Navitas Overcomes AI Challenges with World’s Highest Power Density Data Center Design
Navitas delivers efficient 4.5 kW power in the smallest power-supply form-factor for latest AI GPUs that demand 3x more power per rack.
Navitas Semiconductor, the industry leader in next-generation GaNFast™ gallium nitride (GaN) and GeneSiC™ silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors, today released its 4.5 kW AI data center power supply reference design, with optimized GaNSafe™ and Gen-3 ‘Fast’ (G3F) SiC power components. The optimized design enables the world’s highest power density with 137 W/in3 and over 97% efficiency.
Next-generation AI GPUs like NVIDIA’s Blackwell B100 and B200 each demand over 1 kW of power for high-power computation, 3x higher than traditional CPUs. These new demands are driving power-per-rack specifications from 30-40 kW up to 100 kW.
Navitas announced its AI Power Roadmap in March 2024, showcasing next-generation data center power solutions for the growing demand in AI and high-performance computing (HPC) systems. 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% size reduction vs. the equivalent legacy silicon approach and easily exceeded the ‘Titanium Plus’ efficiency benchmark, critical for data center operating models and a requirement for European data center regulations.
Now, the latest 4.5 kW CRPS185 design demonstrates how new GaNSafe™ power ICs and GeneSiC Gen-3 ‘Fast’ (G3F) MOSFETs enables the world’s highest power density and efficiency solution. At the heart of the design is an interleaved CCM totem-pole PFC using SiC with full-bridge LLC topology with GaN, where the fundamental strengths of each semiconductor technology are exploited for the highest frequency, coolest operation, optimized reliability and robustness, and highest power density and efficiency. The 650 V G3F SiC MOSFETs feature ‘trench-assisted planar’ technology which delivers world-leading performance over temperature for the highest system efficiency and reliability in real-world applications.
For the LLC stage, 650 V GaNSafe power ICs are ideal and unique in the industry with integrated power, protection, control, and drive in an easy-to-use, robust, thermally-adept TOLL power package. Additionally, GaNSafe power ICs offer extremely 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). High-speed switching reduces the size, weight, and cost of passive components in a power supply, such as transformers, capacitors, and EMI filters. As power density increases, next-gen GaN and SiC enable sustainability benefits, specifically CO2 reductions due to system efficiency increases and ‘dematerialization’.
The 3.2 kW and 4.5 kW platforms have already generated significant market interest with over 30 data center customer projects in development expected to drive millions in GaN and SiC revenue, ramping from 2024 into 2025.
Navitas’ AI data center power supply reference designs dramatically accelerate customer developments, minimize time-to-market, and set new industry benchmarks in energy efficiency, power density and system cost, enabled by GaNFast power ICs and GeneSiC MOSFETs. These system platforms include complete design collateral with fully tested hardware, embedded software, schematics, bills-of-material, layout, simulation, and hardware test results.
“AI is dramatically accelerating power requirements of data centers, processors and anywhere AI is going in the decades to come creating a significant challenge for our industry. Our system design center 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.”
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