John Shen

Education

Ph.D., EE, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1994
M.S., EE, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1991
B.S., EE, Tsinghua University, China, 1987

Research Interests

John Shen was the Illinois Institute of Technology Grainger Endowed Chair Professor from January 2013 to January 2022. He had previously held various positions including Senior Principal Staff Engineer with Motorola Inc. between 1994 and 1999. He was on the faculty of the University of Michigan-Dearborn between 1999 and 2004 and the University of Central Florida between 2004 and 2012. His research interests include power electronics, power semiconductor devices and integrated circuits (ICs), microelectronics, renewable energy systems, protection of DC and AC microgrids, transportation electrification, zero-energy buildings, telecom and computer power supplies, and high-efficiency industrial drives. His research has been supported by NSF, ARPA-E, DOE, and industry sponsors. He has authored and co-authored more than 300 journal and conference publications and holds 18 issued and several pending United States patents. He is an IEEE Fellow and has served IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS) in various capacities including Vice President of Products (2009-2012), Member at Large (2001-2007, and 2013-2016), Distinguished Lecturer Program Chair, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Power Electronics Magazine, General Chair of ECCE2016 and ISPSD2018, Technical Program Chair of ECCE2010. Technical Program Chair of PESC2007, Technical Program Chair of VPPC2005, General Chair of WPET2004, Finance Chair of Energy2030, Chair of Technical Committee on Transportation Power Electronics, and Chair of Technical Committee on Power Semiconductor Devices. He is also a Fellow of the U.S. National Academy of Inventors.

Awards

2020 Senior Faculty Sigma Xi Research Award, Illinois Institute of Technology

2018 Fellow of U.S. National Academy of Inventors

2016 ECE Department Undergraduate Teaching Award, Illinois Institute of Technology

2012 IEEE Region 3 Outstanding Engineer Award

2012 E. T. Walton Fellowship from Science Foundation of Ireland

2011 IEEE Fellow

2011 IEEE Florida Council Outstanding Engineer Award

2008 Researcher of the Year Award, College of Engineering and Computer Science, UCF

2006 Prize Paper Award of IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics

2003 Automotive Electronics Best Paper Award of IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology

2003 National Science Foundation CAREER Award

1996 Motorola Scientific and Technical Award

Publications

Select publications:

“Molded Case Electronically Assisted Circuit Breaker (EACB) for DC Power Distribution Systems,” Yanjun Feng, Xin Zhou, Slobodon Krstic, Yuanfeng Zhou, and Z. John Shen, IEEE Tran. Power Electronics, Vol. 36, No. 6, 2021

“GaN-Based Tri-Mode Intelligent Solid-State Circuit Breakers for Low-Voltage DC Power Networks,” Yuanfeng Zhou, Yanjun Feng, Risha Na, and Z. John Shen, IEEE Tran. Power Electronics, Vol. 36, No. 6, 2021

“An Ultra-Efficient DC Hybrid Circuit Breaker Architecture Based on Transient Commutation Current Injection,” Yuanfeng Zhou; Yanjun Feng; Nikolay Shatalov; Risha N; Z. John Shen, IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics, early access, 2020

“A Survey on Switching Oscillations in Power Converters,” Tianjiao Liu; Thomas T. Y. Wong; Z. John Shen, IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics, Vol. 8, No. 1, 2020

“Performance Comparison of Two Hybrid Si/SiC Device Concepts,” Zongjian Li; Jun Wang; Zhizhi He; Jiajun Yu; Yuxing Dai; Z. John Shen, IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics, Vol. 8, No. 1, 2020

"Reduction of threading dislocation density in top-down fabricated GaN nanocolumns via their lateral overgrowth by MOCVD," Vitaly Z. Zubialevich; Mathew McLaren; Pietro Pampili; Z. John Shen; Miryam Arredondo-Arechavala; Peter J. Parbrook, Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 127, No. 2, 2020,

"Analytical Calculation of Breakdown Voltage for Dielectric RESURF Power Devices," Gourab Sabui and Z. J. Shen, IEEE Electron Device Letters, Vol. 38, No. 6, pp. 767-770, 2017

"Analytical Calculation of Breakdown Voltage for Dielectric RESURF Power Devices," Gourab Sabui and Z. J. Shen, IEEE Electron Device Letters, Vol. 38, No. 6, pp. 767-770, 2017

"GaN Nanowire Schottky Barrier Diodes," Gourab Sabui; Vitaly Z. Zubialevich; Mary White; Pietro Pampili; Peter J. Parbrook; Mathew McLaren; Miryam Arredondo-Arechavala; and Z. J. Shen, IEEE Tran. Electron Device, Vol. 64, No. 5, pp. 2283-2290, 2017

