The Solid-State Shift: Reinventing the Transformer for Modern Grids

This is very interesting and cannot happen fast enough, considering the current worldwide transformer shortage.

I have a question for people more familiar with these. What exactly happens at the isolation stage. They say it includes a high frequency transformer (HFT). But its input and out put is DC. And classic transformers operate on AC. So in order to get the transformer working, one would have to chop up the incoming dc power into a square wave or a sine wave. But what transistors can you use to do this, considering you are dealing both with very high power and very high frequencies?

You need to use nuclear-powered transistors!

No, I'm not joking. For these kinds of voltages, you need to use highly homogenous doped silicon, and the only way to produce it is to irradiate silicon with neutrons. It transmutes some of the silicon atoms into phosphorus: https://nrl.mit.edu/facilities/ntds/

I assume that if people are going to the trouble to literally irradiate the material in order to get what they need, they can't get the results by just mixing in phosphorus. Could somebody who actually understands this tell me why that is?