Data centre ref design delivers 137W per cubic inch
Navitas Semiconductor has released its 4.5 kW AI data centre power supply reference design, with optimised GaNSafe and Gen-3 ‘Fast’ (G3F) SiC power components.
According to the company, the design enables the world’s highest power density with 137 W/in3 and over 97 percent efficiency.
Next-generation AI GPUs like NVIDIA’s Blackwell B100 and B200 each demand over 1 kW of power for high-power computation, there times higher than traditional CPUs. These new demands are driving power-per-rack specifications from 30-40 kW up to 100kW.
Navitas announced its AI Power Roadmap in March 2024 (pictured above). The first design was a GaNFast-based 3.2 kW AC-DC converter in the Common Redundant Power Supply (CRPS) form factor, as defined by the hyperscale Open Compute Project. The 3.2 kW CRPS185 (for 185 mm length) enabled a 40 percent size reduction vs. the equivalent legacy silicon approach and exceeded the ‘Titanium Plus’ efficiency benchmark, critical for data centre operating models and a requirement for European data centre regulations.
The 4.5 kW CRPS185 design uses GaNSafe power ICs and GeneSiC Gen-3 ‘Fast’ (G3F) MOSFETs. At the heart of the design is an interleaved CCM totem-pole PFC using SiC with full-bridge LLC topology with GaN, where the strengths of each semiconductor technology are exploited for high frequency, cool operation, reliability and robustness, and high power density and efficiency. The 650 V G3F SiC MOSFETs feature ‘trench-assisted planar’ technology which Navitas says helps delivers high performance over temperature for high system efficiency and reliability.
For the LLC stage, 650 V GaNSafe power ICs have integrated power, protection, control, and drive in a robust, thermally-adept TOLL power package. GaNSafe power ICs also offer low switching losses, with a transient-voltage capability up to 800 V, and other high-speed advantages such as low gate charge (Qg), output capacitance (COSS), and no reverse-recovery loss (Qrr).
Navotas says that the 3.2 kW and 4.5 kW platforms have already generated interest with over 30 data centre customer projects in development.
“AI is dramatically accelerating power requirements of data centres, processors and anywhere AI is going in the decades to come creating a significant challenge for our industry. Our system design centre has stepped up to this challenge delivering a 3x increase in power in less than 18 months”, said Gene Sheridan, CEO of Navitas Semiconductor. “Our latest GaNFast technology, combined with our G3F SiC technology are delivering the highest power density and efficiency the world has ever seen…the perfect solution for the Blackwell AI processors and beyond.”
