IWIPP 2019 to Address Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Power Packaging Challenges

The International Workshop on Integrated Power Packaging announces IWIPP 2019, to be held in Toulouse, France, April 24-26, 2019. IWIPP, utilizing focused technical tutorials and a series of in-depth technical sessions aims to foster and facilitate disruptive change in the development of power packaging technologies required to help realize the performance entitlements of wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors in practical power electronics applications.

“Many experts believe that the development of packaging technology has not kept pace with recent advancements in power semiconductor technology, especially with the emergence of fast-switching wide bandgap semiconductors,” reported Brandon Passmore, Technical Program Chairman. “IWIPP seeks to bring together technical experts in the various engineering disciplines that intersect at the development of high-performance packaging for power semiconductors,” he continued. “Due to this multi-disciplinary focus and the accelerating industry need, IWIPP is quickly becoming a premier international workshop that attracts leading researchers from around the globe to share ideas on these important topics.”

IWIPP will be keynoted by a Plenary Session featuring addresses by Dr. Ahmed Elasser, Principal Systems Engineer at GE Global Research Center and Dr. Christophe Lochot, Electrical System R&T Group Leader at Airbus Operations SAS. Dr Elasser will provide a historical overview of Silicon Carbide (SiC) power devices from its early days to today. Dr. Lochot will provide a deep dive into some of the challenges associated with the use of power electronics in aircraft applications.  

Two tutorials are included as part of the conference:  Dr. Ty McNutt, Director of Business Development at Wolfspeed, Inc. Dr. McNutt’s tutorial will provide a detailed technical survey of SiC devices, packaging, and the optimization of power electronic systems through design. Dr. Aaron Brovont, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Alabama will provide an introductory-to-intermediate-level treatment of techniques for modeling and analysis of conducted electromagnetic interference (EMI) in power electronic systems.

IWIPP 2019 technical sessions will cover a broad range of related and relevant topics, including magnetic and dielectric materials; power semiconductor devices and modules; integration of sensors; design of gate/base drivers, reliability and manufacturability considerations; electromagnetic interference mitigation; and many more.  

IWIPP 2019 is jointly sponsored by the Power Sources Manufacturers Association (PSMA), IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS), IEEE Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Society (DEIS) and the European Center for Power Electronics (ECPE). 

About IWIPP

The first IWIPP was held in 1998 at the Congress Plaza hotel in Chicago, IL, USA; after the late 90's the conference went on a 16 year hiatus and returned to it's Chicago roots in 2015. The 2015 revival of IWIPP was an exciting workshop which focused on cutting edge packaging approaches. After the success of the 2017 edition in Delft, Toulouse will host the 2019 edition. The purpose of this workshop is to bring together researchers in the field of power electronics components, electrical insulating materials, and packaging technologies to rapidly promote the development and commercialization of high-density and high-efficiency power converters. Papers ranging from core material technologies to power converters are sought that address important challenges and present solutions to increase reliability and manufacturability of power electronic components and systems while targeting increased performance and reduced system cost. This workshop is an opportunity to engage in a meaningful discussion about the latest technologies and techniques in both industry and academia, ensuring that a cooperative learning environment is fostered for all. The conference was moved to Europe for the 2017, and more supporting organization sponsors were engaged, to broaden the available audience and overall breadth of the discussion. Happening every two years, in odd years, the workshop will be an ongoing opportunity for leaders in all levels of electronics packaging - from early-stage research to volume manufacturing to meet and collaborate.