Electronics Magazine Research Articles

IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine: Call for Research & Review Articles

IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine: Call for Research & Review Articles

IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine: Call for Articles

IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine: Call for Articles

IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine: Call for Special Issue Proposals

IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine: Call for Special Issue Proposals

IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine: Call for Research & Review Articles

IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine: Call for Research & Review Articles

Investigating the Distribution Pattern of Threading Edge Dislocation Low Angle Grain Boundaries in 4H-SiC Wafers Using Synchrotron X-Ray Topography

Silicon carbide (SiC) has emerged as a significant wide bandgap semiconducting material, playing a pivotal role in the fabrication of high-frequency, high-power electronic devices in modern times. Its exceptional properties, such as high thermal conductivity, high saturation velocity, and high breakdown field, have positioned it as a valuable constituent in various application fields, including transportation, communication, and bioelectronics. However, the efficacy and long-term reliability of SiC-based devices are critically dependent on the quality of both the SiC substrate and epitaxial material employed. The presence of deleterious defects within these materials can induce device degradation and failure, posing a significant challenge in realizing the full potential of the device. Therefore, it is imperative to address the quality while maintaining the availability of large-scale single crystals of SiC to further expand the development of SiC-based device technology. Among various kinds of crystallographic defects in bulk crystal, low angle grain boundary (LAGB) is a commonly observed planar defect that prevents the implementation of large size (≥ 1 cm2) SiC devices [1]. In both 6H and 4H-SiC, LAGBs have been observed to replicate during the epitaxial growth [2], which can lead to profound impact on the physical and electronic properties of the crystal that subsequently triggers device degradation. Literature reveals that the presence of LAGBs in commercial wafers can lead to increased leakage currents during reverse-bias operation of devices [3]. Besides, the existence of prismatic tilt boundaries is usually accompanied with aggregation of edge type basal plane dislocations (BPDs) [4], which cause severe degradation in SiC bipolar devices [5] as BPD segments can dissociate into partials and form stacking faults in between [6].This study investigated a unique distribution pattern of LAGBs observed on physical vapor transport (PVT) grown off-axis 4H-SiC wafers. Synchrotron X-ray topographs in both transmission and grazing geometry reveal that three sets of LAGBs are presented on one side of the wafer, away from the facet position, each set contains numerous LAGB arrays. Figure 1 (a) shows a schematic diagram where each oval outlines the approximate location of each LAGB set. As the grazing-incidence topographs shown in Figure 1 (b), the LAGB sets distributed at the upper and lower region of the wafer consist of white contrast threading edge dislocations (TEDs) extending from the inner area towards the edge approximately along 60º and 120º direction, respectively. The LAGB set positioned at the middle region of the wafer consists of dark contrast TEDs extending from the inner area towards the edge approximately along 90º direction. All individual TED arrays in each LAGB set extends along the <1-100> directions, with identical Burgers vectors perpendicular to the array direction. The white and dark contrast of TEDs corresponds to tilt in opposite directions. White contrast TEDs are with Burgers vectors of 1/3[2-1-10] and 1/3[1-210], dark contrast TEDs are with Burgers vectors of 1/3[-2110] and 1/3[-12-10]. Such TED LAGBs are identified as pure tilt boundaries that accommodate the rotational misorientation between two adjacent regions. Therefore, a flat wafer is expected to exhibit zero net misorientation due to these TED arrays. However, any non-zero net misorientation resulting from these arrays is likely to promote instability, ultimately leading to the curvature of the plane. A systematic analysis is being carried out across several wafers and this relationship between the distribution of TED arrays and lattice curvature will be discussed.Reference:[1] N. Ohtani et al. Journal of Crystal Growth 237–239, 1180–1186, (2002).[2] C. Hallin et al, J. Cryst. Growth 181, 241 (1997).[3] R. Singh and M. Pecht, IEEE Industrial Electronics Magazine, 2, 19-31, (2008).[4] Y Chen et al, Materials Science Forum 556, 231-234 (2007).[5] T. Kimoto, et al., Proc. IEEE Int. Rel. Phys. Symp., 2A-1.1–2A-1.7, (2017).[6] M. Dudley, et al, Materials Science Forum, 600-603, 261-266 (2008). Figure 1

IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine - Special Issue Call for Articles -

IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine - Special Issue Call for Articles -

Smart Consumer Healthcare Technologies

I welcome the readers to the fourth issue of the year 2023, the July/August issue of the IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine (MCE).

