Leo Lorenz

Biography

Leo Lorenz has developed some of the most important innovations in power electronics, spearheading the movement from conventional power conversion technology to high-frequency and high-power methods. Working with Siemens Semiconductor in Munich, Germany, Dr. Lorenz developed the first ultrafast switching multidie direct copper bonded-based power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) module in 1986, which serves as the foundation of today’s power module technology. He also pioneered the product definition and concept engineering of the first ultrathin wafer non-punch-through (NPT) insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) in 1987. His role in educating industry on device performance, thermal management, high-temperature operation, and reliability issues was crucial to the successful adoption of the technology. He also developed the “sandwich technology” (the basis for controlled integrated power systems) for advanced integrated power modules, which is an important component in home appliances and automotive applications. He also introduced the CoolMOS power semiconductor, used primarily for offline power supplies, which some engineers consider as one of the greatest achievements in the power semiconductor industry in the past 20 years.

An IEEE Fellow, Dr. Lorenz is currently a professor at TU-Ilmenau and president of the European Center for Power Electronics. Till 2011 he was a senior principal with Infineon Technologies in Neubiberg, Germany.