Power Semiconductors — devices designed to handle high voltages (100V–10kV) and high currents (1A–1000A+), enabling efficient power conversion in everything from phone chargers to electric vehicles.

Key Devices

• Power MOSFET: Fastest switching, best for <600V. Used in DC-DC converters, motor drives
• IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor): Combines MOSFET gate with bipolar output. Handles 600V–6.5kV. Used in EVs, trains, industrial drives
• Schottky Diode: Fast switching, low forward voltage (SiC Schottky: dominant in power supplies)
• Thyristor/SCR: Highest power handling. Used in grid-scale power transmission

Wide Bandgap Revolution

• SiC (Silicon Carbide): 10x higher breakdown field, 3x thermal conductivity vs Si. Dominant for EV inverters (Tesla, BYD)
• GaN (Gallium Nitride): Fastest switching, lowest losses at high frequency. Dominant for phone/laptop chargers, data center power

Applications by Power Level

Power semiconductors are the backbone of electrification — every watt of electrical energy is processed by a power device at least once.