German semiconductor manufacturer Infineon Technologies will provide Eaton with silicon carbide (SiC) power devices for deployment in the power management firm’s medium-voltage solid-state transformer (MVSST) 2.0 platform.

In a statement, the two companies said the collaboration targets 800VDC data center power distribution architectures, with the aim of increasing the efficiency and reliability of the power conversion necessary for connecting AI data centers to the electrical grid.

Traditional data center power setups take alternating current (AC) from the grid and run it through a series of conversion processes, with direct current (DC) ultimately used to supply the server and its components. However, this process is inefficient, with multiple conversions resulting in losses at each step.

Additionally, with 1MW racks expected in the not-too-distant future, data center operators are having to reimagine how they approach the power architecture within facilities. Such rack densities will require a shift from AC power to DC power, and 800VDC has emerged as the distribution class that can be used to transport power to high-density AI racks.

To support this transition, solid-state transformers have emerged as a way to integrate diverse power sources and loads and make the conversion process more efficient. Eaton said its MVSST 2.0 platform reduces conversion stages compared with conventional architectures, offering improved efficiency, power density, and deployment flexibility.

The use of SiC devices within the MVSST platform will further improve the efficiency of the technology.

Silicon carbide is a synthetically produced crystalline compound of silicon and carbon. The material provides several advantages over conventional silicon for power applications, including better thermal conductivity, higher switching speeds, and lower dissipation, making it particularly suitable for the manufacturing of high-voltage power devices.

“As energy demand from AI data centers and industrial applications continues to grow, the demand for efficient, reliable, and sustainable power conversion is increasing,” said Andreas Weisl, EVP and chief sales officer of industrial & infrastructure at Infineon. “By joining forces with Eaton, we aim to advance solid-state transformer technology and contribute to the development of a more scalable, efficient and sustainable infrastructure for powering the AI data centers of the future.”

David Zheng, VP of R&D for power quality in APAC at Eaton, added: “Against the backdrop of rapidly increasing requirements for power efficiency, system reliability and scalability in AI data centers, our goal is to advance the development and adoption of SST technology. Thus, we aim to create greater value for data center and power grid operators as well as the renewable energy sector. Infineon’s advanced SiC technology is helping us accelerate the deployment of these next-generation power architectures.”

The partners said that in the future, the companies will explore next-generation solid-state transformer platforms based on 2.3kV and 3.3kV SiC power modules to support higher system voltages, improving efficiency and reliability in forthcoming AI data centers, grid modernization, and renewable energy applications.