News: Microelectronics
17 October 2025
EPC develops power converter for 800VDC architecture in AI data centers
Efficient Power Conversion Corp (EPC) of El Segundo, CA, USA — which makes enhancement-mode gallium nitride on silicon (eGaN) power field-effect transistors (FETs) and integrated circuits for power management applications — is developing power converters to accelerate the adoption of 800VDC distribution systems for the next generation of AI data centers.
Future AI factory data centers will require megawatt-scale rack power delivery systems, notes EPC. To address this challenge, it has developed a low-cost, low-profile GaN-based, 6kW 800V-to-12.5V converter based on an input series output parallel (ISOP) topology.
Benefits of a GaN-based solution are cited as:
- Higher power density – occupies an area of less than 5000mm2 and only 8mm in height, making it suitable for space-constrained AI boards;
- High efficiency and reduced losses – efficiently converts 800VDC to 12.5VDC close to the load, reducing bussing losses and improving system-level efficiency.
Future-proofing AI infrastructure with 800VDC
By moving from AC directly to 800VDC at the rack level, and then stepping down to 12.5V at the board, EPC says that its GaN-based solution eliminates unnecessary conversion stages and enables the scalability, simplicity and energy optimization demanded by future AI data centers.
“GaN is an essential technology for the 800VDC ecosystem,” says CEO Alex Lidow. “Our collaboration with NVIDIA is to develop compact, efficient, cost-effective board-level conversion to power future AI factories at gigawatt scale.”
