Infineon will supply Enphase Energy with 900 V gallium nitride (GaN) monolithic bidirectional switches (BDS) for use in Enphase’s solid-state transformer (SST) power modules, targeting applications that include AI data centers. Infineon describes the devices as the world’s first 900 V GaN monolithic BDS, a voltage step up from the 650 V class the companies have previously used together.
The parts are branded CoolGaN 900 V monolithic BDS and are intended to extend GaN’s operating voltage range to 900 V while retaining high-frequency switching characteristics. For SST architectures, Infineon and Enphase are aiming for higher efficiency and higher power density, with bidirectional switching integrated at the device level.
In power conversion terms, a monolithic GaN BDS combines bidirectional voltage blocking and current conduction in a single device. That can simplify power stages by reducing component count, and it supports higher-frequency operation that can shrink magnetic components. For data center power designers, those knobs matter because SST-based distribution is often about compressing size and loss while keeping reliability acceptable at megawatt scale.
Adam White, Division President Power Systems at Infineon, said the company is “extending the range of applications where customers can benefit from the efficiency and power density advantages of GaN” by moving into a 900 V class for “high-performance power conversion systems.”
Enphase tied the 900 V devices directly to its IQ Solid-State Transformer, which it calls its SST product for AI data centers, where power density, efficiency, and uptime affect the economics of deployed capacity. Hans van Antwerpen, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Enphase Energy, said moving to 900 V provides “more voltage headroom,” and that it “allows us to remove converter stages from the system and reduce the number of components in the power path,” which he said translates to higher efficiency, higher power density, and improved system reliability.
Infineon also pointed to potential use in commercial solar inverters, citing three-phase, line-to-line designs for 480 V applications in the United States and 400 V applications in other regions, with fewer switches, lower losses, and reduced system cost.
Enphase led development and system-level demonstration work, building on more than 10 years of in-house research into GaN-based power conversion, with Infineon providing device technology and engineering support. The companies have previously partnered on 650 V GaN BDS technology for Enphase IQ9 Microinverters. Infineon said the new 900 V GaN BDS devices have been successfully tested, are being integrated into Enphase’s IQ SST product development, and that production qualification is expected to follow.
Source: Infineon Technologies
