A 10.5 W, 93% Efficient Dual-Path Hybrid (DPH)-Based DC–DC Converter Incorporating a Continuous-Current-Input Switched-Capacitor Stage and Enhanced <i>I<sub>L</sub> </i> Reduction for 12 V/24 V Inputs
Qiaobo Ma, Xiongjie Zhang, Anyang Zhao, Huihua Li, Yang Jiang, Man‐Kay Law, Makoto Takamiya, Rui P. Martins, Pui‐In Mak
Abstract
This work proposes a high-step-down switched-capacitor (SC) hybrid DC-DC converter that effectively addresses the conduction loss in the inductor and power switches. Specifically, an architecture combining a dual-path hybrid (DPH) converter at the input, and a continuous-current-input SC (CISC) stage at the output, achieves superior performance in reducing the inductor DC current ( <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$I_{\mathrm {L,DC}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ) compared to the existing single-inductor two-flying-capacitor ( <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1L$ </tex-math></inline-formula> - <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$2C_{\mathrm {F}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ) converters. Also, the converter exploits low-voltage (LV) switches to handle a substantial portion of the current, diminishing the reliance on the inductor or high-voltage (HV) switches. Consequently, this approach enhances the efficiency and on-chip power/current density. The converter, implemented in 180-nm BCD, integrates monolithic power switches, drivers, and control circuitry. It is capable of regulating an output voltage within the range of 1.2 to 3.5 V, accommodating a 12 V/24 V-input. The peak efficiency is 93% and the on-chip current density is 0.638A/mm2. The load current delivery is up to 3 A, even using a compact inductor with a DC resistance (DCR) of 200 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{m}\Omega $ </tex-math></inline-formula> .