As the world gears up for the upcoming holiday shopping season, the technology needed by online retailers to meet demands will bring with it many unintended negative byproducts: increased inefficiency, waste and pollution, to name a few. Online sales are expected to grow by 12 percent in the holiday season, on top of an already Read More


The Mobility Imperative and the Untethered Consumer

The Mobility Imperative and the Untethered Consumer
by Alex Lidow on 12-10-2015 at 12:00 pm

Consumers want to be able to go where they want, when they want. They want televisions to be seamlessly synchronized with tablets, phones, laptops, and automobiles. They want all their communication, information, and entertainment to be available immediately, with high resolution, all the time. Recently the automobile industry… Read More


The Cost Challenge has Been Met – Let the Disruption Begin!

The Cost Challenge has Been Met – Let the Disruption Begin!
by Alex Lidow on 09-22-2015 at 12:00 am

Displacing the Silicon Power MOSFET with eGaN® FETs
35 years ago the silicon power MOSFET was a disruptive technology that displaced the bipolar transistor – and a $12B market emerged. The dynamics of this transition taught us that there are four key factors controlling the adoption rate of a new power conversion technology:

  • Does
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Re-Thinking Server Design

Re-Thinking Server Design
by Alex Lidow on 09-16-2015 at 12:00 pm

The demand for information is growing at an unprecedented rate. Our insatiable appetite for communication, computing and downloading, is driving this demand. With emerging technologies, such as cloud computing and the internet of things, not to mention the 300 hours of video being loaded to YouTube every minute, this trend Read More


M&A Frenzy in the Chip Industry, the Growth of GaN, and Why It Matters

M&A Frenzy in the Chip Industry, the Growth of GaN, and Why It Matters
by Alex Lidow on 09-07-2015 at 12:00 pm

If expanding industries typically indicate vibrancy, a race to acquire and consolidate is generally reflective of the opposite – a period of slowed growth in mature, once high-flying categories. And while many industries experience a period of stardom, followed by a sharp and steady decline, we should be extremely worried whenRead More