Power electronics: the silent force behind the international tech revolution

Power electronics are the backbone of high-tech systems, from advanced chip machines to life-saving medical electronics. “Everything has to be faster and more accurate,” says Bas Vermulst, associate professor in power electronics at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). As keynote speaker During the Power Electronics & Energy Storage event on June 17 in Den Bosch, he will talk about the role of power electronics in the high-tech industry.

“Power electronics are of great importance to the Dutch economy and GDP,” says Vermulst. “It plays a key role in many high-tech applications. For typical Dutch companies such as Philips and ASML, which are internationally leading, power electronics are even indispensable. For example, ASML’s lithography machines produce 90% of all modern chips worldwide. From the chips in laptops and telephones to those in AI applications. As a small country, we can be proud of that.”

Challenges

That power electronics booming is, Vermulst and his colleagues notice daily. “There is a great need for knowledge. Companies are not only looking for skilled personnel, but also for solutions to their technological problems and they come to us for that.”

Vermulst himself worked at Prodrive Technologies from 2009 to 2017 as an engineer and system architect. He understands what the industry is up against in practice. “When making electronics more accurate, linearity, noise and drift are the most common challenges. You can literally hear linearity and noise. We all know noise from the radio, but our ears also recognize linearity well. During my presentation I will play some audio fragments of these disturbances.”

Disturbances

He explains what is happening technically: “With linearity problems, the output is not linear with respect to the input, which reduces the accuracy of the signal. Noise means that the output is distorted, while drift means that the converter no longer provides a correct signal over time, for example due to aging or heating.”

“The cause of these types of disruptions is usually at the component and implementation level. For example, the current sensors used are not suitable. Or the signals are connected awkwardly on the printed circuit board, making them susceptible to external disruption. Things also often go wrong when selecting components. For example, when selecting a component, the engineer does not sufficiently consider the service life. As a result, the system does not function as intended. A small mistake with major consequences.”

Difficult cooperation

And then there is the challenge of interdisciplinary collaboration. “The development of power electronics is a complex process. Many different domains come together: electrical engineering, thermodynamics, mechanics, printed circuit board technology and so on. People with different expertise work on the same product. Good coordination and communication are crucial. If this does not run optimally, the chance of misunderstandings and errors increases rapidly. As a designer, you have to keep the overview and act as a spider in the web.”

Practical solutions

However, according to the engineer, many problems can be prevented. He gives a few examples. "Within the research line, we are working on several practical solutions for more accurate and faster power electronics. For example, we have developed a Delta-Sigma modulation scheme as an alternative to the pulse width modulation that is now often used to modulate the converter. Delta-sigma modulation uses oversampling and noise shaping. This allows ADCs and DACs to achieve high resolution and accuracy even with simple hardware. This enables a faster and more accurate converter.”

A second way to increase the switching frequency and accuracy of semiconductors is to use silicon carbide (SiC) or gallium nitride (GaN) instead of silicon. Vermulst: “Semiconductors based on SiC and GaN make it possible to switch tens of times faster, which significantly improves performance and accuracy. The advantages are significant, especially for applications that require high speed.”

The disadvantage of SiC and GaN is that they are more expensive to build with, although the costs will decrease as more companies start using them. A second objection is that the components are younger, which means that less is known about their lifespan and reliability in the long term. This holds some companies back. Unjustly, Vermulst believes. “It is a cost-benefit trade-off. If you wait too long to research and apply new technologies, you will miss the boat in the future. High-tech applications require a converter that is fast, accurate and affordable. And that can best be done with the latest technologies.”

Knowing more?

Want to learn more about the future of power electronics in the high-tech industry? Register for the lecture on the Power Electronics & Energy Storage website. See you in Den Bosch!