The increasing power consumption of AI chips is expanding the demand for mature silicon power supplies and the application space for gallium nitride (GaN). Behind DrMOS and DrGaN lie different levels of product maturity, customer relationships, and value distribution. To understand this competition, it is necessary to first clarify product boundaries and then see who can transform device advantages into power supply solutions that customers are willing to procure.
I. Definitions and Technical Architecture
1. Terminology Distinction
Taking Navitas's GaN power module product classification method as an example, depending on the level of integration, they can be divided into:
Readers can understand power devices (GaN HEMT, SiC MOSFET, silicon-based MOSFET, etc.) as switches that control high currents (muscles), drivers as the components responsible for transmitting their on/off signals (nerves), and controllers as the components responsible for deciding when the switches should act (the brain).
DrGaN can be understood as a combination of a driver (gate driver) and GaN, typically using GaN HEMT devices as the two power switches for controlling high currents.
DrMOS is a combination of a driver and silicon-based MOSFETs, typically packaging the driver and the high-side and low-side silicon MOSFETs into the same package.
It should be noted here that a higher level of integration in a power module does not necessarily mean the product's technology is more advanced. As integration increases, customers' design flexibility in specific application scenarios decreases, the cost of design changes rises, and the process difficulty of device fabrication also increases. The choice of solution depends on specific customer application requirements to achieve the best overall outcome.
2. Configuration Circuit Analysis
In Figure 1, the external controller arranges the switching rhythm based on the output voltage, the driver executes the instructions, the two power switches work alternately, and the inductor and capacitor smooth the output.
By replacing the GaN switches in the diagram with silicon-based MOSFETs, the functional correspondence between DrGaN and DrMOS can be understood; however, in actual design, the control timing, drive voltage, and protection mechanisms must be re-adapted.
The value of directly integrating the driver and power switches lies in reducing circuit parasitic parameters, minimizing device volume, and lowering the difficulty of customer usage.
Figure 1 DrGaN configuration circuit, referenced from: Infineon IGI60L1111B1M Technical White Paper Figure 1.
Reading the diagram: The controller on the left is an external controller; the gray part in the middle is the driver; the upper and lower gray boxes on the right are the two GaN HEMT switches used to control the high-power loop.
II. Performance Advantages and Disadvantages and Main Application Scenarios
1. Performance Advantages and Disadvantages
Silicon DrMOS excels in low-voltage, high-current power supply; GaN covers a wider range of voltage levels and is suitable for high-frequency, miniaturized designs. Table 1 summarizes the common ranges.
Table 1 Parameter Orders of Magnitude for DrMOS and GaN Integrated Devices
Note: The GaN column includes discrete devices, half-bridges, and switching ICs with integrated drivers or controllers. Voltage rating does not equal bus voltage; the 800V transient voltage rating is calculated separately. Efficiency is a rough reference for the power supply solution at approximately half load, not an inherent material value; different conversion stages cannot be directly ranked. The ranges do not represent technological limits.
2. Main Application Scenarios in the Data Center Power Supply Chain
Taking the step-down process of 48V, 12V, and approximately 1V as an example, 48V to 12V is the intermediate stage, and 12V to the processor core voltage is the final stage. DrMOS has been widely used in the final stage power supply for PCs, servers, and graphics cards; GaN, on the other hand, first seeks efficiency and volume benefits in the intermediate stage before extending closer to the core.
The 650V GaN in high-voltage power supplies, the 100V GaN in 48V systems, and the low-voltage DrGaN for core power supply represent different product opportunities; only the latter forms the most direct competition with traditional DrMOS.
III. Technical Challenges and Commercialization Prospects
1. Technical Challenges of DrMOS and DrGaN
(1) DrMOS: Thermal Management and Response Under High Current
The increase in processor power consumption requires the power stage to deliver higher currents within a limited area. On-resistance, package thermal dissipation, and power supply path losses collectively limit the actual capability; voltage stability must also be maintained during sudden load changes. An increase in the rated current of a single device does not mean that customers can proportionally reduce the quantity used.
(2) DrGaN: High-Frequency Benefits and Reliability Verification
The faster the GaN switching, the more difficult it is to handle the spikes and interference caused by connections and wiring. When entering low-voltage, high-current scenarios, it is also necessary to reduce on-state losses and verify long-term performance under conditions such as repeated switching and high temperatures. Integrated drivers can alleviate the difficulty of use, but they cannot replace board-level verification, nor can the device voltage rating be treated as the system operating voltage.
