Author: Yunpeng | Editor: Moying
In a chip category once monopolized by overseas giants, a Chinese company has truly ranked among the top in technical specifications based on years of accumulation and continuous innovative breakthroughs, bringing a fresh breeze to the industry. Recently, XinDongxi visited a "Little Giant" enterprise with specialized and sophisticated capabilities—Beijing Sevenstar Huachuang Microelectronics Co., Ltd., located in the Electronic City Science and Technology Park of Zhongguancun Science Park in Beijing. They showed us a variety of representative power chips.
In a nearly two-hour in-depth interview with multiple executives of Sevenstar Micro, a "Chinese chip narrative" of tenacious breakthroughs in independent technology unfolded before our eyes. Each DC/DC converter is packed with cutting-edge technologies in a device smaller than a "fingernail," truly embodying the spirit of "building a temple in a snail shell." Why should we pay attention to such a tiny power chip in the era of AI? The answer from Sevenstar Micro's technical director is simple: "AI needs a good brain, and it also needs a strong heart."
In fact, AI is accelerating its move towards the edge and endpoint today, ranging from smart vehicles, embodied robots, and drones to smart industrial arms and AI high-definition cameras. As AI capabilities become increasingly powerful, smart terminal devices have a growing demand for real-time perception of the world, from images, audio, and text to tactile, auditory, and even gustatory information. Figuratively speaking, AI models and computing power chips such as GPUs and CPUs are like the "brain" of AI, responsible for analysis and decision-making, while various high-speed signal processing boards are like the "cerebellum" of AI, responsible for translating complex signals into the 0s and 1s that the brain can understand. Of course, having a "brain" is not enough; the power supply system composed of power chips acts as the "blood supply center," which is as important as the "heart," delivering current to various modules and supporting the operation of the entire AI system.
Building a "strong heart" for AI is of paramount importance. Especially today, when AI generates massive high-speed data interaction demands, high-speed signal processing boards are constantly challenging the limits of performance and size, forcing PMICs (Power Management ICs) to fiercely compete in the direction of "higher integration, smaller size, lower noise, and higher reliability." It can be said that without the solid support of a power system, the implementation of AI would be impossible.
From high-end instruments, medical imaging equipment, complex robots, and industrial control to aerospace and radar, high-speed signal processing boards are a "rigid demand" in almost all "hardcore" scenarios, and such boards are one of the hardest nuts to crack in hardware systems.
The multiple DC/DC converters packed with cutting-edge technologies we saw at Sevenstar Micro are precisely the "new answers" to these industry pain points. These power chips have achieved breakthroughs in three important dimensions: domestic substitution, small size, and high reliability. Their technical specifications can be benchmarked against global leading enterprises, and they possess extremely high application potential in communication, industrial, medical, and distributed power supply systems. During an in-depth exchange with XinDongxi, the technical director of Sevenstar Micro specifically mentioned that they have always adhered to the mission of "promoting the sustainable development of China's electronics industry," continuously empowering the industrial upgrade of domestic high-end electronic components. Soon, Sevenstar Micro will launch more blockbuster products to the market.
01.Dual Breakthroughs in Chip Design and Advanced Packaging Precisely Targeting Industry Pain Points in the "High-Density" Era
Before delving into the technical details of the products, a more primary question arises: Why is Sevenstar Micro doing this? What exactly is the value of making good power chips for the industry? In response, the technical director of Sevenstar Micro told XinDongxi that although the public's perception of AI mostly stays at the high-current power supply for high-computing GPUs, in the broad AI ecosystem and high-end manufacturing, the "miniaturization" and "high density" of power supplies also face huge challenges.
Today, various electronic devices are showing a "high-density" development trend. Manufacturers hope to achieve more features within the same volume, or integrate the same functions into smaller modules. The power supply system, which is indispensable for all electronic devices, has also become a key optimization link for improving space utilization. On-board power supply modules must output greater power or achieve higher specification features in a smaller space. Traditional discrete power supply designs occupy a large board-level area and can no longer meet the needs of modern high-density boards and high-performance signal processing boards used in equipment in fields such as data centers, communication base stations, aerospace, and industry.