"Design and Analysis of DC Solid-State Circuit Breakers Using SiC JFETs," Z. Miao, G. Sabui, A. M. Roshandeh, Z. J. Shen, IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics, Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 863-873, 2016

"Wide-Bandgap Solid-State Circuit Breakers for DC Power Systems: Device and Circuit Considerations," Z. J. Shen, G. Sabui, Z. Miao, and Z. Shuai, IEEE Tran. Electron Device, Vol. 62, No. 2, pp. 294-300, 2015

"Design Considerations of a Fault Current Limiting Dynamic Voltage Restorer (FCL-DVR)," Zhikang Shuai; Peng Yao; Shen, Z.J.; Chunming Tu; Fei Jiang; Ying Cheng, IEEE Tran. Smart Grid, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 14-25, 2015

“Advanced Low-Voltage Power MOSFET Technology for Power Supply in Package Applications,” B. Yang, J. Wang, S. Xu, J. Korec, and Z. J. Shen, IEEE Tran. Power Electronics, Vol. 28, No. 9, pp. 4202-4215, 2013

“A Review of Power Decoupling Techniques for Microinverters With Three Different Decoupling Capacitor Locations in PV Systems,” Hu, H.; Harb, S.; Kutkut, N.H.; Shen, Z. J.; Batarseh, I., IEEE Tran. Power Electronics, Vol. 28, No. 6, pp. 2711-2726, 2013

“A Single-Stage Microinverter Without Using Electrolytic Capacitors,” Hu, H.; Harb, S.; Kutkut, N.H.; Shen, Z. J.; Batarseh, I., IEEE Tran. Power Electronics, Vol. 28, No. 6, pp. 2677-2687, 2013

“Operation Mode Analysis and Peak Gain Approximation of the LLC Resonant Converter,” Fang, X.; Hu, H.; Shen, Z. J.; Batarseh, I., IEEE Trans. Power Electronics, Vol. 27, No. 4, pp. 1985-1995, April 2012.

“New Physical Insights on Power MOSFET Switching Losses,” Y. Xiong, S. Sun, H. Jia, P. Shea, and Z. J. Shen, IEEE Trans. Power Electronics, Vol. 24, No. 2, pp. 525-531 Feb 2009.

“Lateral Power MOSFET for Megahertz-Frequency, High-density DC/DC Converters,” Z. J. Shen, D. Okada, F. Lin, S. Anderson, and X. Cheng, IEEE Trans. Power Electronics, Vol. 21, Issue 1, pp. 11-17, Jan, 2006.

“Reducing Voltage Rating and Cost of Vehicle Power Systems with a New Transient Voltage Suppression Technology,” Z. J. Shen, F. Robb, S. P. Robb and D. Briggs, IEEE Trans. Vehicular Tech., Nov. 2003.

Patents

1. Z. Shen, "Self-powered DC solid state circuit breakers," U.S. Patent 9,543,751 B2, issued on Jan 10, 2017.

2. H. Hu, X. Fang, I. Batarseh, Z. Shen, "Resonant power converter having switched series transformer," U.S. Patent 9,130,462, issued on Nov 4, 2015.

3. Z. Shen, P. Shea, D. Okada, "Semiconductor device and method of forming junction enhanced trench power MOSFET," U.S. Patent 9,099,519, issued on Aug 4, 2015.

4. Z. Shen, P. Shea, D. Okada, "Semiconductor Device and Method of Forming Junction Enhanced Trench Power MOSFET Having Gate Structure Embedded within Trench," U.S. Patent 8,962,425, issued on Feb 24, 2015.

5. Z. Shen, "High-temperature, wirebondless, injection-molded, ultra-compact hybrid power module," U.S. Patent 8,120,153, issued on Feb 21, 2012.

6. Z. Shen, "On-Chip Magnetic Components," U.S. Patent 7,719,112 B2, issued on May 18, 2010.

7. Z. Shen and David Okada, "Monolithic Power Semiconductor Structures Including Pairs of Integrated Devices," U.S. Patent 7,612,418 B2, issued on Nov. 3, 2009.

8. V. Garg, J. Fodera, and Z. Shen, "A Method for Operating a Vehicle," US Patent 7,558,655, issued on July 7, 2009.

9. Z. Shen, "Power MOSFET," U.S. Patent 6,972,464, issued on Dec. 6, 2005.

10. Z. Shen, S. P. Robb, and C.S. Mitter, "Semiconductor Device and Method of Making," US Patent 6,507,070, issued on Jan. 14, 2003.

11. Z. Shen and S. P. Robb, "Semiconductor Load Driver Circuit and Method Therefor", 

12. Z. Shen and S. P. Robb, “Semiconductor Device Having High Voltage Protection Capability ", US Patent 5,536,958, issued on Jul. 16, 1996.

Expertise

Power electronics, power semiconductor devices, microelectronics, energy systems