Renesas has launched the TP65B110HRU, a 650 V-class bidirectional GaN switch that does something power designers have wanted for a long time: it blocks current in both directions in a single device while also providing DC blocking. That sounds like a small device-level change, but it reaches much further into the converter than that. In topologies where engineers have traditionally had to stack switches back-to-back just to get the blocking behavior they need, this part cuts away a layer of hardware that has been treated as normal for years.
The TP65B110HRU is a bidirectional GaN switch used in power conversion systems such as solar microinverters, onboard EV chargers, and AI data center power hardware. Its real significance is not just that it uses GaN, but that it combines bidirectional switching and blocking in one package, which allows some converter architectures to be built with fewer devices and fewer stages. In a single-stage solar microinverter, for example, that changes the switching arrangement itself, not just the efficiency number at the end of it.
A Single Device Where Two Usually Sit
Most high-voltage power switches still behave in a fairly one-directional way when they are off, which is why designers so often end up putting conventional devices back-to-back. That approach works, but it increases switch count, complicates the gate-drive arrangement, and makes it harder to keep the converter as clean as it first looked on paper.
Renesas is trying to remove that workaround. The company says the TP65B110HRU can replace conventional back-to-back FET arrangements with one low-loss, fast-switching device. In the solar microinverter example used in the PR, Renesas says a single-stage design can use two of these bidirectional SuperGaN devices, eliminating the intermediate DC-link capacitors and cutting the switch count by half. That is the kind of change that gets noticed quickly, because the topology itself starts looking different.
The Gate Drive Story Matters Just As Much
A GaN part can look impressive until the gate-drive requirements start reshaping the rest of the board around it. That is one reason this device is being positioned so carefully. The TP65B110HRU combines a high-voltage bidirectional depletion-mode GaN chip with two low-voltage silicon MOSFETs, and Renesas says the result is compatible with standard gate drivers without requiring negative gate bias.
That is a practical detail, not a marketing one. If a bidirectional GaN switch still demanded a fussy gate-drive scheme, the switch-count savings would be harder to claim as a real system win. Renesas also specifies a typical threshold voltage of 3 V, a maximum gate-source voltage of ±20 V, and built-in body diodes for efficient reverse conduction. The point is fairly clear: this is not just a bidirectional device, but one the company wants engineers to see as usable without inventing a new drive strategy around it.
Not Limited To A Neatly Soft-Switched World
Renesas also makes a point of saying the TP65B110HRU supports both soft and hard switching. That matters because some of the more interesting topologies do not stay inside ideal soft-switching conditions, especially once the converter has to operate across a broader real-world range.
The device is specified with dv/dt capability above 100 V/ns, and Renesas says it can switch with minimum ringing and short delays during turn-on and turn-off. The PR specifically mentions Vienna-style rectifiers, which is a useful clue to where the company sees this part fitting. Hard-switched designs do not just need fast devices. They need devices that stay controlled while moving that quickly.
The Real Change Is In Converter Architecture
Renesas quotes more than 97.5 percent power efficiency for a real-world single-stage solar microinverter implementation using this approach. That is a strong headline figure, but the broader value is architectural. If one switch can now handle bidirectional blocking where two were previously needed, then some power stages stop carrying extra silicon simply to work around the limits of the switching device.
That has obvious consequences for board area, part count, and design complexity, but it also changes how engineers think about what belongs in the converter in the first place. Renesas is not just adding another 650 V GaN part to an already crowded category. It is putting forward a device that tries to remove one of the most familiar compromises in high-voltage power design.
Learn more and read the original announcement at www.renesas.com
Technology Overview
The Renesas TP65B110HRU is a 650 V-class bidirectional GaN switch for power conversion systems that need bidirectional current blocking in a single device. It combines a high-voltage bidirectional d-mode GaN chip with two low-voltage silicon MOSFETs, supports soft and hard switching, offers 110 mΩ typical RSS,ON, and is designed for applications such as solar microinverters, AI data centers, and onboard EV chargers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the TP65B110HRU used for?
It is used in power conversion systems such as solar microinverters, AI data center power hardware, and onboard EV chargers that benefit from bidirectional switching and reduced switch count.
Does the TP65B110HRU require a negative gate drive?
No. Renesas says the device works with standard gate drivers and does not require negative gate bias.
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