Ideal Power Inc., the developer of innovative power conversion technologies, recently reported about its successful testing of Bi-directional Bi-Polar junction TRANsistor (B-TRANTM) silicon dies. The test results were successful and validated the prime features of the semiconductor power switch. If you wish to know more you can definitely reach out to company’s updated B-TRAN White Paper. The results of this test confirmed the fact that central B-TRANTM operational modes and elements are pretty consistent with several third party device simulations which are capable of predicting significant efficiency and performance modifications over regular power switches like IGBTs, SCRs as well as MOSFETs.
Basically, B-TRANTM is a double sided symmetric structure that will bring opportunities for peak current density operation at pretty high efficiency. In words of Dr. Richard Blanchard, B-TRANTM ‘s co-founder for around 200 patents related with power semiconductors and mostly used trench MOSFET “this validation of key characteristics of the B-TRANTM technology is a significant step forward in demonstrating B-TRANTM ‘s ability to improve energy efficiency across a wide range of applications and products. The device has tremendous implications for the power industry.”
In words of Bill Alexander, the co-inventor and CTO of Ideal Power, ”These exciting results of the first tested B-TRANTM structures validate key characteristics of the device and confirm our belief that B-TRANsTM can be a disruptive new force in many power conversion applications. The predicted extremely low forward voltage drop and fast, low loss switching of the B-TRANTM are each approximately ten times better than conventional switches. B-TRANTM‘s high current density and native bi-directional capability can lead to very high efficiency power control and conversion at very low cost points. We expect these anticipated efficiency improvements to translate to a substantial cost-performance advantage over current generation power semiconductor devices, which open a multi-billion dollar market opportunity for the B-TRANTM and is generating licensing inquiries from semiconductor companies.”
The company plans to introduce the B-TRANTM into a speedily growing IGBT power semiconductor market whose worth is estimated somewhere around $5 billion in year 2015 as per Point The Gap. The next major milestone towards commercialization of this product will be its test as a completely packaged device. The firm also believes that this new technology can address concerns of more than fifty per cent of semiconductor market which will replace the previous versions that were less efficient technologies like IGBTs, MOSFETs, silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) devices.
Depending upon third party simulations as well as testing, the maker of this technology expects B-TRANTM to deliver ten to two hundred times better cost-performance of semiconductor switches, based on the configuration and switch type. The costing of this device will be decided on the basis of device sot and on-state resistance combination.
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