We are thrilled to host Alex Lidow 🔥 — a true pioneer in power electronics and the visionary behind Efficient Power Conversion (EPC)!
From leading International Rectifier to driving the GaN revolution ⚡, this episode is packed with deep insights on the future of semiconductors 🚀 🎙️ What’s inside this power-packed episode? ⚡ The journey from silicon to GaN breakthrough 👩💻👨💻 What makes GaN fundamentally different for young engineers ✨ The gap between 📚 textbook learning vs 🏭 real-world challenges 🏆 Where GaN wins and where silicon still holds strong 💪 🤔 GaN vs Silicon: Replacement or long-term coexistence? 🚧 Early challenges in building EPC 🚗 Applications driving GaN today: EVs | 🖥️ Data Centers | 📱 Consumer Tech 🌍 The evolving global GaN ecosystem 👀 Beyond GaN: Future technologies to watch ⚠️ Are we underestimating the next big disruption? 💡 Career advice for the next generation of engineers 🎯 Who should watch this? 👉 Semiconductor professionals 🧠 👉 Students & young engineers 🎓 👉 Deep-tech founders & builders 🚀 🎧 Tune in now & stay ahead of the curve! In this podcast series, discussion on VLSI and its related fields is presented, focusing on recent developments and advancements in the industry. Topics such as the latest trends and innovations in semiconductor technology are explored, offering insights into the evolving landscape. Career guidance is shared, providing practical advice for navigating the field, along with success stories that highlight the journeys of professionals who have made their mark in VLSI. Whether for students, professionals, or those interested in the subject, valuable knowledge is offered to help stay informed and succeed in this dynamic area. Guest : Alex Lidow Alex Lidow is CEO and co-founder of Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC). Since 1977 Dr. Lidow has been dedicated to making power conversion more efficient upon the belief that this will reduce the harm to our environment from energy production and consumption. 1979_IRF_original33In order to pursue this mission, in 1977 he joined International Rectifier as an R&D engineer. In 1978 he co-invented the HEXFET power MOSFET, a power transistor that launched the modern power conversion market and displaced the aging bipolar transistor. Royalties from these patents brought in more than $900M over the years, and International Rectifier, prior to being acquired was the largest producer of power MOSFETs in the world. Over the 30 years Dr. Lidow was at IRF, his responsibilities grew. He progressed to the head of R&D, head of manufacturing, head of sales and marketing, and finally CEO for 12 years. Dr. Lidow holds many patents in power semiconductor technology, including basic patents in power MOSFETs as well as in GaN FETs. He has authored numerous publications on related subjects, and recently co-authored the first textbook on GaN transistors, “GaN Transistors for Efficient Power Conversion”, now in its second edition published by John Wiley and Sons. In 2004 he was elected to the Engineering Hall of Fame, and in 2005 IRF, under Dr. Lidow’s leadership, International Rectifier was named one of the best managed companies in America by Forbes magazine. Dr. Lidow was one of the lead representatives of the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) for the trade negotiations that resulted in the U.S.-Japan Trade Accord of 1986 and testified to Congress many times on behalf of the industry. Dr. Lidow earned his Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics in three years from Caltech in 1975, and his PhD in Applied Physics from Stanford in 1977 as a Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Fellow. Since 1998 Dr. Lidow has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the California Institute of Technology, and has been the Chairman of the Compensation and Nominating Committees, and Vice Chair of the Investment Committee. Watch the episode here:
