1. Next Generation Power Electronics Manufacturing Innovation Institute
February 27, 2014
Research Retreat
Dennis Kekas
Interim Executive Director,
Next Generation Power Electronics Manufacturing Innovation Institute
North Carolina State University © 2014

2. Loss of U.S. Manufacturing Employment
$25,634,942 (18%)
State Appropriated Funds
Challenge:
Loss of U.S. Manufacturing Employment
Employees (thousands)
Year
Source: data.bls.gov, Current Employment Statistics Survey

3. Next Generation Power Electronics Manufacturing Innovation Institute
Vision: Wide bandgap technology for a more energy efficient world
Mission: Develop a manufacturing-focused innovation ecosystem to reduce cost, improve performance and reliability, and enable U.S. industry dominance in WBG semiconductor devices and systems to create jobs.
As we look at US and world today, there are two simultaneous and seemingly intractable grand challenges:
The
Opportunity
We are grateful to the DOE for its leadership and seizing the opportunity to launch the WBG Institute program.

4. Applications

5. Operate above 300 oC compared to 150 oC for Silicon-based devices
Reduce losses during DC-to-AC electricity conversion by 90%
Handle 10 times
higher voltages
Produce bulbs with 10 times more light that last 30 times longer …
* WBG materials (specifically silicon carbide) may reduce electricity losses during vehicle battery recharging by nearly two-thirds, making it cheaper to recharge electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
In hybrid and electric vehicles, a second cooling system is needed to cool the power electronics. The higher operating temp of silicon carbide could allow the size of the cooling system to be reduced by 60%, or even eliminated altogether, significantly reducing the overall size of the car engine.
* Reduction in losses during DC-to-AC electricity conversion will help integrate renewable sources of electricity into the power grid. Inverters are needed to convert the DC electricity produced by solar panels and wind turbines into the AC electricity that flows to our receptacles. Replacing current inverters with SiC devices could cut losses by 90%.
* Powering motor systems consumes 69% of the electricity used in U.S. manufacturing. WBG materials will enable higher efficiency motor drive systems for pumps, fans, compressors, and HVAC systems.
saving $250B by 2030

6. Founding Partners RD&D Wafer Suppliers Design House /Device
Manufacture
Device
and Package
Foundry
Power
Electronics
Companies
RD&D
North Carolina State University © 2014

7. MARKET DEMAND MANUFACTURING PROCESS PRODUCTS TALENT
Research, Development &
Demonstration
Comprehensive Education and Workforce Development Program
MARKET DEMAND MANUFACTURING PROCESS
PRODUCTS TALENT
Thriving Power Electronics Industry Ecosystem
Commercial
Product Acceleration
Production
& Packaging Foundries

8. Comprehensive Education and Workforce Development Program
TALENT:
Comprehensive Education and
Workforce Development Program
$25,634,942 (18%)
State Appropriated Funds
Summer Institute
Training for working professionals
Training community college and high school teachers
Undergraduate Research Program
WBG Professional Science Masters
Online WBG University
MEP provided training

9. Approach To Innovation OEMs Market Demand and Feedback Wafer Suppliers
Device
Design
House
Approach To
Innovation
Wafer
Fabs
Our approach
Packaging
Fabs

10. Vehicle Traction Inverter
MARKET DEMAND:
Commercial Product Acceleration
End Products
Devices
Power
20kW
75kW
200kW
RFMD
600V,
GaN HFET
Delphi
Vehicle Traction Inverter
600V
1200V, GaN Vertical Tr.
Avogy
Toshiba PV Inverter
1200V
Monolith Semi. &
X-Fab
1200V,
SiC JBS, MOSFET
Toshiba PV Inverter
Toshiba PV Inverter
John Deere
Heavy Duty EV Inverter
Monolith Semi. &
X-Fab
1700V
1700V,
SiC JBS, MOSFET
Vacon
Medium Voltage Drive
4.5kV
4500V
SiC JBS, MOSFET
USCi
Toshiba MVD
10kV
GridBridge
Grid Energy Router
10kV,
SiC JBS, MOSFET
CREE
15kV
Voltage

11. Reach Parity with Silicon
Low Voltage
Devices
(600V to 1700V)
Medium Voltage
(3300V to 6500V)
3 years
5 years
High Voltage Devices
(> 10kV)
10 years
Currently 10X
Currently 10X
Don’t Exist
Achieve last 50%
cost reduction via
Power Electronics
Innovation
TARGET:
WBG Costs
Reach Parity with Silicon
Cost
Parity
1.5X

12. Wide Bandgap Service Centers and Shared RD&D Facilities
Increase reliability
Improve performance
Reduce cost
Establish standard testing benchmarks ❶❷❻
Long-term reliability test ❶❷❹❺
Identify physics of failure mechanism ❹❺❻
Develop ruggedness by process/device ❸❹❻
Reliability
Devices to exploit WBG benefits ❸❹❻
Advanced package development ❶❷❺
Application aligned device choice ❶❷❸
Develop WBG exclusive application ❶❷
Performance
Improve materials for predictive output ❹❺❻
Larger volume inviting many customers ❶❷❺
Silicon compatible manufacturability ❸❹❻
Novel device, package development ❸❺❻
Cost 1
High Power Electronics 2
Power Supply 3
Device Design 4
Device Failure Analysis 5
Power Module Failure Analysis & Reliability 6
Device Fabrication & Characterization
WBG Service Centers
WBG Service Centers 1
WBG High Power Electronics 2
WBG Power Supply 3
WBG Device Design 4
WBG Device Failure Analysis 5
WBG Power Module Failure Analysis & Reliability 6
WBG Device Fabrication & Characterization

13. RD&D Thrust Areas IP Generation & Technology Transfer
Critical GaN Research - Umesh Mishra, Lead
- GaN Ron Scaling
- Stability and Reliability
- Normally-off mode
Critical SiC Research - Jay Baliga, Lead
- MOS interface quality
- Bipolar degradation
Power Electronics - Fred Lee, Lead
- High density converters
- Low cost PV inverters
- High temperature EV inverters
Packaging - Doug Hopkins, Lead
- High temperature packaging
- Low Rth
- Low parasitic inductance

14. NC State Expertise
North Carolina State University © 2014

15. Existing Infrastructure at NC State
NC State’s Centennial Campus
NCSU Nanofabrication Facility
NSF FREEDM
NNF, AIF
Analytical Instrumentation Facility

16. Building Industry Partnerships
NC State Competency:
Building Industry Partnerships
Centers & Institutes draw about 180 partners,
including some of the top names in industry.
North Carolina State University © 2014

17. Transforming Economies
Dennis Kekas
research.ncsu.edu/power