Transphorm, Inc., a global supplier of high performance gallium nitride (GaN) power conversion products, and Bel Power Solutions (NASDAQ: BELFA) this month announced that six of Bel’s Titanium Efficiency Power Supplies employ Transphorm’s high voltage GaN FETs [field-effect transistors].
The companies maintain that this collaboration indicates the growing trend of high performance, wide bandgap power supply units (PSUs) being deployed in data center servers, routers, and network switches.
The six GaN-based TET series PSUs are AC to DC front end supplies. They include the TET3000 series, the industry’s first AC-DC supplies to achieve titanium efficiency with GaN being used in the AC-to-DC bridgeless totem-pole power factor correction (PFC) power stage—a product that has since been modified using the same circuitry with firmware improvements to become the TET3200 series based on customer interest in higher power output.
The remaining four TET series range in power levels from 1.5 to 2.5 kW and are packaged in standard 1U or common redundant power supply (CRPS) rack mount form factors. The entire family delivers greater than 96 percent efficiency at high line with a main output of 12 VDC, earning the PSUs an 80 Plus Titanium rating.
As noted by Transphorm, gallium nitride power converters offer fundamental advantages compared to Silicon (Si) in power applications. Specifically, Transphorm’s GaN FETs are proven to increase the efficiency of the AC to DC PFC stage to more than 99 percent, thereby increasing power density (more power in the same form factor) while reducing the overall system cost—all with a published field reliability of < 1.0 FIT.
As a result of these benefits, the use of GaN power transistors is expected to increase rapidly over the next few years. In fact, as cited by the companies, Omdia recently forecasted that the overall compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of GaN power transistors used in data center power supplies will be 66.5 percent from 2019 to 2024.
“Our legacy is working with large data centers, creating a catalog of targeted power solutions that service the wide scope of applications used by our customers by leveraging cutting edge technologies for the best possible performance results,” comments Ian Warner, Business Development Manager, Bel Power Solutions. “We’ve been designing with Transphorm’s GaN for more than six years now. The efficiency and reliability we’ve been able to achieve to date has helped us create the TET family of supplies that are exceeding customer expectations with an unparalleled solution. We’re changing what’s possible in data centers and Transphorm is a contributor to that movement.”
“We’ve seen high voltage GaN positively disrupt industries over the past few years,” adds Philip Zuk, VP of Worldwide Technical Marketing and NA Sales, Transphorm. “The data center market is next. Transphorm’s technology performance is proven in excess of 10 kW in various applications. Our device cost is driving down closer to silicon with each generation. And, we set the industry benchmarks for quality and reliability. We’re unsurpassed in that area, making our GaN devices an optimal choice for data center solutions.”