Silicon power semiconductors are a mature and well-understood technology; for many years, progress has come primarily through incremental improvements rather than fundamental architectural change. The last major leap at the device architecture level was the introduction of RESURF-based SuperJunction MOSFETs, which enabled higher blocking voltages without the steep resistance penalties of earlier trench-based devices.
Since then, continued gains in efficiency have been achieved, but largely through process refinement rather than new structural concepts. As system power levels and switching frequencies increased, designers began exploring wide-bandgap materials to address loss and power-density challenges, often accepting higher cost, increased design complexity, and supply-chain considerations as part of that decision.