New semiconductor technologies challenge package and system setups

Increase of power density and performance at simultaneously decreasing cost has always been the one way direction in power semiconductors world. It is shown that this will last also in foreseeable future, even more with new semiconductor materials. Common to old Si and new materials like SiC and GaN devices is that all of them head for higher current densities with a need for higher operating temperatures in steps up to 200°C and above which nowadays assembly technologies still cannot cope with, mainly because of much higher load and temperature cycling capability needed. Also common development trend with all materials is to switch faster to reduce losses in the devices and thus increase current capability. It is also shown that a tremendous potential of about 7 times lower switching losses lies in this direction and what will be the challenges to assembly and system setup with respect to low inductive interconnect technology.