In the AI era, various tasks more frequently experience drastic load fluctuations, requiring power supplies to achieve millisecond-level response. In terms of conversion efficiency, efficiency improvements often mean huge electricity bill savings or a substantial increase in battery life. In terms of reliability, scenarios such as aerospace, aviation, base stations, and industrial control have extremely high requirements for stability. High frequency and high current bring electromagnetic interference and heat dissipation issues, which are urgent challenges that chip manufacturers need to face.
When reviewing the industry development, the technical director of Sevenstar Micro specifically mentioned that the high-end POL (Point-of-Load) power chip market has long been dominated by international giants such as Texas Instruments, ADI, and MPS. On the one hand, this causes the security of the supply chain to be subject to the control of others; on the other hand, it also leaves many critical equipment lacking complete domestic substitution solutions. The acceleration of domestic substitution for power chips has become another important feature of the industry, and among them, DC/DC converters, as a key component of the power supply system, are becoming the key battlefield for domestic substitution. In response to this series of industry pain points, traditional solutions have reached their ceiling. Sevenstar Micro has provided a new solution, choosing to start from the "root," seeking space through breakthroughs in chip design and advanced packaging, and applications.
02.First Realized Domestically and First Launched in the Industry Unveiling the Secret of "Building a Temple in a Snail Shell"
In our in-depth exchange with Sevenstar Micro, we learned that although these products belong to the same sub-category of DC/DC converters, their specific technical characteristics and breakthrough points are different, and their application scenarios also vary. It can be said that "each one is highly competitive and has its own strengths." One of the DC/DC converters highlighted and repeatedly discussed is the HCE4644S, which is also a highly representative power chip. Released in December 2023, the HCE4644S is a milestone product for the domestic substitution of four-channel POL against the odds, and it is also the first of its kind launched globally, bringing the POL power supply industry into a new stage of development. From a technical specification perspective, the HCE4644S is a DC/DC converter with a complete four-channel 4A output and wide voltage input, adopting the chip-embedded substrate process. Based on this process, Sevenstar Micro has built-in switching controllers, power MOSFETs, inductors, and all supporting components in the chip packaging. The HCE4644S can achieve an input voltage of 4V to 14V and an output voltage of 0.6V to 5.5V per channel within a volume of 8.0mm×8.0mm×2.2mm, and the four channels in parallel can achieve a current of up to 16A. The technical director of Sevenstar Micro specifically mentioned that the HCE4644S model is currently the first mass-produced product in China with four chips embedded in the substrate. Compared with imported devices from international leading manufacturers, its board area is reduced by 52%, and its height is reduced by 2.8mm. It achieves performance improvements while maintaining an ultra-small size, which can be said to achieve both goals. In addition, its thermal resistance is reduced by more than 50%, which can further improve the reliability and lifespan of the product.
In terms of application scenarios, the HCE4644S has great potential, including power supply for various FPGAs, ASICs, and microprocessors in high-speed signal processing boards, Xilinx A7, K7, V7, and Zynq7 series FPGAs, NXP LS10XX series network processors, and mainstream processors such as Intel Cyclone V. It can cover fields from communication and network equipment, industrial and medical electronics to distributed power supply systems. The HCE4644S can power various high-speed chips in switches and routers, and is also suitable for the power supply parts of test and measurement equipment and portable medical instruments. It can also serve as an ideal power converter for on-board point-of-load. Another product is the high-density dual-channel power supply HCE4622D, independently developed by Sevenstar Micro. It is a complete dual-channel DC/DC converter with 2A output per channel and wide voltage input. It is packaged using panel-level fan-out packaging technology and is claimed to be the ultra-small dual-channel power supply in China delivering up to 11W per channel.
Within its small volume of 4.5mm×2.7mm×2.3mm, it can achieve an input voltage of 3.6V to a maximum of 20V, and an output voltage of 0.6V to 5.5V per channel. Compared with the overseas counterpart LTM4622ML, the board area is reduced by 69%, providing a low-EMI, high-power-density solution in a standard QFN package. In terms of scenarios, the HCE4622D can be applied to Zynq7 series FPGAs, Advanced Mezzanine Cards (AMC) for AdvancedTCA carrier cards in PCIe and embedded computing systems; some portable devices, sine wave signal generators, and distributed power supply in industrial and communication equipment. The third DC/DC converter is the HCE3009, positioned as a "benchmark product for ultra-small volume point-of-load." Its release time is about two years ahead of overseas leading enterprises. It is a complete single-channel 5A output, wide voltage input DC/DC converter.
