Renesas Aims for Power Efficiency with Bidirectional 650V GaN Switch

Renesas Electronics has introduced what it describes as the industry’s first bidirectional 650V-class GaN switch, aimed at simplifying power conversion in applications ranging from solar microinverters to AI data centers and EV onboard chargers. The new TP65B110HRU integrates bidirectional current blocking in a single device, eliminating the need for conventional back-to-back FET configurations, the company notes.

For eeNews Europe readers, the development is significant as it addresses long-standing efficiency and complexity challenges in high-power conversion design while aligning with industry trends toward higher density and simplified architectures.

Moving toward single-stage power conversion

According to the release, traditional power conversion systems rely on unidirectional silicon or SiC switches, which necessitate multi-stage architectures. In solar microinverters, for example, this typically means separate DC-DC and DC-AC stages, increasing component count and reducing efficiency.

Renesas claims its bidirectional GaN approach enables true single-stage conversion. By replacing multiple switches with just two high-voltage devices, engineers can eliminate intermediate DC-link capacitors and reduce switch count by half. The company reports that a real-world implementation achieved more than 97.5% efficiency, aided by the fast switching and low charge characteristics of GaN.

This shift could have broader implications for system design, particularly in space-constrained and thermally limited environments such as data centers and EV platforms.

Design simplification and robustness

According to the company, the TP65B110HRU combines a depletion-mode GaN device with two low-voltage silicon MOSFETs, delivering bidirectional operation while maintaining compatibility with standard gate drivers. Unlike enhancement-mode GaN solutions, the device does not require a negative gate bias, simplifying the gate drive circuitry and reducing system cost.

Renesas highlights features such as a ±650V continuous rating, ±800V transient capability, and dv/dt immunity above 100 V/ns. The device also integrates body diodes for reverse conduction and supports both soft and hard switching topologies, including Vienna rectifiers.

The device is available now, along with an evaluation kit supporting various drive configurations and soft-switching implementation.

This announcement signals a potential inflection point in power electronics design. By enabling simpler, single-stage architectures with fewer components, bidirectional GaN devices could accelerate adoption of high-efficiency systems across renewable energy, automotive and data infrastructure sectors.