On behalf of the Organizing Committee, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the International Steering Committee of the ICSCRM conference series in entrusting us with the organization of the premier event on silicon carbide worldwide!
Since the late 1990s, I have been working on SiC – first as a PhD student performing simulations and later working experimentally up to the level of power module reliability. From my very first steps at the SiC conferences – the European ECSCRM and the international ICSCRM alike – I have always enjoyed the open and friendly atmosphere and the breadth of expertise. Where else can you gain insights into crystalline properties influencing power device performance and the actual device reliability next to each other and talk to the respective expert directly, with mutual respect, and always with the idea to bring this material forward!
A lot of the major contributions in SiC research as a whole and towards more energy-efficient applications, such as inverters for photovoltaic systems, industrial drives, charging of electric vehicles, or, more recently, advances in spintronics, have been published and discussed first at the ICSCRM conference series. Many of the very first scientists and engineers in SiC continue to actively contribute to the conference. Taking over the role as the General Chair is a great honor and a great responsibility – I am standing on the shoulders of giants. By giving back to “my” scientific community, I would like support continuing the very special and very constructive dialogue on all issues related to this intriguing material, building a bridge for the new generation of SiC experts into our ICSCRM family.
I look very much forward to welcoming you at the Davos Congress Centre!
Ulrike Grossner (ETH Zurich)