Guest Editorial: Learning, optimisation and control of cyber‐physical systems

Guest Editorial: Learning, optimisation and control of cyber‐physical systems

8.36 More Reasons to Write for Your Magazine [Editor’s Column

The end of June is always an anticipated moment for all the editors-in-chief of scientific journals. Indeed, it is the time when Clarivate Analytics releases its annual <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Journal Citation Reports</i> ( <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">JCR</i> ). Among the many yearly updated indicators is the well-known Journal Impact Factor (JIF). For the 2021 edition, it consists of the ratio between the number of citations received in 2021 by all the citable articles of a given journal published in 2019 and 2020 respectively, over the total number of citable articles published by this journal during the same period. In other words, this indicator represents for 2021 the average rate of citations of a paper published in 2019 or 2020. And the result for our magazine is 8.36! (7.94 if self-citations are excluded). We are of course very proud of this result as it consolidates the reputation of <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">IEEE Industrial Electronics Magazine</i> ( <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">IEM</i> ) in its field of interest; that is, electrical and electronics engineering, by ranking it 25 out of the 276 journals in the field indexed by <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">JCR</i> . This very good result is credited to the whole <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">IEM</i> community, that is, the past and present editorial team, our reviewers, and of course, our authors. It is always satisfying for an author to see that as soon as his or her own work is published, it has inspired other works. At <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">IEM</i> , we are extremely happy to contribute to this quality chain. Last but not least, a special mention this year <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">to IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics</i> , with an impressive JIF of 11.648!

Optimal Energy Storage Systems for Long Charge/Discharge Duration

The interest for long-term energy storage in electrical grid provided with renewable energy sources is presently growing, because of the wide range of service that such systems can offer [1,2]. Although the choice of optimal duration of the charge / discharge cycles of energy storage systems for stationary applications is still an open question, among the different energy storage technologies available at a high readiness level (TRL), a few fit particularly well this kind of services [3,4]. Depending on the application and the market in which the energy storage systems are applied, the optimal duration can have different values and call for different technologies. Among electrochemical energy storage systems Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries (VRFBs) are emerging as a very promising solution for long-term stationary applications [5]. In order to find an optimal duration value for applications, the development of a physical-economic model becomes essential. Indeed, the optimal duration of energy storage systems not only depends on the technical features of each energy storage device (e.g. life cycle, self-discharge, ecc...), but also on the specific services required by the market. VRFBs devices which may be very expensive for a specific market, could be a competitive solution for a different one. The purpose of this work is to size the optimal duration of VRFB system according to the specific applications and the reference market.Reference Wu Y, Liu Z, Liu J, Xiao H, Li, R, Zhang L, Optimal battery capacity of grid-connected PV-battery systems considering battery degradation, Renewable Energy, 2022,181:10-23. DOI: 1016/j.renene.2021.09.036.Simoglou CK, Biskas PN, Marneris IG, Roumkos CG, Long-term electricity procurement portfolio optimization, Electric Power Systems Research, 2022, 202:107582. DOI: 1016/j.epsr.2021.107582Alotto P, Guarnieri M, Moro F, Redox Flow Batteries for the storage of renewable energy: a review, Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2014,29:325-335. DOI: 1016/j.rser.2013.08.001.Ibrahim H, Ilinca A, Perron J, Energy storage systems-Characteristics and comparisons, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2008,12,5:1221-1250. DOI:10.1016/j.rser.2007.01.023Guarnieri M, Mattavelli P, Petrone G, Spagnuolo G, Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries: Potentials and Challenges of an Emerging Storage Technology, IEEE Industrial Electronics Magazine, 2016,10,4:20-31. DOI: 1109/MIE.2016.2611760. Figure 1

Changes for 2022 [Editor’s Column

Dear IEEE Industrial Electronics Society (IES) members and readers, It is a great honor for me to have the ability to serve you for the next three years as editor-in-chief (EIC) of our <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">IEEE Industrial Electronics Magazine</i> . During the transition period of the last six months, I was helped a lot by the past EIC, Peter Palensky, who provided me all of the conditions for a smooth transition. This “Editor’s Column” is the occasion for me to express to him my deepest gratitude. Peter did a great job as EIC. Thanks to his vision and communicative energy, the number of articles published per year has almost doubled, while the same high level of quality specific to our magazine has been maintained.

Time to Transition [Editor’s Column

Time flies. It feels like yesterday that I took over the steering wheel of <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">IEEE Industrial Electronics Magazine</i> from Thilo Sauter for a three-year term, and now it is time for me pass it on to the next editor-in-chief (EIC). The IES president has appointed Eric Monmasson to fill this position for the coming three years and I am very happy with this choice. Eric was a tremendous support in his role as “Society News” editor and associate editor during my time. He is very experienced and highly reputed.

