Outlook on Developments in Power Devices and Integration Recent investigations and future requirements

The switching cell at the heart of power electronic circuits is the central key for improvements in terms of performance, size, cost, and efficiency, and it will remain this way for the foreseeable future. Nowadays, developments in switching cells are driven by different component manufacturers, e.g., for semiconductors, capacitors, drivers, and packages. Although there has been tremendous progress, especially on power semiconductors, a paradigm change is necessary for further advancement on optimization. Higher switching speeds and lower switching losses make the handling of discrete components more and more difficult for the average user. Furthermore, the interfaces between the components are evolving to be major bottlenecks in terms of electromagnetic performance. © 2014 IEEE.