Renesas launches 100V GaN FETs for 48V power architectures

Renesas Electronics has introduced four 100V enhancement-mode gallium nitride transistors for power conversion in 48V systems, including data-centre power architectures, motor drives and multiphase buck converters. The devices cover on-resistance ratings from 5mΩ to 1.2mΩ and are offered in bottom-cooled and dual-side-cooled packages. Renesas said the packaging has been designed to provide compatibility with conventional MOSFET footprints while supporting higher current density and improved thermal performance. The new devices are the RTP100E005G1FL, RTP100E2P6G1FL, RTP100E1P8G1FL-DSC and RTP100E1P2G1FL-DSC. The first two use bottom-cooled packages, while the DSC parts provide dual-side cooling for applications requiring additional heat removal. Renesas is positioning the devices for synchronous rectification, DC-DC conversion and motor-control applications. One target is the 48V distribution layer being adopted within higher-voltage data-centre architectures, where power must be converted efficiently before reaching processor and accelerator voltage regulators. According to the company’s measurements, the devices can provide up to a 35% reduction in the hard-switching figure of merit and up to a 63% reduction in the soft-switching figure of merit compared with the silicon MOSFETs used for its comparison. Renesas also reports switching-loss reductions of between 40% and 70%, depending on operating conditions. These figures are manufacturer claims rather than independently measured comparisons. Actual performance will depend on gate-drive configuration, switching frequency, magnetic components, PCB layout and thermal design. Evaluation boards are available for the new parts, which have entered volume availability. Renesas acquired its low-voltage GaN technology through the purchase of Transphorm in 2024.