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No—silicon power devices are not dead, and there is no established date for discrete transistors to disappear. The 2020 “silicon is dead” thesis describes a performance ceiling in some switching applications. Since then, silicon has remained the volume and cost benchmark, silicon-carbide (SiC) devices have expanded in high-voltage systems, and gallium-nitride (GaN) devices have moved into high-frequency, increasingly integrated power stages.
What the “silicon is dead” claim actually says
The phrase comes from an article published in June 2020 by Alex Lidow, CEO and co-founder of Efficient Power Conversion (EPC). Lidow wrote: “In the new millennium, however, the rate of improvement has slowed dramatically as the silicon power MOSFET approaches its theoretical bounds.” His argument was not that silicon would vanish. It was that silicon MOSFET improvements were slowing in applications where lower losses, faster switching and smaller converters mattered most.
The same EPC article claimed that GaN-on-silicon transistors switch about 10 times faster than MOSFETs and 100 times faster than IGBTs. Those are EPC’s 2020 comparisons, not a universal rating for every GaN or silicon device. Switching speed in a real converter also depends on the package, gate drive, layout, dead time, load and operating voltage.
Are discrete power devices being replaced by power ICs?
“Dying” is more accurate as a description of a design trend than of a product category. A conventional switching stage may use two discrete power FETs, a gate driver, level-shifting circuitry, a bootstrap circuit, protection components and control logic. An integrated power stage puts some or all of those functions in one package.
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EPC’s ePower Stage example
EPC’s GaN ePower Stage combines GaN power FETs, the driver, level shifting, bootstrap circuitry, protection and input logic. In an EE Times article, EPC said: “This monolithic GaN IC saves at least 33% of space on the printed circuit board compared to a discrete implementation.” The saving is a comparison with the stated discrete implementation; it is not a guaranteed reduction in every board design.
Integration can shorten high-current connections, reduce parasitic inductance, simplify assembly and make a fast switching layout easier to reproduce. It can also reduce flexibility: the designer accepts the integrated device’s voltage, current, thermal, protection and control choices. A discrete design may be easier to derate, repair or customize, while an integrated stage can concentrate heat and make a failure more costly to replace.
Why silicon still matters
EDN reported in December 2023 that iDEAL Semiconductor’s SuperQ architecture is built on standard silicon. The article said standard silicon represents about 95% of global semiconductor manufacturing capacity, which helps explain silicon’s continuing advantages in process availability, supplier choice and cost.
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EDN reported iDEAL’s claim that a 200 V SuperQ MOSFET can achieve six times lower resistance than existing silicon and 1.6 times lower resistance than GaN. These are company claims reported by EDN, not independently audited comparisons across equivalent parts, packages and test conditions.
iDEAL president and co-founder Mike Burns summarized the company’s approach this way: “Attempts to further increase performance have been focused on materials instead of expanding the limits of silicon.” Whether SuperQ or another improved silicon structure wins a particular design still depends on switching frequency, thermal limits, price, qualification and availability.
Silicon, SiC and GaN: which one fits?
| Technology | Where it is strongest | Typical constraints | Common application examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silicon MOSFETs and IGBTs | Mature manufacturing, broad voltage and current coverage, low cost and a large supplier base | Conduction and switching losses rise as designers push toward higher frequency, higher voltage or greater power density | Consumer adapters, appliances, industrial supplies, motor drives and cost-sensitive converters |
| Silicon carbide (SiC) | High-voltage, high-power switching with lower loss at demanding operating points and robust high-temperature capability | Higher device and gate-drive cost, stricter layout and thermal design, and a still-expanding supply chain | EV traction inverters, solar inverters, energy storage, fast chargers and high-power server conversion |
| Gallium nitride (GaN) | High-frequency switching, low charge and compact integration, especially in lower-voltage power stages | Voltage and power range, thermal paths, gate-drive/layout sensitivity and qualification requirements can limit use | USB-C and other compact adapters, telecom and server point-of-load stages, and integrated high-frequency converters |
Infineon describes the broad application split as SiC for high-voltage, high-power systems and GaN for lower-voltage, high-frequency designs. The boundaries overlap: a converter’s topology, bus voltage, current, switching frequency, cooling method and business target determine the practical choice.
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- Power Transistor / Voltage Regulator Assortment, 95pcs and 27 types
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When SiC is worth considering
SiC becomes attractive when switching and conduction losses in a high-voltage stage justify the device premium through smaller cooling hardware, higher efficiency or more power from the same enclosure. In July 2024, onsemi said its EliteSiC M3e MOSFETs reduce turn-off losses by up to 50% and described an accelerated product roadmap through 2030. The “up to 50%” figure is onsemi’s stated result for its specified comparison, not a blanket result for all SiC parts.
