Further upscaling of AI is only possible via improved power electronics. Hence this 17-page report explores solid state circuit breakers, which offer 1,000x faster fault protection and greater controllability. How do SSCBs work? What do they cost? Who benefits? And who is displaced?
What is a circuit breaker and why does it matter? The need to avoid overcurrents, fault currents and protect against short-circuits is described from first principles on page 2. Accordingly, the functioning and costs of today’s electromechanical circuit breakers are described on pages 3-4.
The key reason for writing this note, however, lies in the desire to upscale AI, to reach MW-scale rack density, and in turn this requires moving to an 800V DC power delivery architecture.
Simply put, today’s electrochemical circuit breakers are too slow, imprecise, bulky and manual to protect GPUs, in future AI architectures. Unless a new type of breaker is commercialized, the limitations of today’s circuit breakers could derail the ramp-up of AI. Challenges that need to be overcome are on pages 5-8.
Solid state circuit breakers (SSCB) interrupt excessive current, fault current and short circuits, purely by using semiconductors, instead of mechanical switches. This is the best suggestion we have seen to enable future upscaling of AI racks. How SSCBs work is described on pages 9-11.
Company implications are fascinating. Power MOSFETs and other active semiconductor companies have had their margins in the doldrums, due to a slowdown of EV growth and intense competition. But now every company in this space is highlighting upside and opportunity in AI data centers, per pages 12-14.
Capital goods companies that specialize in electromechanical breakers could see their market share disrupted, especially in data centers, per page 15.
Leading companies in solid state circuit breakers, and the components that go into them, are presented on pages 16-17, across both large-cap companies, and smaller listed pure-plays.