A GaN device uses cooling from both sides to manage heat and save space in AI data centre power systems.
Renesas Electronics Corporation has launched a 650V gallium nitride (GaN) device with dual-side cooling for power conversion in 800V high-voltage DC (HVDC) AI data centre architectures.
The TP65H020G4PLSGBD D-Mode device has an on-resistance of 20 milliohms (mΩ) and uses an 8 x 8 mm dual-side-cooled (DSC) PQFN package. Renesas is sampling the device with AI data centre original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and original design manufacturers (ODMs).
The device is designed for AI data centres operating at up to 700V. It targets the 800V DC/DC intermediate bus converter (IBC) stage, which can step the voltage down to 48V, 12V, or 6V. It can also be used in battery backup unit (BBU) and capacitor backup unit (CBU) stages in sidecar power racks.
The device is based on Renesas’ Gen IV Plus GaN architecture. As AI server rack power increases from around 120 kW towards megawatt levels, power designers need to manage space and heat dissipation. The dual-side cooling package allows heat to be removed from both the top and bottom of the device.
Compared with top-side-cooled packages, the device reduces top-side thermal impedance by 10%. Its 8 x 8 mm package is also 57% smaller than the existing 10 x 15 mm TOLT package.
The 650V GaN device has low gate charge and output capacitance, along with a built-in freewheeling diode with low reverse recovery. It also has a high threshold voltage, allowing operation without a negative gate bias.
Engineers can drive the D-Mode device using a standard silicon gate driver instead of an enhancement-mode (E-Mode) driver. It can operate at switching frequencies in the megahertz range, helping reduce passive components and the overall bill of materials (BOM).
Power-supply and data centre hardware designers can use the device in high-voltage power conversion, intermediate bus converters, battery backup systems, and capacitor backup systems. It allows designers to build power conversion stages in less board space while removing heat from both sides of the package.
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