GaN and SiC 'first' for data centre PSU
Navitas Semiconductor has announced what it claims is the world’s first 8.5 kW power supply unit (PSU), powered by GaN and SiC technologies to achieve 98 percent efficiency, for next-generation AI and hyperscale data centres.
The AI-optimised 54V output PSU complies with Open Compute Project (OCP) and Open Rack v3 (ORv3) specifications and uses high-power GaNSafe and Gen-3 Fast SiC MOSFETs configured in 3-phase interleaved PFC and LLC topologies.
The company says that the PSU’s shift to a 3-phase topology for both the PFC and LLC (vs. 2-phase topologies used by competing PSUs) enables the industry’s lowest ripple current and EMI. Furthermore, the PSU reduces the number of GaN and SiC devices by 25 percent compared with the nearest competing system, which reduces the overall cost.
The PSU has an input voltage range of 180 to 264 Vac, a standby output voltage of 12 V, and an operating temperature range of -5oC to 45oC. Its hold-up time at 8.5 kW is 10 ms, with 20 ms possible through an extender.
The 3-Phase LLC topology is enabled by high-power GaNSafe, which integrates control, drive, sensing, and critical protection features. GaNSafe has short-circuit protection (350ns max latency), 2kV ESD protection on all pins, elimination of negative gate drive, and programmable slew rate control. All these features are controlled with 4-pins, allowing the package to be treated like a discrete GaN FET, requiring no VCC pin.
The 3-Phase interleaved CCM TP-PFC is powered by Gen-3 Fast SiC MOSFETs with ‘trench-assisted planar’ technology.
“This complete wide bandgap solution of GaN and SiC enables the continuation of Navitas’ AI power roadmap which enables this 8.5kW and plans to drive to 12kW & higher in the near-term”, said Gene Sheridan, CEO and co-founder of Navitas. “As many as 95 percent of the world’s data centres cannot support the power demands of servers running NVIDIA’s latest Blackwell GPUs, highlighting a readiness gap in the ecosystem. This PSU design directly addresses these challenges for AI and hyperscale data centres.”
The PSU will be on display for the first time at Electronica 2024 (November 12th– 15th).