2. Commercialization Prospects of DrMOS and DrGaN
(1) DrMOS: Specification Upgrades and Domestic Introduction in a Mature Market
Industry chain interviews in May 2026 indicated that server customers generally prefer to use matched controllers and power stages. The advantages of manufacturers such as Infineon, MPS, and Renesas include not only devices but also platform debugging and troubleshooting experience. Infineon's new-generation multi-phase controller released in March further reflects this system-matching competition: meeting the parameters of a single DrMOS is merely the starting point for entering customer evaluation.
Specification upgrades can enhance revenue quality. Project quotations from relevant interviews with Joulwatt in March showed approximately USD 0.5 for 30A, approximately USD 1.5 for 60-70A, and approximately USD 2.5-3 for 90A. These are not industry average prices, but they illustrate that changes in the proportion of high-current products will significantly affect the average selling price, and revenue growth cannot be explained solely by the number of units.
The window for domestic manufacturers comes from local synergy and customers increasing their supply options, but the verification cycle will delay revenue realization. In the aforementioned interviews, some domestic customers required approximately 6-9 months, while overseas customers required approximately 12-18 months, all based on project experience. After entering the approved vendor list, they still need to secure procurement and repeat purchases for specific platforms to form a stable market share.
Supply can also dictate market share. Interviews in May reflected that the lead time for some products exceeded half a year; during shortages, the delivery capability of certified production lines becomes more critical. A new foundry having equipment and capacity does not mean it can immediately produce qualified products; process migration, packaging and testing, and re-verification will all take time. Whether price increases can be translated into profits also depends on wafer and packaging/testing costs.
(2) DrGaN: Clear Growth Space, Core Power Supply Still Needs to Cross the Threshold
Yole's "Power GaN 2026" forecasts that the global power GaN device market will reach USD 3.5 billion by 2031, with a compound annual growth rate of approximately 35% from 2025 to 2031; of this, communications and infrastructure will account for approximately USD 750 million. This scope covers multiple voltage levels and applications and is not the DrGaN market size. Data centers bring incremental growth, but how much the integrated power stage will ultimately capture still depends on architecture choices and penetration rates.
Commercial progress is already stratified. Integrated GaN half-bridges such as the EPC2152 have already provided products and evaluation platforms; the 15V DrGaN disclosed by Innoscience in May 2026 is marked as under development. The former proves that integrated solutions are available for engineering applications, while the latter indicates that GPU core power supply is still being advanced. Ecosystem cooperation, prototype demonstrations, and continuous procurement by major customers represent different stages.
August GaN interviews indicated that device companies and power module companies acquire value in different ways. The former mainly relies on device performance and manufacturing costs, while the latter masters power supply design, magnetic component matching, and customer delivery. Device manufacturers extending into modules may increase the value per unit, but they may also compete with their original customers, requiring more application talent and funding.
GaN cost reduction also depends on qualified chip output and capacity utilization rate. Capacity expansion first increases depreciation; only a gradual ramp-up in orders can amortize costs; the higher unit price of AI products is also insufficient to independently prove profitability improvement. Customer procurement, on the other hand, must calculate whether the space, electricity, and cooling investments saved by the entire power supply can cover the premium and switching costs of new devices.
IV. Future Development Trends
1. Development Trends, Application Potential, and Competing Technologies of DrMOS
Silicon solutions will continue to reduce losses and integrate into multi-phase modules. The TDM24745T released by Infineon in March 2026 packages four power stages, an inductor, and decoupling capacitors into a 9×10×5mm package, indicating that value is extending toward system integration. Vertical power delivery, which moves the power supply closer to the processor, will also increase the importance of packaging and magnetic components. GaN is one of the competing routes; switched capacitors, coupled inductors, and hybrid conversion architectures may also change the usage of traditional DrMOS.
2. Development Trends, Application Potential, and Competing Technologies of DrGaN
GaN will improve ease of use through integrated drive protection, packaging optimization, and manufacturing cost reduction, and its applications are expected to expand from the intermediate stage to lower-voltage core power supplies. Competitors are also iterating: facing mature silicon solutions in the medium- and low-voltage segments, and needing to compare system costs with SiC in the high-voltage segment. Material selection and power supply architectures will co-evolve. For the industry chain, continuous orders, mass production yield rates, and system benefits under the same working conditions are more indicative of commercial viability than a single highest switching frequency.