Alectra: High voltage switches for an electrified future

Project Alectra is developing a new class of high-voltage semiconductor switch designed to close a persistent “middle-voltage” gap in power electronics: too high for today’s mainstream fast-switching devices, and traditionally served by slower, lossier solutions. The project’s core idea is to deliver kilovolt-class switching performance through a novel III-V material solution with dramatically improved efficiency and power density, enabling smaller and lighter power converters that waste less energy as heat. By advancing a scalable, foundry-compatible device architecture that can operate at substantially higher voltages without resorting to multi-device stacking, Alectra aims to simplify converter designs while boosting switching speed and reducing conduction losses.

This technology aims to help improve the performance and economics of the systems that move and transform electricity across the grid, supporting more efficient data centers, renewable energy integration, energy storage, fast EV charging, industrial drives, and future resilient microgrids. Even modest efficiency gains at the converter level can translate into meaningful system-wide energy savings, while higher power density can reduce the size, materials, and cooling requirements of electrified infrastructure. Over the next year, the team will focus on de-risking manufacturability and reliability through milestone-driven device prototyping and benchmarking, while engaging prospective users and partners to validate requirements and accelerate a path from lab demonstration to real-world pilots and commercialization.