Session 1: Silicon Carbide for Sale - an Exploration of SiC’s Market Impedance

Moderator: Joshua Israelsohn, Co-Founder, JAS Technical Media

Legend has it that manufacturing costs and have kept SiC out of the mainstream and limited its deployment to relatively cost-insensitive harsh-environment applications that demand high-temperature operation. As the broader market continues to clamor for more highly efficient power subsystems, higher distribution voltages, and more passive cooling, this panel will examine the impedance match between current SiC device designs and manufacturing capabilities and the performance and cost requirements that broader applications impose.

Session 2: Why Don’t We Have an Electric Car??  Is Technology Lacking or Just Supressed?

Moderator: John M. Miller, VP Systems, Applications & Integration, Maxwell Technologies

Are there real technical challenges or are auto & oil companies supressing it to protect their profits? Why was EV1 recalled & destroyed when its owners loved it? Consumers are hacking the Prius and getting 100 MPG, so why cant the auto companies deliver this kind of performance? Does the technology exist, simply waiting to be rolled out at the right time? Why won't the auto industry deliver what customers want?

Session 3: Counterfeit & Copied Components--Serious Threat or Beneficial Market?

Moderator: Alix Paultre, Editorial Director, Design Group, Advantage Media

Both IP theft & counterfeiting hardware are illegal activities, but is the industry doing enough to discourage these practices? What about legacy technology that needs to be maintained? What about developing markets using reverse-engineered designs to support older systems? The semiconductor and power electrics industries face a similar challenge as the pharmaceutical industry: A lot of time and money are invested in securing IP, but it's simply copied in situations where legal recouse is difficult. Are IP Pirates justified in this activity to get access to technology they couldn't afford otherwise? How can we stop these practices, or at least mitigate their impact?