At the OCP Global Summit 2025 in September, STMicroelectronics (ST) unveiled a revolutionary power supply board capable of delivering a staggering 12 kilowatts (kW) of power, yet remaining roughly the size of a smartphone. This breakthrough is poised to become a critical enabling technology for next-generation, hyper-scale Artificial Intelligence (AI) data centers.
The core of this high-density power solution is a Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based LLC converter operating at a high switching frequency of 1 megahertz (MHz) with an input voltage of 800 volts (V). By utilizing the superior switching speed and thermal properties of Gallium Nitride, ST has achieved a continuous output of up to 12 kW while maintaining an industry-leading efficiency of over 98 percent (%).
This compact, ultra-efficient design directly addresses several significant challenges facing modern data center infrastructure, particularly those supporting power-hungry AI applications. Key benefits include:
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Power Density: The unprecedented power density achieved (12 kW in a smartphone size) dramatically reduces the physical space required for power infrastructure.
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Thermal Management: The high efficiency (over 98%) means significantly less energy is wasted as heat, simplifying complex and expensive thermal management systems.
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Infrastructure Simplification and Cost Reduction: By solving these power density and thermal issues, the solution contributes to overall infrastructure simplification, leading to substantial cost savings in construction and operation.
