This course focuses on the physics of power devices and issues for their applications. Power electronics are gaining more and more importance in a sustainable society. Low loss power devises are key to social infrastructure such as smart-grid, renewable energy, EV, and railway train. Topics include pin-diodes, thyristors, power MOS transistors, Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT), and wide-gap semiconductor power devices. This course provides the basics of physics, device structures, device characteristics of the power devices, and their applications. Students will have the chance to tackle exercises by applying knowledge acquired through this course.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) Express the physics and characteristics of semiconductor power devices
2) Explain the issues and key technologies for the power device applications and energy problem
Corresponding educational goals are:
(1) Specialist skills Fundamental specialist skills
(4) Applied skills (inquisitive thinking and/or problem-finding skills) Organization and analysis
(7) Skills acquiring a wide range of expertise, and expanding it into more advanced and other specialized areas
Power devices, Smart, Power Converters, Smart grid, IGBT, Wide-gap semiconductors
✔ Specialist skills | Intercultural skills | Communication skills | ✔ Critical thinking skills | Practical and/or problem-solving skills |
At the beginning of each class, solutions to exercise problems that were assigned during the previous class are reviewed. Towards the end of class, students are given exercise problems related to the lecture given that day to solve. To prepare for class, students should read the course schedule section and check what topics will be covered. Required learning should be completed outside of the classroom for preparation and review purposes.
Course schedule | Required learning | |
---|---|---|
Class 1 | Issue of the CO2 reduction and role of the power devices | Understand and solve the exercises of the issue of the CO2 reduction and role of the power devices |
Class 2 | Power devices: physics, device structures, characteristics | Understand and solve the exercises of power devices: physics, device structures, characteristics |
Class 3 | pin Diodes | Understand and solve the exercises of pin diodes |
Class 4 | Thyristors | Understand and solve the exercises of thyristors |
Class 5 | Power MOS transistors | Understand and solve the exercises of power MOS transistors |
Class 6 | Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) | Understand and solve the exercises of Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) |
Class 7 | Wide-gap semiconductor power devices | Understand and solve the exercises of wide-gap semiconductor power devices |
Class 8 | Application to power electronics, Exercise problems to assess the students' level of understanding on what has been taught so far, and explain how to solve the problem. | Understand and solve the exercises of application to power electronics. Use the exercise problems to better understand the topics covered, and evaluate one’s own understanding. |
None required.
All materials used in class can be found on OCW-i.
Stefan Linder “POWER SEMICONDUCTORS“ EPFL Press
Josef Lutz “Semiconductor Power Devices: Physics, Characteristics, Reliability“ Springer
Students will be assessed on their understanding of the power devices (physics, device structure, characteristics, and applications). Students' course scores are based on final exams (70%) and exercise problems during each class (30%).
No prerequisites are necessary, but enrollment in the related courses (Electron devices) is desirable.