Sunday Program Review Instructors

1:00 pm – 1:45 pm
National Programs on SiC Power Devices in China- from Research to Applications

Fei Yang, State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC)

Fei Yang is deputy chief engineer in the Department of Power Semiconductor at Global Energy Interconnection Research Institute of the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), and deputy secretary general of the Association of China Wide Bandgap Power Semiconductor Industry. He is responsible for establishing a SiC device production line and has been the chief expert on the development of high-voltage and high-power SiC power devices for applications at the SGCC. He has led the efforts of the development of 1.2kV and 1.7kV SiC diodes for PV inverters, the development of 3.3kV/50A SiC diodes for 3.3kV/600A hybrid module, and the development of 1.2kV/20A SiC MOSFET. He is currently leading a series of SiC-related projects sponsored by the National High-Tech Research and Development Program, the National Key Technologies Research and Development Program, the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission and the SGCC.

1:45 pm – 2:45 pm
SiC Power Electronics Technology for Energy Efficient Devices (SPEED) Introductory Overview

Peter Friedrichs currently works for Infineon Technologies AG and has a 24-year background in SiC device development and related applications.

Peder Bergman, Linköping University, is a materials expert in SiC and is involved in various research projects related to epitaxial growth and material science.

Adolf Schoner, Ascatron AB, received his PhD degree from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and has worked for many years on device technology and epitaxial growths processing for silicon carbide power devices.

Andrei Mihaila joined ABB Corporate Research after starting his professional career in power electronics at the University of Cambridge.

Philippe Godignon, CNM-CSIC, is leading research on SiC power devices in Barcelona.

Fernando Briz, University of Oviedo, is a leading expert in solid-state transformer technology from Spain.

Antonio de la Cruz, INAEL Electrical Systems, represents a potential end user of the developed systems in SPEED. 

Christian Sommer is currently working at Leibniz University of Hannover as a power electronic circuit specialist with focus on high-power SiC based solutions. 

Itziar Kortazar, Ingeteam, is a power circuit development engineer for wind power systems, currently investigating the implementation of SiC MOSFETs in converter topologies.

2:45 pm – 3:30 pm
Manufacturing Job Creation through Accelerated Large-Scale Adoption of SiC Semiconductor Devices

Victor Veliadis, PowerAmerica

Victor Veliadis received a PhD degree in electrical and computer engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 1995. From 1996 to 2000, he was with start-up Nanocrystals Imaging Corporation, where he developed quantum-dot phosphors for imaging applications. From 2000 to 2003, he was with Lucent Technologies, where he designed InP-based tunable photonic integrated circuits for telecommunication applications. In 2003, Veliadis served as adjunct physics professor at Ursinus College and St. Joseph’s University. Veliadis joined Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems in 2004 where he designed, fabricated and tested SiC SITS, JFETs, MOSFETs, thyristors, and JBS, Schottky and PiN diodes in the 1-12kV range. In 2016, he was appointed chief technology officer (CTO), and in 2017, CTO/deputy director of PowerAmerica, a U.S Department of Energy wide bandgap device manufacturing institute managed by North Caroline State University (NCSU). At the time, Veliadis also became an electrical and computer engineering professor at NCSU. Veliadis has given over 60 invited talks and tutorials, authored and co-authored 106 peer-reviewed technical articles, authored three book chapters and has 24 issued patents to his credit.

3:45 pm – 4:45 pm
Genealogy of National Projects on SiC Power Electronics and Related Current Research and Development Activities in Japan

Hajime Okumura, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)

Hajime Okumura received his BS and MS degrees in chemistry from Kyoto University and his PhD degree from Osaka University. He held a research position in the Electrotechnical Laboratory (ETL), MITI, including concurrent positions as a technical officer in the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, MITI, and a general manager at the Research and Development Association for Future Electron Devices. Since 2008, he has been the director of the Advanced Power Electronics Research Center (ADPERC), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). His specialty is material science focused on wide bandgap semiconductors and their power electronics application.  He has authored or coauthored more than 400 scientific journal articles and more than 30 patents.  He has been a member of the International Steering Committee of ICSCRM, and was a general chair of ICSCRM 2013 held in Miyazaki, Japan.  He has held a number of leading positions in Japanese national projects on wide bandgap semiconductors, and is now the leader of the SiC-related R&D themes in Cross-Ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program/Next-Generation Power Electronics by Council for Science, Technology and Innovation in Japan.

4:45 pm – 5:30 pm
The New York Power Electronics Manufacturing Consortium—Enabling the Power Electronics Revolution

Brian C. Sapp, State University of New York Polytechnic Institute

Brian C. Sapp is the assistant vice president of the New York Power Electronics Manufacturing Consortium (NY-PEMC), which includes a leading-edge SiC Power Electronics Foundry in Albany, New York, in collaboration with the General Electric Company, and a world-class Power Electronics Packaging Center in Utica, New York, in collaboration with Danfoss Silicon Power.  Prior to this role, Brian held other senior positions at State University of New York Polytechnic Institute’s Albany NanoTech Complex and IBM’s Semiconductor Research and Development Center.  He is an experienced technology executive with recognized excellence in leadership, strategy and execution; proven results delivering technology from R&D into manufacturing; and demonstrated success establishing new ventures and partnerships.