The chip-embedded substrate process packaging makes its board area equivalent to only the size of two 1210 capacitors, and it can provide power for AMD Versal HBM series, Versal AI Edge series adaptive SoCs (System on Chip), and embedded systems. The last product highlighted by Sevenstar Micro in the exchange is the HCE4638, an important contributing component for core processor power supply solutions. It adopts the lead-frame inductor packaging process, with a complete single-channel 15A output. Its internal devices also adopt a three-layer stacked design, and it is also the ultra-small single-channel power supply in China delivering up to 82.5W, with a volume of only 6.25mm×6.25mm×4.92mm, featuring extremely high power density.
Placing the inductor outside the package allows the device to have better heat dissipation performance, and its heat dissipation efficiency outperforms imported counterparts, which is one of its key technical breakthroughs. From powering high-power base station equipment modules such as RF front-ends, transceivers, and PA drivers to auxiliary power supply for GPUs such as Ascend 310P, the HCE4638 is fully capable. Notably, it can also provide 15A-level core power for ASICs, high-speed SerDes, and PHY chips in switches and routers. Looking at these DC/DC converters, advanced packaging is their core advantage. Figuratively speaking, these advanced packaging technologies are like transforming old single-story houses into three-dimensional apartments in the highly expensive Second Ring Road of Beijing, achieving extremely high space utilization with basements and above-ground residences.
The technical director of Sevenstar Micro told XinDongxi that for customers, the most intuitive effect is nothing more than "one domestic chip replacing four imported ones," with lower costs, stronger performance, and more secure, controllable, and stable supply. Of course, such achievements are hard-won. They have collaborated with multiple packaging factories to adapt power chips and carried out extensive development and breakthroughs in module processes, which enabled these advanced packaging technologies to be implemented in products. Objectively speaking, multiple DC/DC converters from Sevenstar Micro have achieved partial superiority in volume power density and multi-channel integration. Their basic electrical parameters are on par with international mainstream products, and the breakthrough in domestic mass production of packaging processes has given customers a "reassurance." In the words of Sevenstar Micro, "What customers want is not only the stable guarantee of 'domestic' but also 'saving board area, reducing the number of materials, and fast delivery.' Customers choose Sevenstar Micro not because they 'have to,' but because it is 'really good.'"
03.Decades of Profound Industry Accumulation Integration of Design, Manufacturing, Packaging, Testing, and Verification Decoding the Technical Moat of Sevenstar Micro
Today's breakthroughs at Sevenstar Micro are by no means achieved overnight, but are the phased results of profound technical accumulation. In the nearly two-hour interview, we deeply felt that every member talked about product and technical details as if they were counting their own treasures, and had heartfelt enthusiasm for discussions on technology and industry levels. Each of them may have experienced different stages in the life course of Sevenstar Micro, but what runs through it all is Sevenstar Micro's continuous pursuit of technological innovation. As an innovative platform enterprise focusing on the design, packaging, and testing of the semiconductor industry chain, Sevenstar Micro has a profound accumulation far beyond that of a "startup," which is also the confidence they have to empower the industrial upgrade of domestic high-end electronic components.
Today, how is Sevenstar Micro, as an "innovative platform enterprise," different from traditional chip companies? As an old player, what kind of "unique" value can they provide to industry customers in the new era? In response to this question, the technical director of Sevenstar Micro gave a very intuitive and concise answer: from design to packaging and testing, from R&D to verification, they control the full industrial chain for high-end power chips. They have truly achieved independent and controllable control of the entire industry chain, providing customers with stable and continuous supply guarantees, and helping customers calmly cope with market fluctuations and mass production demands.
