Power Electronics

As the world adopts more wearable technology into our daily lives, the next generation of electronic wearables are ascending: the electronic skin patch. In diabetes and heart monitoring, electronic skin patches have already transformed the industry. These devices may well enable a revolution for the rest of healthcare and beyond.

Ever-increasing levels of vehicle autonomy are poised to revolutionize both personal and freight transport, reducing time spent sitting in traffic and ushering in new transportation modes such as robotaxis. Of course, autonomy and even ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) requires vehicles to constantly have a clear picture of their surroundings.

Could gas sensors facilitate the safe use of wood-burning stoves to combat the energy crisis? With the cost of energy rising dramatically, interest in wood-burning stoves is growing as they become 'more financially appealing than ever'.

Photovoltaics is the fastest-growing energy source. Of the thin film PV technologies, cadmium telluride (CdTe) dominates. It is largely concentrated within the US, where it accounts for 40 % of US utility-scale PV power. In recent years, the commercial efficiency of CdTe panels has been playing a catch-up game with conventional silicon and is currently trailing by ~3 %. Efficiency, however, is not the only deciding factor.

Where does 5G stand three years after its first commercialization in 2019? Let's start with the frequency band. We know that the sub-6 GHz (3.5 - 7 GHz) and millimeter wave (mmWave, >24 GHz) bands are the two new bands among the spectrum covered in 5G. Despite the hype surrounding mmWave, according to IDTechEx's "5G Market 2023-2033: Technology, Trends, Forecasts, Players" report, 53% of 5G commercial/pre-commercial services are actually based on sub-6 GHz, with mmWave accounting only for less than 10% of the market.

The true description of graphene is that of a single atomic layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal array. However, the nanocarbon material landscape is much more complicated than this simple statement, with single-layer, few-layer, multi-layer, graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and both graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) all to be considered as types of graphene.

Two of the nine new rules stand out, given the scale of both the short-term and long-term impact that they will cause. IDTechEx assesses the impact of these changes.

The mobility sector continues to see a rapid pace of change, enabled by technological leaps in the underlying componentry and materials, but there is still a long way to go. In this article Luke Gear, Principal Analyst at IDTechEx, explores six key future mobility trends, drawing from IDTechEx Subscription research.

Commercial interest in silicon anodes and investments into start-up companies has continued through 2021 - IDTechEx estimates that $1.9B of funding has now made its way into silicon anode start-ups. Beyond investments, there has also been greater activity regarding companies beginning to license technologies, enter into supply relationships or commercialize technologies in early adopter markets, highlighting that the promise of silicon anode technology may soon be realized.

In automotive power electronics (inverters, onboard chargers, DC-DC converters), the transition to silicon carbide MOSFETs and high voltage systems above 800V has been increasing in pace in 2021.