12kW GaN and SiC platform for hyperscale AI data centres

Navitas Semiconductor has announced its latest 12kW PSU ‘designed for production’ reference design for hyperscale AI data centres with high-power rack densities of 120kW.

The 12kW PSU complies with ORv3 specifications and OCP guidelines. It uses Gen-3 Fast SiC MOSFETs, a novel ‘IntelliWeave’ digital platform, and high-power GaNSafe ICs configured in three-phase interleaved TP-PFC and FB-LLC topologies to ensure the highest efficiency and performance, with the lowest component count.

The three-phase interleaved TP-PFC is powered by Gen-3 Fast SiC MOSFETs with ‘trench-assisted planar’ technology, which has been enabled by over 20 years of SiC innovation leadership and delivers world-leading performance over temperature, delivering cool-running, fast-switching, and superior robustness to support faster charging EVs and up to 3x more powerful AI data centres.

IntelliWeave digital control provides a hybrid CrCM and CCM control strategy for light-load to full-load conditions, ensuring maximum efficiency while maintaining a simplistic design with low component count. This results in a 30% reduction in power losses compared to existing CCM solutions.

The three-phase interleaved full-bridge (FB) LLC topology is enabled by fourth-generation high-power GaNSafe ICs, integrating control, drive, sensing, and critical protection features that will allow unprecedented reliability and robustness. GaNSafe is the world’s safest GaN with 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 four pins, permitting the package to be treated like a discrete GaN FET, needing no VCC pin. Suitable for applications from 1kW to 22kW, 650V GaNSafe in TOLL and TOLT packages are available with a range of RDS(ON)typ. from 18mΩ to 70mΩ.

The PSU is 790mm x 73.5mm x 40mm and has an input voltage range of 180-305VAC, outputting up to 50VDC and delivering 12kW when using input voltages above 207VAC and 10kW below this. Also, it implements active current sharing and over-current, over-voltage, under-voltage, and over-temperature protections. It has an operating temperature range of -5C to 45C, a hold-up time of -/>20ms at 12kW, and an inrush current of -/<3 times the steady-state current below 20ms. Cooling is via the PSU’s internal fan.

“The continuation and leadership of Navitas’ AI power roadmap has seen a quadrupling in output power – from 2.7 to 12kW – in just over 24 months,” said Gene Sheridan, CEO and co-founder of Navitas. “This increase in power delivery is vital for the world’s data centres to support the exponential power demanded by the latest GPU architectures. The ‘designed for production’ PSU enables our customers to quickly implement a highly efficient, simple, and cost-effective solution to address the power delivery challenges for AI and hyperscale data centres.”