At Wolfspeed, the relentless pursuit of innovation drives everything from the materials we use to the products we create. A great example of this commitment to innovation is the work of Brice McPherson, a product development engineer in the company’s power modules business unit. With a focus on power packaging—a key element in unlocking the energy efficiency of our semiconductors—McPherson and his team have solved complex engineering problems, driving major improvements in high-power applications across industries.
For McPherson, solving technical problems isn’t just about solving a puzzle—it’s about collaboration. Whether working with his engineering colleagues, learning from process and testing engineers, engaging with customers, or mentoring junior engineers, the key to success is fostering a spirit of open communication and cooperation.
“Engineering is fundamentally all about problem-solving, and sometimes those problems are even ones we’ve created for ourselves. But you have to keep an open mind and listen,” he says. Striking a balance of confidence and humility, practicality and curiosity is what drives the continuous cycle of innovation at Wolfspeed.
Customer collaboration plays an equally important role. Wolfspeed’s customers are experts in their own fields, from automotive manufacturers to aerospace companies. By closely listening to their needs and challenges, McPherson and his team can develop solutions that not only meet performance requirements but also ensure efficient integration into larger systems. He notes, “If we can help our customers solve a problem quickly, instead of them spending years figuring it out themselves, that benefits everyone involved.”
One of the standout challenges that McPherson and his team tackled was optimizing the *source Kelvin connection* for paralleled devices in an overmolded power module with limited real estate for this feature. This electrical connection is crucial for energy efficient switching—where electrical devices turn on and off. By ensuring that the power loop (which handles high current) and signal loop (which controls the switching) don’t interfere with each other, engineers can improve switching speed and reduce power losses.
The difficulty arose when trying to implement this optimization in overmolded packages, which are particularly beneficial for automotive applications due to their low cost and robust design. However, their compactness often results in the sacrifice of a quality source Kelvin implementation. Furthering this challenge, the team was asked to double the device area in the package to address the ambitious power requirements of our customer base.
Essentially, the area needed for the source Kelvin was now taken up by the devices, leaving limited options for an effective balance of current carrying capability and switching efficiency.
“Getting a quality and uniform source Kelvin connection is very difficult when paralleling devices,” McPherson explains. “We had to collaborate closely with our applications, production, and systems teams to find a solution.”
Through teamwork, creative problem-solving, and leveraging expertise from across the company, they succeeded in delivering a new competitive solution that not only solved the technical challenge but also resulted in valuable intellectual property.
For those of us who work in tech, the chance to make a meaningful impact on the world is what drives us. For McPherson, the work is not just about pushing the limits of technology—it’s about using that technology to solve real-world problems and empower others to do the same. Whether it's collaborating across internal functions or helping a customer solve a complex issue, McPherson exemplifies the spirit of innovation that powers Wolfspeed and the broader semiconductor industry.
