Li Sichao holds a gallium nitride power module. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Researchers at Jiufengshan Lab in Hubei province have unveiled a new gallium nitride power module that promises to dramatically cut the energy consumption and cost of massive AI computing centers.
The module, developed under the leadership of Li Sichao, was officially released on Dec 4. By replacing traditional silicon chips with chips made from gallium nitride — a superior, third-generation semiconductor — the technology reduces electrical power loss by 30 percent and shrinks module volume by an equivalent amount, all while halving production costs.
The potential savings are staggering. Installing these modules in a single, massive 1-gigawatt AI data center could save nearly 300 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, cutting power bills by an estimated 240 million yuan ($34 million). This is critical as the AI boom fuels an unprecedented surge in energy use. A 1 GW data center alone can consume as much power as a large nuclear plant, with power conversion for processors accounting for 11 percent of its total load.
The seven-doctor team that developed the gallium nitride power module at Jiufengshan Lab in Hubei province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Faced with a processing technique involving thousands of nanometer-precision steps, a seven-doctor team at the lab conducted over a hundred tests to master the full production chain. Li confirmed the project has completed its proof-of-concept and is commencing pilot-scale validation, with mass manufacturing expected within three to five years to meet booming market demand.
A close-up of silicon-based gallium nitride chips arrayed on a wafer. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
The innovation, which recently won a national postdoctoral competition prize, has already attracted significant commercial interest. The team has secured over 10 million yuan in orders from domestic data center power suppliers and drawn attention from investment firms.
Qi Zichen contributed to this story.
