The efficient use of electrical energy is a foundation of modern society. Power electronics is at the core of electrical energy conversion and greatly impacts a system’s size, performance, and cost. High-performance miniaturized power electronics can be a key enabling technology for many emerging applications, such as electric vehicles (EV), medical devices, and soft- and micro-robotics.

This talk presents a new generation of power electronic devices that leverage high-frequency (3-300 MHz) operations to reduce energy storage requirements and achieve a significant reduction in overall size and cost. New circuits and system architectures are introduced that enable such dramatic increases in operating frequencies. We will show several system examples, including 1) a 1.7 kW inductive wireless power transfer system for EV charging, 2) a 54 kV high-voltage power supply for Xray CT scanners, and 3) a compact high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) device for noninvasive cancer therapy, to demonstrate the promising potential of high-performance megahertz power electronics in various applications.