Day 1 - December 3rd, 2024

Bodo's WBG - Opening

My WBG event returns to the Hilton Munich Airport on December 3 and 4, our traditional location since 2017!

On this first day, I want to kick off the event with an opening roundtable starting at 4pm. After a brief welcome, I would like to discuss with you and our guests from top technology leaders, the hurdles that were to overcome on the road to WBG materials adoption today, and where you still see challenges on the horizon.

Since their challenges are fundamentally similar, I will welcome experts on both SiC and GaN on stage together. The talk is scheduled for about 90 minutes and will be followed by an informal get-together with finger food and drinks in the foyer, just like at my last event in 2023.

floorplan
Bodo during the opening keynote 2019

4pm - Roundtable

Making Wide Bandgap Designs Happen

The advantages of WBG designs are obvious which means that every design engineer in the power domain is interested in using WBG devices. However, there are also some obstacles on the way to WBG designs. In this panel discussion we will talk in a realistic way about how to make SiC and GaN designs happen. Therefore we will have a look at all the design aspects necessary – from pure semiconductor performance via thermal issues and manufacturability up to overall cost.

This year, our guests at the roundtable will be:

(portrait Balu Balakrishnan)

Mr. Balakrishnan joined Power Integrations in 1989, serving in a variety of roles before becoming president and COO in April 2001. He was named CEO and appointed to the company's board of directors in January 2002. He was named chairman of the board in 2023. Mr. Balakrishnan has more than 40 years of engineering, marketing and management experience in the semiconductor industry, including product-line management responsibility at National Semiconductor Corporation. He is the chief inventor of several key Power Integrations products and technologies and holds more than 200 U.S. patents.

He has received the Discover Award for Technological Innovation as well as a TechAmerica Innovator Award, both in recognition of the environmental benefits of EcoSmart technology.

(portrait Guy Moxey)

Guy Moxey has spent his entire career in the power semiconductor industry with roles in applications, product marketing, product line management, regional and business unit leadership. His career has included employment at International Rectifier, Siliconix and Fairchild Semiconductor. Mr Moxey currently serves as the Vice President of Power Development for Wolfspeed.

He received his B.Eng (Hons) in electrical/electronic engineering from the University of Brighton and his MSc in power electronics from the University of Birmingham.

wolfspeed.com

(portrait Alexander Gerfer)

As Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Alexander Gerfer is responsible for establishing Würth Elektronik eiSos as a tech-nology enabler and service leader. The company is one of the largest European manufacturers of electronic and electrome-chanical components and part of the Würth Group. Alexander Gerfer started his career at Würth Elektronik eiSos 27 years ago as a technical sales representative. Since then, he has held various positions in the company. In his role as CTO, he particularly promotes technology partnerships in forward-looking areas. These include the development of LED light recipes for controlling plant growth, energy harvesting and solutions for more efficient electronics for e-mobility. With his expert knowledge, he is passionate about supporting and advising innovative start-ups, especially when they encounter unexpected technical problems in implementing their ideas. In the course of his career, Gerfer has also been instrumental in establishing and expanding the areas of research and development as well as product, quality and supply chain management.

we-online.com

(portrait Dr. Peter Friedrichs)

Dr. Peter Friedrichs received his Dipl.-Ing. in microelectronics from the Technical University of Bratislava in 1993 and finished his Ph.D thesis at the Fraunhofer Institute FhG-IIS-B in Erlangen. His focus area of expertise was the physics of the MOS interface in SiC. In 1996 he joined the Siemens AG and was involved in the development of power devices on SiC. Peter joined SiCED GmbH & Co. KG, a company being a joint venture of Siemens and Infineon, on March the 1st, 2000. Since July 2004 he was the managing director of SiCED. In 2009 he achieved the Dipl.-Wirt.-Ing. from the University of Hagen. After the integration of SiCED’s activities into Infineon he joined Infineon Technologies AG on April 1st, 2011 and acts currently as Infineon’s Fellow SiC Innovation & Industrialization.

(portrait xxx)

Morten Feldstedt is Senior Director Marketing EMEA for onsemi's Power Solutions Group.

(portrait Tobias Erlbacher)

Dr. Tobias Erlbacher received the Diploma in electrical engineering (microelectronics) from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany, in 2004, and the Ph.D. degree in 2008. Additionally, he obtained the “Habilitation” at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in 2015. From 2009 to 2023, he has been with the Fraunhofer Institute of Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB, Erlangen, where he was heading the “Devices” Group. Since 2023, he joined Nexperia as SiC Technology Fellow, where he is responsible for the technology development of silicon carbide MOSFETs for power applications.

He has authored a book on lateral power transistors in integrated circuits. He has also authored or coauthored more than 140 papers in scientific journals and contributed to 16 patent families. His research activities focus on device modeling, design and integration and technology development for silicon-carbide power electronics.

(portrait Aly Mashaly)

Aly Mashaly is the Director of ROHM's European Application and Technical Solution Center (ATSC). He is an expert in power electronics, especially in automotive applications, and has worked for many years as a development engineer and project manager in the fields of e-mobility and aerospace applications. He is also a regular speaker at various conferences, including PCIM, ECPE, EPE and CS International.

rohm.com

(portrait Riccardo Nicoloso)

As general manager since 2019, Riccardo Nicoloso leads ST's New Materials and Power Solutions Division, driving innovation in silicon carbide, gallium nitride and power modules, to address rising demand for more efficient solutions in automotive and industrial sectors. With over 27 years’ experience in semiconductors, Riccardo has extensive leadership spanning automotive, consumer and industrial. Starting in design, he subsequently held marketing and business roles at ST. Appointed General Manager in 2019, he brings demonstrated success growing global businesses. Passionate about STEM education, Riccardo regularly shares expertise with academic institutions and students.

Born in Catania, Italy in 1967, Riccardo holds an Electronic Engineering degree from the University of Catania obtained in 1995, with further specialization in industrial electrical systems design.

st.com