10,910 m, marking the entry of China’s deep‑earth exploration into the era of 10,000‑meter wells. Bottom‑hole temperature increases linearly with depth – in ultra‑deep wells it can exceed 200 °C, and in areas with high geothermal gradients it can reach or even exceed 230 °C. This has directly driven the development and engineering application of 250 °C and even 275 °C high‑temperature power supplies. ZITN’s high‑temperature linear power supplies already cover a case temperature of 275 °C, and its high‑temperature DC‑DC modules reach 200 °C, providing power‑supply technology reserves for ultra‑deep exploration equipment. Looking ahead, as deep‑earth projects target deeper and hotter objectives, 300 °C‑class power supplies will become the next technological battleground.
Deep‑sea exploration equipment represents another growth pole. Although deep‑sea underwater instruments are not challenged by high temperatures (the deep‑sea environment is typically 2–4 °C), they must withstand ultra‑high hydrostatic pressure (up to 110 MPa at 10,000 m depth), highly corrosive seawater, and long‑duration continuous operation. The hermetic packaging and high mechanical strength of thick‑film hybrid integrated power supplies perfectly match the pressure‑resistance and corrosion‑resistance requirements of deep‑sea equipment. In application scenarios such as subsea production systems, seabed observation networks, and deep‑sea drilling vessels, the packaging reliability technologies developed for high‑temperature power supplies can be cross‑applied to pressure‑tolerant power supply designs.
The aerospace sector presents a different set of requirements: a wider temperature range (–55 °C to 175 °C) and extremely stringent demands on weight, volume, and radiation tolerance. Thick‑film power supplies inherently avoid outgassing problems because organic materials are not used in the material system, and the ceramic substrate is insensitive to radiation. These characteristics give them significant potential for further expansion in aerospace power supplies.
Looking at technology evolution trends, the application of wide‑bandgap semiconductor devices in high‑temperature power supplies is an important direction. Silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) power devices offer higher junction temperature margins, faster switching speeds, and lower conduction losses than conventional silicon devices. At present, the nominal junction temperature of SiC power diodes and MOSFETs can exceed 200 °C, and some laboratory samples have demonstrated operation above 250 °C. Combining wide‑bandgap devices with thick‑film hybrid integration technology is expected to push the efficiency and power density of high‑temperature DC‑DC modules to new heights. However, this path also faces engineering challenges such as high‑temperature chip packaging and gate‑drive reliability, which require continued process development and validation.
Digitalisation and intelligence represent another trend. Future downhole power modules may integrate digital communication interfaces and condition‑monitoring functions, enabling real‑time reporting of case temperature, input/output voltages, load current, and internal fault status – thereby providing ground operators with online health management capabilities for the power supply system. This would require incorporating microcontrollers or programmable logic devices into the high‑temperature operating environment, raising new demands for chip selection and circuit design.
For practitioners in the deep‑earth exploration industry, keeping an eye on the development of high‑temperature power supply technology is not only a technical necessity for component selection and procurement, but also an engineering perspective for forward‑looking planning. As China’s strategic initiatives in the deep earth, deep sea, and deep space advance, extreme‑environment power supply technology will continue to benefit, as a foundational cross‑cutting technology, from cross‑industry demand pull and technology spill‑over.
