Bi-Directional 1/16th Brick Converter Using Monolithic GaN Power Stage

While 48 V bus becomes popular in data center and automotive applications, many peripherals still rely on 12 V supply rail. As a result, there is high demand for bi-directional 48 V to 12 V conversion. Advances in GaN integrated circuit (IC) technology have also enabled the integration of the half bridge and gate drivers, resulting in a single chip solution that simplifies layout, minimizes area, and reduces cost. This paper will introduce a bi-directional 1/16th brick DC-DC converter using the integrated GaN power stage for 48 V-to-12 V applications, with a maximum output power of 300 W and peak efficiency of 95%.