Advanced power bipolar devices

In the field of power electronics, advances in device development have traditionally been the driving force for innovation. For the area of medium and high power, this development can be illustrated in terms of switching power of bipolar devices. Although a relatively mature state has been reached, there is still an evolution at a remarkable speed. Presently, the major representatives are the IGBT and the IGCT. A sizeable effort is spent on new materials like SiC devices, which promise a significant reduction in switching losses. Hybrid integration of power devices into relatively large building blocks is an important issue. The current trends connected with present and future improvements of performance are discussed