# Inventing the Power MOSFET with Alex Lidow

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2026-03-20
- Length: 1h 05m
- Episode: 719
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-03-20-inventing-the-power-mosfet-with-alex-lidow
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/719-inventing-the-power-mosfet-with-alex-lidow/

## Summary

Alex Lidow, founder and CEO of Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) and former CEO of International Rectifier, recounts inventing the Power MOSFET and HEXFET while working at IR. He explains the physics of Gallium Nitride (GaN) on silicon, the founding of EPC after being fired from IR, and the company's strategic focus on low-voltage performance markets and integrated circuits for AI data centers and humanoid robots. Lidow also discusses the challenges of patent enforcement in the US versus China and the technical details of high-efficiency power topologies for next-generation NVIDIA servers.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-03-20-inventing-the-power-mosfet-with-alex-lidow#t=0) Introduction and Early Career at International Rectifier
- [3:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-03-20-inventing-the-power-mosfet-with-alex-lidow#t=217) Inventing the Power MOSFET and HEXFET
- [16:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-03-20-inventing-the-power-mosfet-with-alex-lidow#t=1015) The Evolution of Power Devices: IGBTs, CoolMOS, and Trench MOSFETs
- [20:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-03-20-inventing-the-power-mosfet-with-alex-lidow#t=1226) The Physics of Gallium Nitride and the Birth of EPC
- [26:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-03-20-inventing-the-power-mosfet-with-alex-lidow#t=1564) Founding EPC and GaN-on-Silicon Manufacturing
- [30:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-03-20-inventing-the-power-mosfet-with-alex-lidow#t=1823) Integrated Circuits, Robotics, and Radiation-Hardened Devices
- [35:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-03-20-inventing-the-power-mosfet-with-alex-lidow#t=2113) GaN Market Dynamics and Patent Enforcement Challenges
- [42:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-03-20-inventing-the-power-mosfet-with-alex-lidow#t=2562) Powering AI Data Centers with ISOP Topologies
- [55:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-03-20-inventing-the-power-mosfet-with-alex-lidow#t=3348) Humanoid Robots and Future Product Roadmap

## Topics

- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Intellectual property](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/intellectual-property)
- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Efficient Power Conversion (company)
- International Rectifier (company)
- Power MOSFET (product)
- HEXFET (product)
- Gallium Nitride (material)
- NVIDIA (company)
- Infineon (company)
- Navitas (company)
- InnoScience (company)
- Apple (company)
- IBM (company)
- Siemens (company)
- CoolMOS (product)
- Trench MOSFET (product)
- Silicon Carbide (material)
- IGBT (product)
- Altium (tool)
- DigiKey (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [GaN Powers Up in AI, Robotics, and Our Lives](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2025-02-18-gan-powers-up-in-ai-robotics-and-our-lives) (Moore's Lobby)
- [Powering a Green Future: Insights from Infineon's Peter Wawer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2023-05-16-powering-a-green-future-insights-from-infineons-peter-wawer) (Moore's Lobby)
- [Headline: Intel Throws a Curveball | The Book on Gallium Nitride](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2021-03-26-headline-intel-throws-a-curveball-the-book-on-gallium-nitride) (EE Times Current)
- [Intel on Getting Its Mojo Back](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2021-07-30-intel-on-getting-its-mojo-back) (EE Times Current)
- [Season 5 of Moore's Lobby is Coming Soon](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2022-09-06-season-5-of-moores-lobby-is-coming-soon) (Moore's Lobby)

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