Specifically, in terms of core R&D and design capabilities, Sevenstar Micro has decades of profound accumulation and massive application experience. It has undergone verification by different customers and tests in harsh usage environments, so its hard power in chip design is unquestionable. In terms of multi-dimensional R&D and design capabilities, it has a comprehensive design platform. While possessing conventional IC (Integrated Circuit) design capabilities, it also has multi-physics field simulation and design capabilities covering magnetism, heat, etc., far exceeding single chip design enterprises.
At the same time, Sevenstar Micro can fully integrate its own process platform with the strategic cooperation resources of external leading packaging and testing factories. On the one hand, relying on its own process production line to achieve rapid iteration and development of technical solutions; on the other hand, through deep collaboration with leading packaging and testing manufacturers, carrying out joint development of customized packaging and testing processes, thereby forming a more stable and flexible comprehensive delivery capability. The technical director of Sevenstar Micro specifically mentioned that they possess the industry's authoritative CNAS verification platform. CNAS is a comprehensive and authoritative evaluation of enterprises' test sites, test equipment, personnel capabilities, and other multi-dimensions. Sevenstar Micro has CNAS-recognized laboratories and authoritative testing qualifications, and can independently complete various reliability and environmental tests. This lab can faithfully replicate customers’ real-world application scenarios, achieving full-process quality control of products. This is also its core verification capability advantage that distinguishes it from its peers, which is of great value to customer service and product implementation. Simply put, customers using the solutions provided by it can be more worry-free and labor-saving, and even achieve "ready out-of-the-box."
In the current increasingly fierce competition in the electronic components industry, the level of intelligent manufacturing and supply chain stability have become key yardsticks for enterprises' core competitiveness. Relying on SPI/AOI technology to drive the transformation of digital quality control, Sevenstar Micro's automatic wiring production equipment for point-of-load power supplies and AOI systems have completed the upgrade of quality control from "manual prevention" to "automated prevention." By replacing traditional manual inspection with SPI/AOI automated detection technology, it avoids quality fluctuations caused by manual fatigue and skill differences. At the same time, Sevenstar Micro has accumulated a massive amount of traceable quantitative data throughout the process, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent introduction of an AI quality prediction and optimization system.
In the view of the technical director of Sevenstar Micro, this full-chain independent and controllable intelligent manufacturing capability is not only the technical confidence of Sevenstar Micro but also a core commitment to customers. Stable capacity, controllable quality, and efficient delivery—they have consolidated the foundation of supply chain security with hard power, allowing customers to advance mass production plans and project iterations without concerns. Currently, Sevenstar Micro has built a rich product matrix covering power chips, digital chips, signal chain chips, memory chips, SiP (System in Package) modules, and power modules, with complete categories and diverse structures. With the continuous implementation of new products and deepening layout, the company is accelerating the promotion of technology popularization and scenario-based applications, providing core chip support for multiple high-value fields such as AI (Artificial Intelligence), communication, industrial control, and aerospace. In terms of technology R&D and support, Sevenstar Micro has 7 customer support centers nationwide, which can provide localized services and achieve rapid response. The 5 R&D centers can achieve multi-location collaborative R&D and innovation.
04.Conclusion: Breakthrough of Domestic Hard Technology Accelerating Domestic Substitution in the High-End Chip Market A "Big Heart" Enables AI to Go Further
In the future, as AI technology continues to evolve at high speed, the "brain" of AI will inevitably become smarter and smarter, while whether it has a powerful "heart" will determine how far AI can go. With the active breakthroughs of domestic enterprises such as Sevenstar Micro, Power supply systems built around power chips represented by DC/DC converters — the "heart" of AI — have secured breakthroughs in the high-end market. Domestic solutions are moving from "usable" to "easy to use," and even rivaling and surpassing international leading enterprises in terms of size and specific indicators.
In the nearly two-hour in-depth exchange, we saw: The story of Sevenstar Micro is by no means a simple "domestic substitution," but using hardcore technological innovation to tear open a gap in the market long monopolized by giants and find a new viable path. In collaboration with excellent domestic CPU/GPU/FPGA manufacturers, Sevenstar Micro has become an important participant in building a truly independent, controllable, and powerful Chinese computing industry ecosystem.