For an EV traction inverter, photovoltaic inverter, storage converter or high-power charger, calculate total system cost rather than comparing transistor prices alone. A more expensive SiC switch can pay back through reduced heatsink mass, lower cooling power, higher switching frequency or longer operating range; it can also lose that advantage if the application runs at a frequency or load where silicon already meets the efficiency target.
When GaN is worth considering
GaN’s value is usually tied to frequency and integration. Faster switching can shrink inductors, transformers and filters, while a monolithic or highly integrated stage can reduce the high-speed loop area. The benefits are most compelling when board area, weight, transient response or power density matters more than the lowest transistor line item.
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In December 2025, onsemi and Innoscience announced a memorandum focused on 40–200 V GaN production. The announcement cited an estimated $2.9 billion GaN market, an 11% share of global power semiconductors by 2030 and a 42% compound annual growth rate from 2024 to 2030. Those figures are estimates cited by the companies, not a neutral industry consensus.
What the market numbers do—and do not—show
A Wolfspeed investor presentation filed as a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission exhibit reproduced a Yole Group February 2025 forecast for SiC power-device revenue:
| Year | Forecast SiC power-device revenue |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $3.4 billion |
| 2025 | $4.3 billion |
| 2026 | $5.2 billion |
| 2027 | $6.4 billion |
| 2028 | $7.9 billion |
| 2029 | $9.5 billion |
| 2030 | $11.1 billion |
This forecast indicates rapid SiC growth, not the extinction of silicon. Wolfspeed’s Gen 4 announcement also said additional MOSFET footprints and resistance ranges were planned through 2025 and early 2026, evidence of product expansion rather than a completed transition.
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How to choose a device for a real converter
- Set the electrical envelope. Record the maximum bus voltage, repetitive and peak current, fault conditions, duty cycle and required isolation. Eliminate parts without adequate blocking-voltage and current margin.
- Set the frequency and loss budget. Estimate conduction, turn-on, turn-off, reverse-recovery and gate-drive losses at the actual load profile. A technology that looks superior at one operating point may be worse over the full mission cycle.
- Evaluate the thermal path. Include package resistance, PCB copper, heatsink or cold plate, airflow and allowable junction temperature. Higher efficiency is useful only if the package can get the remaining heat out.
- Price the complete bill of materials. Include drivers, isolated supplies, bootstrap parts, protection, magnetics, filters, heatsinking, assembly and any board-area savings. Compare an integrated GaN stage with the complete discrete silicon or SiC implementation, not with a single transistor.
- Check control and layout constraints. Confirm gate-drive voltage, dV/dt tolerance, dead-time requirements, common-mode behavior, current sensing and protection response. Fast devices can expose ringing and EMI problems that a slower switch hides.
- Check qualification and supply. For automotive or industrial products, verify the required qualification, lifetime data, second sources, package availability and change-notification policy. A theoretically better device is not a practical choice if supply continuity is uncertain.
- Prototype at the intended operating point. Measure efficiency, temperature, conducted and radiated EMI, startup, short-circuit behavior and transient response on the final layout. Datasheet headline values cannot replace system-level measurements.
What actually replaces a discrete power transistor?
There is no single replacement. Depending on the converter, the discrete FET may be replaced by one of four architectures:
- An integrated GaN power stage: power switches, driver and protection in one package for compact, high-frequency designs.
- A SiC module: multiple high-voltage switches and often diode or sensing functions in a thermally optimized power package.
- A silicon power IC: a controller or driver with integrated low-voltage MOSFETs where cost and simplicity dominate.
- A conventional discrete arrangement: separate FETs, drivers and protection when voltage, current, repairability, sourcing or customization require it.
Integration is therefore an architectural choice, not proof that discrete devices have become obsolete. The right question is whether combining functions improves the converter’s efficiency, size, reliability and manufacturing cost without taking away margins the design needs.
So, is silicon dead?
Silicon remains the broadest, most mature and often least expensive option. SiC is expanding where high voltage and high power make its efficiency and thermal advantages valuable. GaN is expanding where high frequency, compact magnetics and integration justify a different cost and design approach. Discrete devices are being displaced in selected stages by modules and power ICs, but no source establishes an industry-wide date when all discrete power devices will disappear.
For an EV inverter or high-power data-center converter, compare SiC against silicon using full-system efficiency, cooling and lifetime economics. For a compact adapter or high-frequency point-of-load stage, compare GaN’s layout and integration benefits with its voltage, thermal and qualification limits. For cost-sensitive or widely distributed equipment, modern silicon may still be the best engineering decision.
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