Power Lattice, an innovative startup, has emerged at the forefront of energy efficiency solutions for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. The company aims to tackle the growing challenge of power consumption, which, according to CEO Peng Zou, has “almost become a show-stopping issue today.” Power Lattice uses the latest technology to provide chiplets that reduce chip power consumption by up to 50 percent. This new innovation revolutionizes the mission—efficiency—of data center operations.
The Silicon Valley startup’s approach is to make inductors from a specialized magnetic alloy, which means those inductors can be used efficiently at high frequencies. This allows Power Lattice to improve the performance of their chiplets by a wide margin. In its latest chips, the company has reengineered the voltage conversion process, bringing it much closer to processors and minimizing energy loss. The outcome is a dense chiplet design. It takes up less than 1/20th the footprint of available voltage regulators today and is only 100 micrometers tall.
Power Lattice’s breakthroughs are turning heads in the rapidly-evolving tech landscape. They provide a practical answer to one of the most daunting AI infrastructure R&D hurdles.
Innovative Solutions to Power Consumption Challenges
Power consumption in AI data centers has hit alarming levels, triggering swift measures from industry leaders. Peng Zou emphasizes the importance of addressing this issue, saying that it “has almost become a show-stopping issue today.” Businesses are doing everything they can to increase productivity and cut unnecessary energy expenses. Consequently, the need for advanced, efficient power management solutions is at an all-time high.
To address this adversary, Power Lattice has pioneered a novel approach using specialized magnetic alloys. This ultra-low core loss material enables the highest possible operational efficiency of inductors at high frequencies. Zou explains, “This enables us to run the inductor very efficiently at high frequency.” By honing in on high-frequency applications, Power Lattice’s technology can offer a dramatic reduction in power needs.
The company’s chiplets deliver unprecedented energy savings along with across-the-board performance improvements. Power Lattice says its decade-in-the-making cantilever design achieves two times greater performance per watt than the old way. This innovative breakthrough shows how creativity and technology can transform information-rich applications, one megawatt at a time, in an era where everything seems to need more and more energy.
The Shift Towards Chiplet Implementation
Chiplets are already transforming the semiconductor industry. Hanh-Phuc Le, Principal at Power Lattice, and a leading architect of the approach calls this “heterogeneous integration.” He underscores its many benefits. Power Lattice has successfully miniaturized and repackaged traditional high-voltage regulators on a very small scale. This shrewd strategic play uniquely positions them to compete with and beat bigger industry players.
Le further elaborates on the benefits of their approach: “The closer you get to the processor, the less distance that the high current has to travel, and thus we can reduce the power loss.” Purposeful shifting of strategies greatly increases the impact of every dollar spent. This sets Power Lattice apart from legacy grid solutions that rely on more massive assets.
As more companies start to adopt chiplet technology, Power Lattice’s innovations would likely make their market-dominating technology a game changer. That’s just the way the market works,” says Le. We’ve sort of got a startup working with another startup, and together they get to challenge and compete with the likes of IBM, SAP, Oracle. This collaborative approach not only drives innovation but leads to the development of advanced solutions for better energy management.
A Competitive Edge in Energy Management
By focusing on helping customers dramatically lower their energy use, Power Lattice is becoming an essential collaborator and contributor to the industry’s success. With the deployment of their advanced chiplets, operators are able to purvey a power need of 50 percent less. This results in huge capital expenditures and operating expenditures savings for AI data centers.
The company’s ability to operate at “a hundred times higher frequency than traditional solutions” allows it to tackle power loss more effectively. This unique ability highlights Power Lattice’s competitive advantage in an industry that is becoming more focused on sustainable practices and energy efficiency.
Zou believes that their innovative approach could set new industry standards. “From a market position perspective, we are quite a bit different.” At the same time, energy demands are soaring around the globe. Power Lattice’s technology has the potential to serve as a blueprint for future breakthroughs in AI infrastructure.
