News: Microelectronics
1 October 2026
Renesas unveils first 650V GaN in dual-side-cooled 8mm x 8mm package for megawatt-scale AI data centers
Renesas Electronics Corp of Tokyo, Japan has launched what it claims is the industry’s first 650V GaN device with dual-side cooling for high-density power conversion in 800V high-voltage DC (HVDC) AI data-center architectures. The new TP65H020G4PLSGBD D-Mode device delivers 20mΩ on-resistance — one of the lowest in its class — in an ultra-compact, dual-side-cooled (DSC) PQFN package that handles more power in less space. Renesas is currently sampling the device to major AI data-center OEMs and ODMs.
Built on its Gen IV Plus GaN architecture, the device is purpose-built for the megawatt-scale demands driving next-generation AI data centers supporting up to 700V operation. It targets the 800V DC/DC intermediate bus converter (IBC) stage that steps down to 48V, 12V or 6V, along with the battery backup (BBU) and capacitor bank (CBU) stages of the sidecar power rack.
As rack power climbs from roughly 120kW toward megawatt scale, space and heat have become critical factors in sustaining the power level. Unlike conventional top-side-cooled packages, the new device dissipates heat from both top and bottom, lowering top-side thermal impedance by 10%. Its 8mm x 8mm PQFN footprint is also 57% smaller than the existing 10mm x 15mm TOLT package.
The device incorporates the full strength of Renesas’ Gen IV Plus 650V GaN technology: low gate charge and output capacitance, a built-in freewheeling diode with minimal reverse recovery and a high threshold voltage that runs without a negative gate bias. Engineers can drive it with a standard silicon gate driver, switch into the MHz frequency range to minimize passive components and cut overall bill-of-materials (BOM) cost without requiring a specialized E-mode driver.
“Customers building megawatt-scale AI data centers are running out of board space and thermal headroom before they hit their power limits,” notes John Wiggenhorn, senior product line director of High-Voltage GaN. “With the industry’s first dual-side-cooled 650V GaN, we cool the device from both sides and cut the footprint significantly, so designers can move more power through the intermediate bus without redrawing the board or adding more cooling hardware. And because it keeps the operational simplicity of the silicon gate drive customers already use, it’s an extremely easy upgrade.”
The new dual-side-cooled (DSC) PQFN package is defined in collaboration with major AI infrastructure customers, enabling an industry-standard footprint for sourcing flexibility. When paired with Renesas AUX controllers, gate drivers and MCUs, the GaN device creates a Renesas one-stop-shop power solution for OEMs, ODMs and hyperscalers moving to 800V architectures.
Renesas has already validated the approach in silicon. A 6kW, 800V-to-48V LLC DC transformer (DCX) reference design built on the new device and controlled by a Renesas RA6T3 MCU reaches a power density of 2.6kW/in3 with per-module testing measuring full-load efficiency 0.21% higher than an equivalent TOLT-based board. The smaller package also saves PCB space and enables a better-matched layout across the FETs. 800V-to-12V and 6V DC/DC IBC reference designs also leverage the new DSC 8x8 platform, delivering similar enhanced performance, scalability and power density levels.
Renesas is showcasing the new TP65H020G4PLSGBD GaN device as part of its 800V power solutions at the OCP Global Summit in San Jose, CA, USA (12–15 October).
The TP65H020G4PLSGBD is sampling now. Mass production is planned for mid-2027.
