Revolutionizing AI Chip Power with Vertical Delivery

Empower Semiconductor has made a groundbreaking advancement in power delivery technology with the development of its vertical power delivery platform utilizing silicon capacitor technology.

The Crescendo vertical power delivery platform, designed by Empower specifically for high-performance computing (HPC) and AI applications, can handle up to 3000A. This innovative platform incorporates Empower’s exclusive FinFast technology, boasting nanosecond transient response times.

In today's data center landscape, the demand for power and speed continues to escalate, rendering existing lateral power delivery architectures obsolete. Conventional lateral power solutions, in pursuit of high efficiency, operate at sluggish speeds, necessitating a bulky presence of power stages and magnetics on the top side of the printed circuit board (PCB).

The sluggish operation of traditional lateral power solutions results in the need for large capacitor banks positioned near the processor, occupying crucial power-sensitive real estate within the system. This setup leads to significant lateral transmission power losses, a challenge exacerbated by the escalating power demands of new AI chips.

Crescendo, however, revolutionizes power delivery by eliminating the need for capacitor banks and energy storage through the use of silicon capacitors housed in an ultra-thin thermally enhanced package that conveniently fits beneath the processor. This innovative approach enables the efficient delivery of power vertically to the AI chip, effectively eradicating the hindering lateral transmission losses.

Empower's FinFast technology integrates cutting-edge control architectures, high-frequency magnetics, wide-bandwidth silicon capacitors, and advanced power packaging to deliver a bandwidth that surpasses traditional power converters by 20 times.

Tim Phillips, the founder and CEO of Empower Semiconductor, emphasized the significance of the Crescendo platform in meeting the escalating power demands of AI processors. He stated, "AI’s accelerating power requirements far outpace the capability of today’s lateral power solutions, both in scale and speed. In developing the Crescendo platform, Empower enables generations of new AI processors to hit their performance goals while running efficiently and cool."

Phillips further highlighted the potential of the Crescendo platform, stating, "With this introduction, we are enabling efficient true vertical power delivery for our customers – and this is just the beginning, as the Crescendo platform will allow the integration of power delivery directly into the processor at total power supply densities exceeding 5A/mm2, setting Empower apart as the technology leader."

The Crescendo platform offers a remarkable 5x increase in total solution density for the same level of power delivery, facilitating truly vertical power delivery within a height of just 1mm or 2mm. Additionally, it delivers a 10% reduction in power delivery losses compared to traditional power delivery architectures, potentially resulting in significant power savings for data centers.

Empower Semiconductor is set to unveil the Crescendo platform for the first time at the 2024 OCP Global Summit in San Jose, California, scheduled from October 15-17, 2024. This event marks a significant milestone for Empower as it showcases its cutting-edge technology to industry professionals and enthusiasts.

For more information about Empower Semiconductor and its innovative Crescendo platform, visit www.empowersemi.com.