Power management technology is becoming increasingly important in artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) applications. With the increasing demand for power from AI chips, traditional power architectures can no longer meet the power and speed needs of modern data centers. In response to this challenge, Empower Semiconductor has introduced the revolutionary Crescendo Vertical Power Delivery Platform, which leverages the company's patented FinFast technology to deliver scalable, on-demand, true vertical power delivery for power supplies beyond 3000A, delivering an unprecedented combination of system efficiency, current density, and nanosecond transient response.
As the demands for power and responsiveness continue to rise in data center tasks, traditional power architectures have struggled to meet these requirements. In order to achieve high efficiency, these lateral power solutions had to run at slower speeds, which resulted in a large number of bulky power stages and magnetics having to be installed on top of the printed circuit board (PCB). In addition, these slow systems require a large capacitor bank to be deployed in close proximity to the processor, which not only occupies the most power-sensitive area of the system, but also causes significant lateral transmission power losses. As the power demand of the new generation of AI chips continues to grow, this transmission loss has also increased dramatically, which has become a pressing issue for the entire industry.
Figure: Empower unveils a revolutionary power delivery platform
The Crescendo platform eliminates the need for capacitor banks and energy storage by powering AI chips at unprecedented speed and precision. This design eliminates capacitors, allowing Crescendo's high-density and ultra-thin thermally enhanced package to fit into critical areas beneath the processor, enabling efficient vertically coupled power delivery and eliminating limiting lateral transmission losses. FinFast technology leverages cutting-edge silicon technology along with innovative control architectures, high-frequency magnetics, wide-bandwidth capacitors, and best-in-class power packages to enable full integration of all power components, providing the world's most dense and efficient AI power delivery solution.
Key benefits of the Crescendo platform include:
Ultra-fast bandwidth: Up to 20 times more bandwidth than traditional power converters, virtually eliminates PCB-mounted, high-frequency decoupling capacitors, and places active power delivery directly below the processor.
Power density: For the same level of power delivery, the Crescendo platform offers 5x the total solution density, making true vertical power delivery possible in heights of 1 mm or 2 mm.
Efficiency: Crescendo is able to reduce power delivery losses by more than 10% compared to traditional power delivery architectures. For a typical data center with 100,000 CPU instances, this means that more than 8 megawatts (MW) of power loss can be reduced.
Based in Silicon Valley, Empower Semiconductor is committed to reducing the energy footprint and total cost of ownership of data centers through its FinFast technology. Its revolutionary integrated voltage regulator provides AI processors with on-demand, scalable power for the speed, accuracy, and signal integrity they need. Empower's power management architecture reduces the solution's footprint, height, and component count, enabling vertical power delivery with unprecedented power density and efficiency.