Does not compute: Avoiding pitfalls assessing the Internet's energy and carbon impacts

Does not compute: Avoiding pitfalls assessing the Internet's energy and carbon impacts

Presenting Changes to IEEE Industrial Electronics Magazine [Editor's Column

Reports on changes to this publication.

The 3D Smith Chart: From Theory to Experimental Reality

The Smith chart was primarily developed, extended, and refined by Phillip Hagar Smith [1] in a series of works published [2]-[4] between 1939 and 1969. Smith was born in Lexington, Massachusetts, in 1905. He majored in electrical communications at Tufts University and joined the Radio Research Department of Bell Telephone Laboratories (now Bell Labs) in 1928. While there, in around 1930, Smith started work on the diagram that was to become the Smith chart. He submitted the initial version to Electronics Magazine in 1937; the magazine finally published his diagram in 1939 [2]. The MIT Radiation Laboratory started using the chart. In 1940, and in 1944 Smith published a second article that incorporated further improvements, including the use of the chart with either impedance or admittance coordinates. In 1952, Smith was elevated to IEEE Fellow for his contributions to the development of antennas and the graphical analysis of transmission-line characteristics. The first issue of Microwave Journal (1958) published a biography of Smith to acknowledge the importance of his contributions. In 1969, he wrote the book Electronic Applications of the Smith Chart in Waveguide, Circuit and Component Analysis; he retired from Bell Labs in 1970. In 1975, he received the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society?s Special Recognition in Microwave Applications award for the Smith chart, and in 1994 he was elected to the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame.

Early Italian Computers: Pier Giorgio Perotto's P101 [Historical

This historical column follows the article on Mario Tchou's ELEA 9003, which was published in the June 2020 issue of IEEE Industrial Electronics Magazine , and recounts events that also took place at the Olivetti Company. We know that much of the early progress in personal computers took place in the United States, and particularly on the West Coast, in the early 1970s. Nevertheless, trailblazers were exploring the field elsewhere even earlier, and an important step forward was made by the Olivetti Company, about 10 years before, with the creation of a small desk computer, a device that incorporated a number of features that later became common in personal computers.

FEPPCON X: Part 2: Four Summaries From the Technical Sessions

In the December 2019 issue of <i>IEEE Power Electronics Magazine</i>, we presented summaries of three technical sessions and a plenary talk as the first part of the 10th IEEE Future of Electronic Power Processing and Conversion (FEPPCON X), which was held in June 2019 in Tromso, Norway. They included "Batteries as Energy Storage Technology," by Prof. Braham Ferreira, "Power Electronics System View of Energy Storage," by Prof. Sudip K. Mazumder, and "New Technology and Solutions Needed for High-Power Applications," by Prof. Jin Wang. The keynote talk, "Global Climate Change," by Kim Holm?n, was covered by yours truly.

Gallium Nitride Integration: Breaking Down Technical Barriers Quickly [Expert View

An integrated circuit (IC) made using gallium nitride on silicon (GaN-on-Si) substrates has been in production for more than five years. The September 2018 issue of IEEE Power Electronics Magazine included an update on the GaN integration of power devices, which indicated rapid progress toward a complete system-on-a-chip solution. This article stepped through various phases of integration, from pure discrete devices to monolithic half bridge devices, to power field-effect transistors (FETs) that included their own monolithically integrated driver. Since the 2018 update, there has been a good deal of progress in the state of GaN integration, primarily spearheaded by two different GaN companies, Efficient Pow - er Conversion (EPC) and Navitas Semiconductor.

Modeling the Magnetic Behavior of N-Winding Components: Approaches for Unshackling Switching Superheroes

The cover of the March 2015 issue of IEEE Power Electronics Magazine portrayed gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) switching devices as superheroes, able to make next-generation power electronics smaller, faster, and more efficient in a single bound. Indeed, they are largely doing so, in conjunction with improved components and integrated circuits, better packaging, and more sophisticated circuit design and control.

APEC Talks Reliability and Production of WBG Devices: Disclosing the Latest Developments in Components, Packaging, Transportation Electrification, and Renewable Energy

From the plenary talks to the industry sessions to the exhibit floor, reliability and production of wide-bandgap (WBG) devices were the buzzwords at this year's 34th IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC), which was held on 17-21 March at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. Besides presenting reliability data and highlighting the production status of gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) power devices, this premier conference in applied power electronics also presented seminars and papers on the latest advances in silicon and WBG devices, packaging, controller integrated circuits (ICs) and topologies, passive components (see the Passive Components column in this issue of IEEE Power Electronics Magazine , p. 12), renewable energy, transportation electrification, and more.