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Next-Generation Power Solutions from Renesas
Renesas is introducing a new family of enhanced-mode discrete power transistors designed to simplify high-frequency power conversion in 48V bus architectures and motor drives. These 100V GaN-based transistors (models RTP100E005G1FL, RTP100E2P6G1FL, RTP100E1P8G1FL-DSC, and RTP100E1P2G1FL-DSC) are specifically developed to manage megahertz-class switching frequencies required for industrial automation, high-density AI data centers, and solar microinverter applications.
Transition to 48V Bus Architectures and GaN's Role
As data center infrastructures and industrial power systems shift towards 800 VDC power distribution and 48V bus architectures, power converter stages are transitioning from kilohertz to megahertz-class switching frequencies. This transition allows engineers to reduce the physical size of magnetic components and increase overall system power density. The use of low-voltage GaN components in these high-voltage direct current (HVDC) architectures reduces the required size of passive components and decreases the need for thermal cooling capacity. Thanks to a silicon-compatible packaging footprint, GaN field-effect transistors (FETs) can be integrated into existing printed circuit board (PCB) layouts without requiring extensive structural redesigns.
Switching Metrics and Thermal Performance
These 100V GaN transistors minimize the temporal overlap between voltage and current, thereby reducing energy loss in conversion cycles. The components feature zero reverse recovery charge (Qrr = 0), a common source of switching loss found in traditional silicon alternatives. These devices offer up to a 35% reduction in hard-switching figure of merit (FOM) and up to a 63% reduction in soft-switching FOM compared to similar GaN iterations on the market.
The components offer an on-resistance (RDS(on)) range from 1.2 mΩ to 5 mΩ, providing operational scalability for different power levels for synchronous rectification and multi-phase buck conversion. The FETs are packaged in FCLGA and FCLGA-DSC formats, offering bottom and double-sided cooling configurations to manage heat dissipation in dense hardware. These features enable a 40% to 70% reduction in switching losses, depending on the specific conversion topology, thereby reducing mechanical reliance on active fan cooling.
Akhil Nair, Senior Director of Low Voltage GaN at Renesas, states that engineers integrating next-generation technology for robotics and renewable energy systems need components that offer specific switching performance and provide an easy transition from existing silicon MOSFET designs.
Competition and Renesas's Difference
In the low-voltage (100V) GaN FET market, companies such as Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) and Infineon Technologies also produce similar components. EPC's EPC2218 and EPC2302 100V eGaN FETs offer RDS(on) values down to 1.8 mΩ, targeting similar 48V DC-DC conversion environments. Infineon's 100V CoolGaN series also utilizes enhanced-mode operation with competitive on-resistance characteristics optimized for high-frequency switching operations. The Renesas RTP100 series directly competes, especially with its thermal management options provided by the FCLGA-DSC packages, which offer double-sided cooling. These packages move thermal loads away from the PCB surface to meet the increasing power density requirements of server-class soft-switching topologies.
