Why Power Delivery Is Critical for AI Performance
AI workloads and system bottlenecks
As artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms grow more sophisticated and models balloon in size, the chips powering AI are being pushed to their physical limits. Power consumption and heat management are fast becoming some of the most pressing constraints on system performance. Meeting these challenges requires not only more powerful silicon, but also smarter approaches to how power is delivered to those chips.
At Saras Micro Devices, we believe the answer lies in advanced packaging—and specifically, in rethinking the way power delivery networks (PDNs) are designed. Our STILE™ technology offers a pathway to address the power bottleneck holding back next-generation AI and high-performance computing (HPC) systems.
Power Delivery Matters More Than Ever
AI workloads demand unprecedented processing density. In data centers alone, power requirements for AI accelerators are rising by 2 to 5 times within the same footprint in a single generation. Heterogeneous integration using chiplets is enabling system-on-chip (SoC)-level performance with more flexibility, but this density comes with a steep cost: power delivery has become one of the biggest system bottlenecks.
In conventional power modules, passive components such as capacitors and inductors occupy more space than converter chips. Even as converter switching frequencies rise, shrinking component size, passives are still a limiting factor. Moving voltage regulation closer to the point of load is one solution—but doing so within today’s tight packaging constraints introduces new problems, including concentrated heat and complex integration challenges.
The Solution: Vertical Power Delivery (VPD)
Reducing Parasitic Losses with Vertical Current Flow
What’s needed is a new architectural approach that brings power delivery closer to the load, shortens the electrical path, reduces losses, and frees up valuable board space. Vertical power delivery (VPD) offers that paradigm shift. By stacking the power stage and passive components in line with the die, VPD shortens the power path and minimizes parasitic losses. Instead of running current laterally across the board, vertical current flows directly from the PCB, through the package substrate, and into the die itself.
Compact PDNs for Space-Constrained AI Platforms
This compact configuration improves power delivery efficiency and dynamic response times, enabling high-performance AI chips to operate with fewer voltage fluctuations and greater stability. The approach also allows PDNs to be mounted in such narrow spaces as the underside of a motherboard—crucial for systems where space is at a massive premium.
Inside Saras Micro Devices’ STILE™ Technology
Embedded Capacitors and Inductors for Low-Loss Power Paths
Saras Micro Devices’ SarasTILE (STILE) technology is engineered to bring vertical power delivery into mainstream adoption. Unlike traditional discrete passives or substrate-embedded solutions, STILE integrates capacitors and inductors directly into the package substrate or accelerator board PCB using proprietary materials and fabrication processes. The result is a power delivery solution with unmatched density, efficiency, and reliability.
Proprietary Materials and Fabrication for Superior Reliability
STILE’s key benefits include:
- Embedded capacitor and inductor technology with integrated magnetic cores for low-loss inductors.
- Superior temperature and bias stability, ensuring consistent performance under dynamic workloads.
- Electroplated copper terminals and vias, reducing interconnection resistance compared to soldered passives.
- Customizable design—STILE height matches substrate thickness, and layouts are tailored to each SoC’s requirements.
- Reduced mechanical stress, thanks to matched substrate coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE).
- Lower assembly costs, since embedding reduces the need for costly pick-and-place processes, which can exceed the component costs themselves.
Together, these advantages allow Saras to deliver compact, low-loss, high-efficiency modules that overcome the constraints of traditional PDNs.
Addressing AI’s Unique Power Challenges
Minimizing Static and Dynamic Power Losses
AI processors are particularly sensitive to voltage accuracy and timing. Fluctuations caused by dynamic workloads or parasitic losses in the PDN can limit performance and energy efficiency. STILE-enabled PDNs minimize both static (I²R) and dynamic inductive losses, helping to stabilize voltages and improve overall computational throughput.
Improving Efficiency and Voltage Stability in Data Centers
For data center operators, where operations per watt is the key metric, STILE offers a direct path to higher efficiency. By embedding passives within the package or system PCB, and enabling vertical power delivery, Saras helps improve power utilization across large-scale AI systems—translating to better performance at lower energy cost.
Scaling Beyond Moore’s Law with Integrated Voltage Regulation
The Role of Embedded Passives in Integrated Voltage Regulation
The semiconductor industry is already working at the cutting edge of physical scaling, with CMOS nodes approaching 2 nm. At these dimensions, traditional scaling offers diminishing returns, and system-level innovations are taking center stage. Power delivery is now a central design constraint for next-generation AI systems.
Preparing for AI-Driven PDN Co-Design
Saras sees the future in integrated voltage regulation (IVR), where regulators sit directly on the system chip. This shift will require advanced packaging technologies with embedded passives—exactly the space STILE was designed to lead. As AI systems continue to evolve, Saras is positioned to provide the embedded capacitor and inductor technologies that enable IVR solutions and beyond.
Building the Ecosystem for Next-Generation Power Delivery
EDA collaboration and design enablement
Mainstream adoption of vertical power delivery will require ecosystem collaboration. Saras is actively engaging with:
- EDA tool providers, to enable co-design of power-aware architectures.
- PCB and substrate manufacturers, to align integration processes and supply chains.
- System and semiconductor companies, to jointly optimize power delivery for AI and HPC workloads.
By building these partnerships, Saras aims to accelerate the adoption of VPD solutions and help redefine power delivery standards for the AI era.
The Future — Smarter, More Efficient AI Systems
Powering the next wave of scalable, sustainable AI
As AI drives an explosion of compute demand, the industry faces a critical inflection point. Traditional approaches to power delivery can no longer keep pace with the performance and efficiency requirements of tomorrow’s systems. Vertical power delivery, enabled by advanced packaging, is the clear path forward.
The role of Saras Micro Devices in enabling efficiency leadership
Looking ahead, Saras Micro Devices is positioned to play a pivotal role in shaping next-generation AI ecosystems. As integrated voltage regulators and novel packaging topologies become the standard, embedded passives will be essential for keeping pace with performance, power, and thermal demands. With STILE, Saras offers a proven pathway to meet these requirements while partnering across the semiconductor supply chain to make advanced power delivery solutions scalable and accessible. The innovative technology translates into faster response times, better voltage stability, and greater energy efficiency—critical advantages as AI workloads become more demanding and data centers strive to improve operations per watt.
The bottom line: powering AI with better packaging isn’t just about solving today’s bottlenecks—it’s about laying the foundation for a more efficient, sustainable, and scalable future of computing.